 |
Brown Bag Lunches:
Friday, Sept 20
Friday, October 18
11:30 AM
Pinellas BBL
Epi Center 2nd floor
13805 58th St. N
Clearwater, 33762
Friday, Sept 20
Friday, October 18
12:00 PM
New Port Richey BBL
West Pasco Govt. Center
Board Room
8731 Citizens Drive
New Port Richey
Pinellas In Services:
Broken Places:
Viewing and Discussion
Tuesday September 24
2:00-4:00 PM
SPC Epicenter
13805 58th St. N
Clearwater, 33762
Trauma in Children
Thursday October 24
6:00 PM
SPC Epicenter
The Florida Brain Injury Education Project
Friday October 25
8:30 AM-12:30 PM
Registration required click
here
St. Petersburg College, Clearwater Campus
Arts Auditorium
2465 Drew St.
Clearwater Florida 33765
Please register for
in-services using the events calendar under the Pinellas tab
Here
Pasco In Services
:
"I Am Somebody's Child, The Regina Louise Story"
September 26, 2019
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
West Pasco Judicial Center
7530 Little Road
New Port Richey Florida, 34654
Community Action Treatment and Mobile Action Response Team
Thursday October 10
5:00 PM
West Pasco Govt. Center
Board Room
8731 Citizens Drive
New Port Richey
Discussion & Donuts
Friday Oct 18
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Dade City GAL Office
13920 17th St. Dade City
Please register for
in-services using the events calendar under the Pasco tab Here
GALF Announcements:
SuperHero 5K
Sat. October 12 8:30AM Safety Harbor, FL
Registration is open! And this year we are offering up a .5K (yes, you read correct a .5K --that's 500 meters) too. You can register
here. Volunteer Child Advocates use code VCA to get 50% off your registration and use code VCAK for 100% off registration for the child/ren for whom you advocate. If you are interested in sponsoring the SuperHero 5K, you can find out more
here.
|
June Stars
Sonja Sullivan
Christa Laudi
Brooke Williams
Brittany Schrader
Lisa Sjobeck
Sue Anderson
Katie Phelps
Tara Kelly
Renee Viverito
Lendi Joy
Cyndi Conley
Joe Incorvia
Denise Reilly
Mariela Tassone
Christine Marine
Jeffrey Shelton
July Stars
Pat Smith
Jullian Rayburn
Ann Howley
Fiona Craig
Tracey Barwick
SethTilow
Brooke Osten
Terry Stoermer
George Sherman
Elizabeth Brooks
Bob Ross
Abby Nusbaum
Rebecca Daggett
Tawnee Walling
Chris Ryan
|
|
Great Peeps To Tweet
Carmen Stonecipher would like to acknowledge
four
Volunteer Child Advocates that she could not do without! They have weekly communication, do outstanding, quality work which greatly benefits the children. Thank you for all you do to Vicki Reuter,
George McDermott, Sue Anderson and Patricia Ford!
Kudos to
Paulette White
for ensuring a smooth office move from Icot to Epicenter. A huge thank you to all of the Icot staff who helped with the move and worked so hard to ensure everything was ready.
A big shout out to Mark Welsh for all of his support and assistance with the Thresher tickets.
Kudos to the Guardian ad Litem Foundation of Tampa Bay for the "extra set of hands" these last few months in helping us get through the changes and for all the work you do to meet the needs of our kids.
THANK YOU to the program staff in both offices! We have had several changes in the last few months and everyone has stepped up to do even more to ensure that we continue to do what we do, advocate for our kids.
THANK YOU to all of our amazing volunteers who have helped us through the recent changes. Change can be difficult, but, it can be an opportunity for growth. Thank you for your dedication to our program and out kids!!
|
|
Street Beat
Ice Cream Social!
|
|
|
Lisa, Brigette, Debra & Alex hold a yummy Ice Cream social for their volunteers!
|
Cooking Matters!
The youth enjoyed another successful Cooking Matters Course in Pasco! Thanks to GALF for providing gift cards for the winning team!
