The Voice

Colonial CASA's E-Newsletter

Volume II, Issue 18

June, 2007

In This Issue...

• Pencil It In...
• From the Director's Desk
• Colonial CASA Recruiting New Volunteers
• Email Etiquette
• CASAs Found Exceptionally Effective for Abused and Neglected Children
• Attachment, Bonding, and Reactive Attachment Disorder
• A Fond Farewell
• The Judges' Page

• Celebrating Birthdays and CASA Anniversaries
• Quick Links

Pencil It In...

• June 18: Monthly Meeting, 11:30am-1:00pm

To Access Colonial CASA's Calendar, Click Here.

From the Director's Desk 

Greetings from upstairs!   In my monthly message to you all, our volunteers and community supporters, I have always tried to convey a sense of the energy and tone here in the office.  This month is no exception, but I am finding the task to be more challenging than usual!

The air here is full of excitement, renewed enthusiasm, new ideas, new paths, well wishes, and a touch of melancholy.  Excitement and enthusiasm abounds, as staff has just returned from a fantastic 3 days in Orlando at the National CASA Conference, where we networked and learned with over 2000 CASA staff and volunteers from across the nation.  Oh, the ideas...!  We attended workshops on fundraising, spreading the word about the CASA mission,  recruiting, screening, and retaining volunteers, educational advocacy, court system improvement, event planning, program evaluation, corporate networking, the new advocate training model,  and report writing.  Barbara participated as a panelist in a session focused on building the CASA / Theta partnership.  We met CASA folks from the Florida Keys, Alaska, Texas, New Jersey, Colorado, and more.

This yearly "rejuvenation" has happened in a very timely manner as it turns out.  On the heels of such inspiration, we find we must say so-long to one of ours.  Barbara McElroy has made Colonial CASA her focus for 4 years, two as a W&M Theta intern and two as full-time Program Specialist.  She is, as planned for some time, moving on - leaving Colonial CASA to pursue another field.  Her mark has certainly been made on the agency - through both the volunteers she touched and the directors she organized!  We wish her well, and do hope that our paths cross again.

~Rebecca

Rebecca Bresee
Executive Director

Colonial CASA Recruiting New Volunteers

Email Etiquette

How in the world did we ever survive without email? Isn't it just the greatest, most time efficient way to communicate? I personally think it is the next best thing to dark chocolate. And for those who do not enjoy talking on the phone, I am sure that email has completely altered their lives. They can now exchange information with anyone without even having to speak to anyone!

However, email does come up short in some areas, particularly in the area of communicating emotion. It is very difficult to discern someone's mood or intent without being able to watch their facial expressions or listen to the intonation of their voice. Great problems can arise when the author of an email writes one thing and the recipient perceives it in a totally different manner. Now email, the great time saver, has become nightmare. As with everything, there is a right and wrong way to email. Below are a few tips that might save you from one of those awkward moments.

1. Be concise and to the point. Do not make an email longer than it needs to be.

2. When responding to an email, answer all questions, and pre-empt further questions.

3. Use proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Put your best foot forward as you are communicating with professionals, and your emails are a reflection on not only you, but Colonial CASA.

4. Answer swiftly. Emails should be responded to within 24 hours, preferably the same working day. If you cannot respond in a timely manner, let the sender know that you received the email and will get back to them.

5. Use proper structure and layout. Use short paragraphs and blank lines between paragraphs. When making points, number or bullet them.

6. Write a salutation (such as Hi, Hello, or Dear) for each new email. If you exchange several emails on the same topic, it is not necessary to include a salutation as it is though you are carrying on a conversation.

7. Do not write in CAPITALS. Using capitals makes it seem that YOU ARE SHOUTING. This could lead to an incorrect interpretation and might trigger an unwanted and unwarranted response.

8. Do not overuse the Reply All option. Do all recipients care about your reply or need to know what your reply is?

9. Don't use an email to avoid personal contact. Never underestimate the value of telephone or face-to-face communication.

10. Read your email before you send it. Of course, you want to check for spelling and grammar mistakes. But it is also beneficial to read it through the eyes of the recipient. This will help you send a more effective email and avoid misunderstandings or inappropriate comments.

11. Use a meaningful "Subject". Use a subject that has significance to both yourself and the recipient and clearly indicates the purpose of the email.

12. Avoid long sentences.

13. Do not send an email when you are angry or frustrated.

14. Remember that email is not private. You never know where your email may end up. It could be forwarded, so unintended persons could potentially see what you have written. Keep all correspondences professional to avoid embarrassment.

15. Get the permission of the professional before forwarding their email.

16. Always check the "Send To" line to ensure that your email is going to the intended person.

And as my mother always said, "don't put anything in writing that you would not want others to read." That was really related to my writing and passing notes in high school, but it certainly applies here.

