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The 2017 Friends of Alaska
Quilt
Auction
is
November 25, 2017 at the University Center from 10:00 - 2:00 PM.
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Reflections
from the desk of the
Alaska CASA State
Director
I had the privilege of spending three days at the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention last week.
My goal was to get the CASA name out in the community, recruit volunteers, and of course, sell quilt raffle tickets.
I am very pleased to share that a majority of people who stopped by the CASA booth were already familiar with CASAs and what we do. If they were not familiar with CASA, once it was explained to them what we do, they quickly nodded their heads and expressed appreciation for our work.
I was also there (not actually in the room) when Governor Walker signed a compact that
recognizes the authority of Alaska Tribes to provide child welfare programs and services on behalf of the Alaska Office of Children's Services, providing greater local oversight of family services. (More on this in the next newsletter).
I left the convention with a good feeling that we are becoming more successful in getting the word out about CASA and the wonderful work our volunteers do.
A big thanks to Beaty Graves, Debbie Cameron, Brittany Retherford, Michael Kage, Chawn Kern and Erin Leaders for volunteering to hep with the booth.
~ LeeAnn
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Alaska CASA
The
2017 CASA/GAL conference
was held on September 29th and 30th a the BP Energy Center. Thirty-seven CASA volunteers, twenty-one guardians ad litem and two others
attended the conference. Evaluations were positive and a common comment was that it was hard to choose which workshop to attend because there were many interesting topics and informed presenters. A big thanks to Friends of Alaska CASA for supporting this great event.
I am extremely pleased to welcome Hilary Poole to Team Alaska as the new program coordinator for the Juneau CASA program. Hilary has been a CASA volunteer in Juneau since January of 2017. Hilary took over for Carol Graham who was the previous program coordinator in Juneau and also has a caseload as a guardian ad litem. Hilary came up from from Juneau for the conference and spent some time in Anchorage learning the ropes. I am thrilled to have Hilary on board, and I know she will be awesome. She is already setting up a CASA training for January 2018.
~ LeeAnn
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Anchorage CASA
Looking for Child Advocates
The next Anchorage core training will begin in January 2018. Please help us spread the word! If you know someone you think would make an excellent CASA volunteer, please encourage them to
get in touch with our office
. We have one more scheduled information meeting at the BP Energy Center on October 25th from 12-1! If you would like to host an information meeting or belong to a group that would like to host a meeting, please
let us know!
There is a tremendous need for advocates to represent the best interests of foster youth in our community and we appreciate your assistance in our recruitment efforts!
We are always looking for ways to enhance our training and to provide additional support to our volunteers. This past year we implemented two additional components to the Anchorage core training curriculum. Trainees received a two hour training on the Indian Child Welfare Act, facilitated by Erin Dougherty Lynch from Native American Rights Fund (NARF) and Sydney Tarzwell from Alaska Legal Services Corporation. Additionally, yours truly provided a two- hour court report writing workshop. We will be providing these trainings to our next volunteer class as well!
Life Long Links
We are excited to announce that we have begun piloting a new program in Anchorage! Every time a child relocates, they lose an average of 10 relationships. Imagine what it's like for a child in foster care who moves multiple times and is placed with different caretakers along the way. The Life Long Links Program seeks to identify family members and other people important to a youth in order to develop supportive relationships, placement options and lifelong connections. Stay tuned for updates on our newest endeavor!
Continuing Education
Our
First Tuesdays
Meet-Ups continue to be a great avenue for hosting trainings and providing volunteers with an opportunity to learn, review cases and network with one another. Thanks to the following presenters from the Anchorage community for contributing their time and expertise to help strengthen our program: Alex Forgarty, Stone Soup Group; Jackie Lennon, Anchorage School District and Andrea Cassidy, Dena A Coy.
~ Becky
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Fairbanks CASA
We had a lovely summer here in Fairbanks and our culminating event was sharing some non-work time together at our annual picnic in August. Although the rain kept us indoors, we managed to socialize while making a small dent in the dessert selection. It is so great to see volunteers and their families as they grow and change from year to year.