Congratulations New Classes!
|
Welcome Newly Certified Volunteers
Diego Alvarez
Julie Anderson
Davina Blaile
Deanna Bradley
Stephanie Enrille
Paul Herzfeld
Christopher Holtzhower
Jennifer King
Maria Kinmonth
Robert LaSala
Samantha Lawrence
Edward Marks
Kathlene Lopez-Martin
Rachel Manzione
Phyllis Messier
Mariah Miller
Paityn Morrison
Lora Moustopoulos
Jennifer Neiser
Rae Poritz
Barbara Rotunda
Winnie Sell
Laura Shortway
Orli Shull
Theresa Sommers
Patricia Stills
Gregory Taylor
Kelly Tiberini
Peter Tiberini
Esther Voliton
Arlyne Vrochidis
Geneva Waters
Mark Weber
Sally Welsh
Bobby-Jo Woodward
|
July/August
Anniversaries
Twenty Seven Years
Harriet Olesen
Twenty One Years
Ken Bernard
Fourteen
John Zucker
Thirteen Years
Donna Berman
Twelve Years
Heidi Joswig
Dave Elmer
Vicki Reuter
Karen Amundrud
Eleven Years
Patricia Nusbaum
Sandra Ambush
Christy Nicholson
Ten Years
Cheryl Brennan
Katherine Weaver
Renee Viverito
Peter Throdahl
Dorothy Purcell
Nine Years
Renee Ingrassia
Cheryl. Maximo
Susan Mueller
Eight Years
Sam Lima
Jack Callahan, Esq
Travis Hadwin
Heather Courtney
Jean McNary
Robert Mussoni
Fran Scerbo
Seven Years
Donna Rose, Esq.
Roz Fenton
Jessica Murray
Six Years
Bob Kocher
Monika Stephan
Jennifer Morales
Five Years
Charlotte Braziel
Carlos Portillo
David Neiser, Esq.
William Cooley
Leann Kahl
Nilda Oterp
Shannon Kalmbach
Shelia Marie Schultz
Molly Walker
Maureen Johnson
Harmony Davis
Haig Pakhchanian
Lauren Ahern
Joanne Power
Four Years
Lesley Siemens
Rachel Alexander
Sarah Swoch
Marita Lynch
Joetta Bauer
Carole Deerin
Sherry Knitter
Valerie Tatarzewski
Betty Oldanie
Marleen Struys
Grant McKeel
Ethan Romans
Terry Hoffman
Three Years
Mary Burnett
Stania Novak
Angie Staley-Koebel
Kenneth Yancey
Melodie Menzer
Zabrinna Panesso
Robert Planinshek
Magdalene Mahairas
Karen Ragsdale
Chizom Okebugwu
Ja'Keria McCowan
Nicole Scheman
Kaley Dreyer
Stacy Badeaux
Sharon Wilson
Anna Maguire
John Long
Lizzie Long
Kermit Thatcher
Jeanette Siladie
Modupe Kuforiji
Karyn Moses
Two Years
Joan Murzin
Alice Delgardo
Sonja Sullivan
Lisa Beachy
Merri Schmidt
Fred Twilla
Karen Twilla
Madison Lovell
Elizabeth Brooks
Shelaine Gillaim
Chad Mello
Ciea Lipps
Robert Stults
Janet
McMahon
Pamela Pepperman
Jeanne Morgan
Pauline Rohrmann
Wendy Hoy
Tonya Hawkins
Sue Anderson
Michelle Regan
Cynthia Drake
Stephanie Addis
Nichole Holt
Jeffrey Teal
Eileen Dougan
Petya Getsova
Natalie Zolper
Jack Davani
One Year
Renee Donaldson
Kellee Young
Autumn Brown
Victoria Wellborn
Tom Dailey
Brittany Showalter
Venessa Clark
Chaoyi Chiang
Michael Walsh
Julia Snell
Caille Branscombe
Abby Mayers
Donna Whitney
Leah Hayslett
April Dupree
Jacqueline Boyd
Dawn Rozzi
Keri Cortez
Stafinia Koutsoumbaris
Rea Davis
Nile Nickel
Sandra Walling
Robert Jones
Rachelle Myott
Marci Gleicher
Sharon Roy
Tawnee Walling
Kathy Middleton
Leah Weekes
Bonnie Sullivan
Alanah McGuire
Kathryn Douglas
Sarah Voisin
Karen Moeller
Rita Priest
Valerie Gatlin
Linda Sigmund Wong
Debbie Dargavell
Nate Cocco
Michelle Libby
Shawn Imhoff-Vanover
Ali
Rahnavard
Kristi Blough
Cindy Blalock
Robert Amon
Sandra Amon
|
|
Core Values
Commitment to Children- The children for whom we advocate are our most important priority.
Communication Built on Trust- The Program has a culture of open communication, active listening, teamwork, and regard for the views of others. This includes being honest and straightforward with the children we represent in keeping with their level of age and maturity.
Collective Empowerment- Each circuit has the authority and responsibility to make and implement the best decisions to meet the children's needs. This empowerment must be passed on to volunteers, staff and attorneys.