~Sarah

Sarah Serra
Program Director

CASAs Found Exceptionally Effective for Abused and Neglected Children

In 2006, the US Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (OIG) conducted an audit of the National CASA Association, as required by Congress.  The audit assessed local CASA programs' performance by evaluating 4 performance measures for cases involving a CASA compared with non-CASA cases.  The results are:

Length of Time in Foster Care

Children in foster care are substantially less likely to spend time in long-term foster care (over 3 years) when they have a CASA assigned to their case.

Number of Services Provided

When a CASA was involved, both children and their parents were ordered by the courts to receive more services.  The audit concluded that this was an indication that "CASA is effective in identifying the needs of children and parents."

Percentage of Cases Permanently Closed

Cases involving a CASA are more likely to permanently closed -- where the children are less likely to reenter the Child Welfare System -- than cases where a CASA was not involved.

Achievement of a Permanent Plan for Reunification or Adoption

Children with a CASA are more likely to be adopted and less likely to be reunified with their parents than children not assigned a CASA.  The audit explains this finding as the result of CASAs serving on typically the most serious cases of maltreatment and therefore, cases where children are less likely to be reunified with their parents.

To Read the Full Article, Click Here.

Attachment, Bonding, and Reactive Attachment Disorder

When I was a child, my father said, "Believe only half of what you hear and even less of what you see."  Sometimes our backgrounds and expectations color our interpretation of what we see.  As CASA's, assigned to be the eyes and ears of the court, we are often faced with observing attachments and a child's reactions to foster parents, parents, and relative placement.  We have been taught that secure attachment establishes the basis on which the child will form relationships, his sense of security, his resilience to stress, his ability to balance his emotions, and make sense of his life.   

Children separated from caregivers typically protest the separation through acting out or expressions of anxiety. If the separation persists, the protests can turn to despair, and then finally to emotional detachment. Unless a healthy attachment relationship is established or re-established, the behavioral and emotional problems experienced by the children may have serious, lasting impact.

Special Considerations for CASAs:  Infant Attachment by Ben Wilkins

A basic understanding of attachment theory is an invaluable tool in making decisions about CASA recommendations.  It is also important to keep in mind that observations and caregiver reports can be misleading. For instance, a parent who cheerfully plays side by side with a child during a supervised visit does not necessarily have the emotional self-control and maturity to provide adequate parenting, and a child who plays well with an adult may not see the adult as a psychological parent. Similarly, the actions of a foster child who returns home from a supervised visit with his or her biological parents and becomes sullen, destructive or oppositional do not necessarily indicate that the child has an unhealthy attachment relationship with the parents and no longer wishes to visit them. Our role as CASAs is to understand the types of situations which are most conducive to healthy attachment and to advocate for them.

Continuing Education Opportunity

The information above was taken from a continuing education activity dealing with Infant attachment on the National CASA website.  On pages 6 & 7 of this link, there is a case scenario on Jamal.  For an additional 2 In - Service credit hours read over the case, determine which outcome is best for Jamal, and support your decision.  It will be interesting to see the different decisions and the deductive reasoning that lead to your decision. 

~Victoria

Victoria Canady

Volunteer Services Coordinator

A Fond Farewell

Colonial CASA bids a fond adieu to Barbara McElroy, Program Specialist, as she embarks on an exciting new path.  She has deferred her decision to attend law school this fall and accepted a position with Boehringer Ingelheim as a pharmaceutical sales representative in the Chesapeake area!  

While at Colonial CASA, Barbara was instrumental in (among other things,) the revamping of new Advocate training, the development of a new web-site, e-newsletter, & donor database, and the nearly single-handed development of the Theta intern program.  We wish her luck as she begins a new and exciting professional journey!

The Judges' Page

The Judges' Page is an educational, online newsletter that is published by National CASA in partnership with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges three times each year. The publication is intended as an online resource for judges, attorneys, child advocates, local CASA program staff and CASA volunteers.

Each issue of The Judges' Pagefocuses on one particular area of the court-CASA relationship. The topic of the current issue is "Children in Court." The June issue will highlight "The Role of Foster Parents in the Dependency Court."

Subscribing is free. To view and subscribe to The Judges' Page, Click Here.  To subscribe, click on the button appearing on the upper left side of the page. An email will alert you when a new issue is published online.

Celebrating CASA Birthdays and Anniversaries

This month, Colonial CASA would like to wish Roopa Singh a Happy Birthday.

Additionally, CASA Joan Andrews celebrates her 9 years of advocating for Colonial CASA this month.  Congratulations!

To Learn More About CASA Volunteers, Click Here.

Quick Links

Colonial CASA's Website

• The Voice, Newsletter Archive
• Community Resource Directory Online
• E-Store
• Calendar
• Spirit of Giving

National CASA

CASA Net

Sincerely,  

The Colonial CASA Staff