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You
probably wouldn't have come this far if you didn't have a desire to
make kids' lives better and have at least a little time to devote to
such efforts. That requires a certain perspective that
usually implies that you have your own life in order and have formed
some guiding principles of how a successful life is lived. As
essential to your work as a CASA all this may be, like so many things
there can be too much of a good thing. Let me explain.
The families CASAs work with don't
have their lives in order and most likely are
lacking in sufficiently strong and healthy guiding principles and even
motivation to make them successful. Most of us haven't
spent much time experiencing the things these families are going
through, and it's tempting to apply our own perspectives to their
situations and expecting outcomes which go far beyond ensuring a safe
home for their children. Our role is to help secure for each
child a safe environment which meets what are often referred to as
"minimum community standards" - as promptly as we can. We aren't
here to demand or
find the very best home, biological or adoptive, despite what we could
wish for each child. Kids
can't wait. For anyone working with foster kids,
that
can be a difficult concept to accept. If you can adopt that new
perspective, the chances are your frustrations with the system and the
options available for kids will be reduced sufficiently for you
to have a long and satisfying career as a CASA. Undoubtedly
the leading reason CASA volunteers are lost is because they can't live
within that limitation and leave due to frustration.
The child welfare system we work in is always overburdened. So
much need and so few people, facilities, and funds to do all we expect
of it. Unfortunately, often as advocates for the children
assigned to us, we're competing for services and pushing to move the
system along. No wonder the presence of a CASA
statistically makes such a dramatic impact on the outcome of cases when
we're involved. But good outcomes don't come without some
frustrations, and as a CASA you'll have to be able to get past delays
and setbacks confident that your work is vital. None of us is
immune from seeing cases end unsatisfactorily for a variety of
reasons. But it's an extremely rare instance that a CASA's
efforts have gone without making a lasting positive impact in one way
or another such that childrens' and families' lives are truly
touched by what we do.
OK, that's the label warning. Now to the particular skills and
apptitudes you'll engage as a CASA. First of all, you need to be
an objective thinker and investigator. Are you good at
listening? Are you good at weighing two or more sides of a
question to figure out what really makes sense? Do you enjoy the
challenge of discovering inconsistencies or things others may be
overlooking? And just as importantly, can you present your
observations and conclusions in a way that enlists support, or when
that isn't possible can you stand up for your convictions while
maintaining the respect of those with whom you may differ? Do you
have ways to get people to talk with each other who might otherwise be
at cross purposes? As a volunteer - not part of the social
service agency - you'll find you have great leverage here. And
can you see good results come through your efforts while publically
minimizing the role you played? That can go a long way toward
building a respected relationship among all who work within the system
that can serve you well later on.
Finally, you need to be, or be open to becoming, comfortable meeting
and dealing with people of all kinds of backgrounds, economic
circumstances, and lifestyles that you might not normally come into
contact with. You don't have to blend in seamlessly, of couse,
but the way you handle yourself will be the key to how well
you're accepted and trusted which will make all the difference in how
effective you can be.
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