Collaboration- The Program proactively seeks to develop relationships that promote the well-being of the whole child.
Courtesy- The Program values all who engage in this challenging work and ensures they are treated with respect and dignity.
_________________
|
|
|
|
|
Circuit Director
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.
Dalai Lama
Congratulations to Child's Best Interest Attorney Melissa Jagger who has received her Juvenile Law Board Certification from the Florida Bar. This is a
significant
accomplishment that requires not only extensive years of practice, specialized continuing education courses, courtroom and trial experience, but a peer review and successful passing of a very competitive written test. We are all very proud of her!
On behalf of the 6th Circuit, I would like to thank and express our best wishes for a very happy retirement to Diana Aboussir. Diana has been with the Guardian ad Litem Program since
2006! She has positively impacted so many lives during her tenure. She is extremely organized, and always ensured children were visited monthly, court reports timely filed and most of all, was a strong and zealous advocate for services for our kids. Her well trained volunteer team reflects her high standards of excellence. She balanced strong advocacy, with words of encouragement to everyone; volunteers, kids, case managers, educators, fellow staff and caregivers. She was especially known for her poetry, being able to creatively convey positive thoughts. She speaks 5 languages, and on numerous occasions would be unexpectedly called to court to translate. As a prior school teacher and administrator, Diana was the GAL program liaison with Pinellas County schools, for training and coordination of Educational Surrogates. She accomplished a tremendous amount for children/youth in both counties, fighting to ensure appropriate educational services and evaluations were in place. She trained new volunteers on educational advocacy, and was a valuable resource to staff. Her talents and dedication will be missed! We hope she will now have more time to enjoy swimming, bridge and her family.
___________
Go The Extra Mile!
There is a great opportunity for volunteers who drive at least 25 miles round trip to visit a child, or other specific purposes, to apply for travel reimbursement! Details of this program, forms and a brochure can be located on the Fl. Guardian ad Litem website.
http://guardianadlitem.org/ To go directly to the program click
HERE.
If you have any questions, please reach out to your Child Advocate Manager.
|
Sixth Circuit Vital Statistics:
|
|
|
|
Of those without a GAL
|
|
|
Case Volunteers
|
|
|
Transportation Approved Volunteers
|
|
|
|
|
Volunteer Child Advocate Best Practices
School is back in session.
It is always important for the school to know when a Volunteer Child Advocate is assigned to a child. You will need to bring:
a. Your Court Order
b. Your Notice of Acceptance
c. Your Driver's License
d. Wear your badge
Copies should be made of your driver's license and your badge and placed in your child's file.
Please confirm the grade level, name of the teacher (s), if the child has an
Individual Education Plan (IEP) or a 504 Plan or a Functional Behavioral
Assessment (FBA) in place. If so, please obtain copies and advise your CAM. It's very important to not interrupt important testing days at school for the children. School testing schedules are noted on school calendars. It is also important if visiting a child at school to consider and minimize any disruption of class/instructional time for the children. The Pinellas County School Calendar, including holidays, and statewide assessment days can be located here.The Pasco County School Calendar
is
here
.
|
Diligent Searches: What's Taking So Long?
Many Guardians ad Litem may recognize this frustrating situation in which cases seem to hit a standstill. The children have been in foster care for over a year, they are in a safe, prospective adoptive placement, but the case can't proceed forward because at least one of the parents' whereabouts are unknown. GAL's will often ask what can be done and why we have to wait to give the children a permanent home. This article will explain why a parent must be located and the process that must take place to do so.
The United States Supreme Court has recognized the right to parent as a fundamental right under the U.S. Constitution. The Fourteenth Amendment provides that no State shall "deprive any person of life, liberty or property, without due process of law." "Due process" has been recognized to consist of two distinct elements: 1) Notice and 2) the Right to Be Heard. Therefore, when a petition for Termination of Parental Rights (hereinafter TPR) is filed in the dependency case, the State of Florida may not infringe upon the right of a parents to parent their children without providing them the opportunity to contest the TPR petition at trial and adequate notice of the TPR trial so they can prepare.
This notice requirement is why parents who may have not been in contact with the GAL, case manager, or their own attorneys throughout the case still have the right to receive notice of trials, and until there is proof that the parents have been given notice of a TPR petition, the case cannot move forward. When a parent's whereabouts are unknown, the State of Florida is required to conduct a "diligent search" for those parents "until the parent is either identified and located or the court excuses the State from further search." Fla. Stat. 39.01(24).