Thanks to Friends of Alaska CASA, a sizable group of Fairbanks volunteers and GALs attended the Alaska CASA Conference in Anchorage. Attending these conferences creates a more solid knowledge base as well as further inspires our advocacy work. We are so grateful for this opportunity. To further 'share the wealth', attendees will be sharing their new knowledge and insights with others at our monthly meetings.
Fall training is on track to begin in late October and our newest volunteers will be sworn-in mid-November. There are still a few spots available in this class, so if you know someone who is interested, please have them contact
Anne
.
Linda Fraini, who has been a Fairbanks GAL for over 14 years, left her position in late September. Linda's exceptional advocacy will be missed, as will her hearty laugh and ability to see the absurd in most every situation. We wish Linda the best as she takes some time to relax and chart her new path.
KUDOS! KUDOS! KUDOS!
Congratulations to Sidney Stephens for her work in supporting two siblings in being reunited with their parents! Although this was Sidney's first case, she was able to forge a strong connection with the youth as well as a good working relationship with the bio mom. She attended numerous school meetings and worked with various therapist and service agencies to ensure these kids received the services they needed. One of Sidney's greatest strengths was her ability to gently but persistently question the status quo- for example, the possibility of excess services.
Thank you for your work on behalf of these kids, Sidney!
After 3 years and 3 months of work, the team of Nicole Hansen and Christa Mulder found permanency for the four youth on their case! These youth were in several different placements and Christa and Nicole saw these kids through multiple moves, kept in close contact with all of the children, and helped facilitate outings so they could all spend time together. All of the youth exhibited significant behavioral issues, so this was not always an easy task. Despite all the people involved with the case, Nicole and Christa maintained excellent contact with the children, foster parents, teachers, counselors, and GAL which allowed for excellent team advocacy and a positive outcome.
Christa and Nicole- thank you for your tenacity and the
excellent role model you provided these youth!
Enjoy the lingering autumn days!
~ Anne
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Juneau CASA
I am excited to be working as the Program Coordinator for the Juneau CASA Program! Carol Graham has been a great source of program knowledge as I learn the ropes of this new position. Thanks Carol! I attended the 2017 Alaska CASA Conference in Anchorage and was also able to meet with Program Coordinators from all over Alaska; the Alaska CASA State Director, LeeAnn Reicks; and even had a chance to chat with Board Members of Friends of Alaska CASA. Everyone has been so helpful and welcoming and I am looking forward to working with our amazing CASA Volunteers in Juneau.
2017 Alaska CASA Conference:
The 2017 Alaska CASA Conference was held in Anchorage September 29
th & 30
th. The following people from Southeast attended:
- Susan Crandall (Juneau CASA)
- Carol Graham (Juneau GAL)
- Margie McWilliams (Juneau GAL)
- D Owen (Haines CASA)
- Hilary Poole (Juneau CASA)
- Jan Reece (Juneau CASA)
It was an exciting and informative conference and a great opportunity to meet with others involved in CASA in many different ways from all over Alaska. Thank you to Friends of Alaska CASA for sponsoring this event!
2017 Friends of Alaska Quilt Raffle Tickets:
The 2017 Friends of Alaska CASA quilt raffle will be held Saturday, November 25, 2017 at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20 and the winner need not be present to win. Tickets will need to be returned to Anchorage by November 5th, but you can contact Hilary Poole at 907.209.7223 if you would like to purchase tickets.
Friends of Alaska CASA Board Members:
Currently, Southeast Alaska does not have any representation on the Friends of Alaska CASA Board. If you or someone you know would be interested in serving as a board member for Friends Alaska CASA, please contact Dianne Horbochuk, President at 907.903.5809 or email her at [email protected]
~ Hilary
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A partnership between the Kenaitze Tribe
and the Office of Public Advocacy
CASA Volunteer Training
The next CASA Volunteer training will be in January 2018. If you have someone in
mind who would make a great volunteer, please send them o
ur way and have them visit t
he alaskacasa website
for an application
and more
information.
Service Spotlight
Kenai Peninsula CASA recently hosted a Life is an Adventure & Brainstorming Party at Tribal Court for Joy Petrie and our CASA Volunteers. Joy recently left her position as a GAL here in Kenai. We wish her well on her new adventure. Thank you to all the volunteers that attended and to everyone who couldn't make it; we missed you and hope to see you next time.
