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GILA COUNTY- A CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer is needed for 8-year-old Susie and her siblings. The Department of Child Safety removed this child and her siblings from the care of their mother due to a long history of substance abuse and neglect, where Susie was exposed to mother’s substance use, and her sibling was hospitalized due to severe withdraw symptoms after birth. Susie’s mother has refused to participate in reunification services. Susie’s father has neglected his children and failed to protect them. He has moved to another state and does not have contact with the children. The father has refused to participate in the child’s case or reunification services. Susie is the oldest of three children that have been separated from each other due to the inability to find family that have the capacity for all three young children.
Among the CASA volunteer’s responsibilities: Visiting Susie and her siblings at least once a month to monitor their progress and needs in their current placement, connecting with her care team to be aware of her physical and mental health concerns and providing recommendations to the judge on what you find to be the best permanency option.
Are you willing to give approximately 15 hours per month to advocate for an abused or neglected child in our community? No experience is necessary, and comprehensive training is provided at no cost to the volunteer advocate. Once certification and training are complete, CASA volunteers spend time learning about the child and their needs, gather information about the child’s circumstances, advocate for services for the child, and provide information to the court about what is in the child’s best interest.
The CASA of Gila County Program is excited to announce that the Court Appointed Special Advocate Program of Arizona is hosting the required CASA Volunteer training academy in Payson, AZ on Aug. 25-27. For those interested in serving as a CASA Volunteer for children from Gila County, we highly encourage you to apply before July 31, 2022, in order to attend this event. For those who do not live in the Payson area, lodging will be provided. For those who cannot attend this event in Payson, there are several alternative training dates and locations throughout the year.
If you are interested in becoming a CASA volunteer for a child like Susie, please contact CASA of Gila County by emailing enader@courts.az.gov, visiting our website at CASAofGilaCounty.org or our Facebook at www.facebook.com/GilaCountyCASA , or call us at 928-402-4427.
PLEASE NOTE: This child’s name and some details have been changed to protect the identities of those involved, and this child is not eligible for adoption at this time.
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