The diligent search process is required to be an exhaustive effort conducted by the Petitioner. Case managers and ECA's Background Screening Unit (BSU) must collaborate to gather as much information about the un-located parent, including where and when the person was last seen, all previous known addresses, where the child was conceived, a physical description of the person, any property or vehicles owned by the person, information about the children of the parent and all available information about parties related or associated with the person. This information is used to identify possible locations of the parents. While these efforts should be conducted every 6 months for the un-located parent during the course of the dependency case, a search must be completed again when a petition for Termination of Parental Rights is filed.
As long as new possible addresses are discovered, the Petitioner is responsible for following up on those addresses to attempt to locate and serve the parents with a TPR petition. If parents move frequently, this could be a very lengthy process. If the parent cannot be found and served, an "affidavit of diligent search" must be filed attesting to the exhaustive efforts made and seek to terminate parental rights by publication. Valid publication requires the trial notice be published once a week for four consecutive weeks in a "qualified newspaper" in the county where the case is pending.
While this can be a very lengthy process, it is critical to the permanency of the children that the procedure is followed correctly. If the fundamental rights of the parents are violated by failing to give them notice of the TPR trial, the Appellate Court would likely overturn the TPR final judgement against the parent, resulting in further delays to permanency. If you have concerns the diligent search on your case is not progressing, contact your CAM and/or BIA to discuss contacts and other options that could assist with locating the parent(s). Many times in these cases, it is the GAL's who were actively involved with all the parties that provided the key information which led to locating the parent.
(Above is a republication of a submission from Spring, 2018 prepared by Andrew Maurin, Former Senior Best Interest Attorney) |
Recruitment Corner
|
|
|
Little Free Library at Honeymoon Island, stocked with Guardian ad Litem Bookmarks!
|
Summer is almost over and we are on the other side of our move here at the new SPC EPI Center location. We have seen an increase with people inquiring about volunteering. In addition, both of our last classes in Pinellas and Pasco were some of the highest attended of the year! Having said that, we are still
seeing more children coming into the system so we are thinking of new ways to reach people. We have been partnering with other agencies such as Foster Florida and did a lunch and learn in May, which resulted in 4 people in the last class and hopefully more in future classes.
Also, we attended an event with Foster Florida at Harborside Church in Safety Harbor.
We are in the process of re-branding our Marketing materials for the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Program. We will be getting new brochures and marketing materials once this is done. In the meantime we still have a pretty good stock of materials, especially bookmarks. I often visit Little Free Libraries in my area near Dunedin and thought wouldn't it be a great way to clear our shelves of some of our bookmarks while continuing to spread awareness. If you are not familiar with the concept, basically it is a little wooden box with a door where you can Take a Book/Leave a Book and they are generally outdoors (or at least the ones I have seen are). Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization that inspires a love of reading, builds community, and sparks creativity by fostering neighborhood book exchanges around the world. So we have started distribution in Dunedin, Safety Harbor, Hudson,
Dade City and Holiday with the help of the local libraries in these areas. In Pinellas, there are about 39 libraries in various locations. If you already know of one in your area, you could help us distribute them by stopping by our new Epicenter Office, Suite 200 -Rm 208 where I have a supply of them in bundles of 50 with a clipboard and the address for you to sign off that you will distribute to that location. You can place a bookmark in each book and if there are extras you can leave a stack there or refill. Hopefully, we can increase awareness or remind people who already know about us that we still need volunteer child advocates. Many people know about us, but it has to be the right time for them to volunteer. By increasing the number of "touches" we can increase the amount of times people hear about us by giving little reminders until it IS the right time.
You can also visit the website below to see a map of the locations:
Thank you to all of our amazingly dedicated volunteers who give so much to help children in so many ways. If you have any ideas for ways to help us increase our recruitment efforts to increase the number of children we serve, especially in the above mentioned areas please, let us know. Whether it is an opportunity to speak at your next meeting, book club, civic organization or a community event or even someone you know that can help us spread the word contact us in Pinellas:
Karen.malo@gal.fl.gov (727) 464-6147 or in Pasco:
Larnelle.scott@gal.fl.gov (727) 834-3493.
Submitted by,
Karen Malo, Community Outreach Coordinator
|
June Pinellas Child
Advocate
Ginny Nourie
Selecting the VCA of the month was quite a difficult task, seeing that there are so many dedicated individuals to choose from. However, Virginia "Ginny" Nourie instantly came to mind when thinking of service. Ginny has been a VCA since 2011 and has accepted five cases. Ginny's service stems far beyond her VCA expectations, she also has qualities that embody trust between her and the children she serves. One particular child believes in Ginny's abilities to the extent that he will wait for her expertise and presence before major decisions are made for him educationally and when considering placement. Ginny has the natural ability to draw her children into a family like atmosphere that they seek.