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Valley CASA
We had 7 Mat-Su community members be sworn in as Court Appointed Special Advoc
ates on S
eptember 26, 2017 by Judge Vanessa White. Congratulations to De'Anna Fenton, Rachel Franzen, Melody Gray, Rusty Gray, Tonja Hazley, Susan Kitts and Michelle Koronich.
Our next pre-service training will be in Spring 2018. If you know anyone interested in becoming a CA
SA in Mat-Su, please let us know.
Special thanks to Friends of Alaska CASA for helping Valley CASAs attend the 2017 CASA Conference. There were many great presenters to learn from and workshops CASA volunteers were able to participate in. Our CASAs were able to expand their knowledge and share the wealth of information they received.
Save the date! "ICWA" Wednesday November 6, 2017 1:30-2:30
p.m. We will have speakers in the large conference room at the Palmer State office building (next to the DMV and coffee shop) to provide information on the Indian Child Welfare Act. Please join us if you can; refreshments provided. RSVP: Hayley Hall 907-707-1743 /
[email protected]
~ Hayley
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To start our quarterly report of recent events at Friends of Alaska CASA, we'd like to express our thanks to the Western Interstate Child Support Enforcement Council (WICSEC) for selecting FAC as their supported charity for 2017. During their recent conference here in Anchorage they collected donations from attendees and presented board members Dianne Horbochuk, Sallye Werner, and Brandon Nakasato with a check for $6500. It is the support of organizations like WICSEC which helps FAC provide critical support to the volunteers assisting Alaska's vulnerable children and families.
FAC is honored to welcome Serena Nesteby of Anchorage to the board of directors! Nesteby is a program coordinator with Alaska Youth Advocates and has several years of professional and volunteer experience and is an award-winning and recognized community leader. Nesteby is a 2012 graduate in Social Work from University of Alaska Anchorage.
Finally, FAC is gearing up for the 21st Annual Quilt Auction. The Auction is scheduled for November 25th 2017 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the University Center Mall in Anchorage. Please drop by and bid on the beautiful work of local quilters, and you can also contribute to a great cause.
~ Brandon
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News From the
Office of Children's Services
Office of Children's Services, Child & Family Service Review & Program Improvement Plan
By Noëlle Kennedy, Office of Children's Services, Social Services Program Administrator
The Office of Children's Services was the recipient of an on-site Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) in June 2017. The CFSR is a federal-state collaborative effort designed to help ensure that quality services are provided to children and families through state child welfare systems. The reviews include state child welfare programs and practice that identify strengths and challenges in state programs and systems, focusing on outcomes for children and families in the areas of safety, permanency, and well-being. The reviews work in tandem with other state and federal frameworks for system planning, reform, and effective implementation, such as the Child and Family Services Plan and well-functioning continuous quality improvement system. During the CFSR in June, Alaska and the federal Administration for Children & Families (ACF) identified several strengths as well as areas of performance/outcome measures for improvement for Alaska's Office of Children's Services. The process for improvement is called the Program Improvement Plan, or PIP, and is designed to create lasting and statewide systemic changes in the areas identified as needing improvement. The PIP has a two-year timeline for implementation of changes demonstrating marked improvement within OCS practice.
Alaska is expected to collaborate with stakeholders and the ACF to prepare a comprehensive PIP for submittal to the ACF Children's Bureau. The first step to this process is coming together with the federal Region X ACF representatives and statewide stakeholders. The initial meeting, the 'PIP On-Site Kick-Off Stakeholder Meeting, was held in early September and included a review of data and identification of goals to strategically address the areas requiring improvement. Attendees included OCS staff, federal Region X staff of the ACF, and statewide stakeholders such as Tribal partners, family resource organizations, State of Alaska legislators, the Ombudsman and members of the Citizen Review Panel. The following meeting being held Tuesday, October 10th
will bring stakeholders together again to identify areas of focus and improvement as well as discuss strategies and ideas regarding the 2017 OCS PIP. The final PIP is expected to be submitted to federal Region X ACF representatives in early 2018.
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