Child Advocacy Manager,
Montoya Walker
|
July Pasco Child Advocate
Karen Crowe
Karen Crowe has been
a Volunteer Child Advocate since October 2016. She currently has three cases giving her six children to watch over. Karen represents our program with great character. The compassion she has for the children is undeniable. She connects with all of them and they comfortably open up and share their feelings when she is with them. Her perseverance in looking out for the children's best interest is evident when she stands up for services needed and permanency for all of her children. Dependability is a very appreciative component to her wonderful personality as she is always sending reports, attending meetings and doing visits in a timely manner. You are very appreciated Karen! Thank you for your dedication and amazing character.
Child Advocacy Manager,
Peggy Lybrook
August Pasco Child Advocate
Claudia and Joel Smith
 
Claudia and Joel Smith came to the Guardian ad Litem Program in November 2017. Since that time they have been actively involved in all possible aspects of the six (6) children lives in the four (4) different cases they have been assigned to. The first two cases were successfully closed and now they are driving all over Pasco and Pinellas County advocating for the remaining children on their two cases. Claudia and Joel make sure that the children are remembered at the holidays, birthdays and any special events that the Guardian ad Litem children are eligible for. An eleven year old boy in foster care who loves baseball didn't know there was such a thing as a "Hitting Academy" in Clearwater, FL. that offers specialized training in hitting and baseball skills. Claudia and Joel did know and not only advocated for the funds to pay for the two week school for the child, but also picked up the child (in Northern Pasco County) three times a week and drove him to and from the Hitting Academy. The ten year old sister wasn't forgotten in all this, thanks to Claudia and Joel, she got a "girl's day" out that included a pedicure and manicure and a stop at Red Lobster for a special meal. Joel and Claudia have made a difference in these two children's lives. They excelled at school and are doing extremely well in their placement. The children love when Claudia and Joel show up at school and have lunch with them.
Claudia and Joel recently took the children to One Buc Place to see the Buccaneers in action, eat pizza and get their school back packs. As their CAM, I appreciate how dedicated Claudia and Joel are to advocating and supporting whatever is needed to represent their children in the Guardian ad Litem Program. They attend every court date, staffing and can be found at most Guardian ad Litem in-service training and Brown Bag Lunches. Claudia and Joel have a great rapport and relationship with the children they represent as well as case managers, parents and other agencies. Claudia and Joel are also very active with the Foundation and the Speaker's Bureau. Thank you for a job well done!
Child Advocacy Manager,
Charlie Solano
|
|
For the Children
Does your 10-17 yr old have amazing ideas on how we can improve the foster care system? Are they creative and not afraid to express themselves? If so, we want to hear from them!
This year's contest, sponsored by VCA, Norm Bungard, is "How would you make a difference in the foster care system?" Youth can submit any form of expression they would like to convey their message; from poetry, art work, photo or even video.
Deadline: 9/16/19
Send to:
AmandaR@galf6.org
.
*Art work created at the creative expression group may be used for this contest if it fits the topic.
___________________________________________
Teen Financial Literacy Course
September 18, 2019
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
The purpose of this financial literacy course is to set up our youth for success.
Register here
SPC EPICenter
13805 58th St. N.
2nd Floor Clearwater FL
__________________________________________________
For the children
Kiwanis Sunshine City hosts the annual Mad Hatter's Tea Party to provide an afternoon of fun activities. Please only register if you are sure you can attend.
The Mad Hatter Tea Party
Sun, Sept. 29, 2:00 - 5:00 PM
St. Petersburg Coliseum
535 4th Ave N, St. Petersburg
This is a first come, first served event; registration is required by September 17th. Register here.
________________________________________________
Foster to Foster is a new resource room located at Heritage United Methodist Church, 2680 Landmark Dr, Clearwater, FL 33761. The free items are for children who are in the system, who are in foster care,
parental care, relative, or non relative placement. The resource room includes school supplies, back packs, school uniforms, new and gently used clothing for all ages, toys, books and hygiene items. Hours are
Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30 AM-12:30 PM. Foster Parents, Case
Managers, Child Protective Investigators and GAL Volunteers or Staff can stop in and pick up needed items for the families they serve. If questions, contact Kristin at 727-210-5227 or email Foster2Foster@yahoo.com
|
A couple of months ago I attended a workshop on Compassion Fatigue and Self Care and I would like to share a few resources you might find helpful. It was taught by a former police officer who also worked with the Child Protective Investigators and after seeing the secondary trauma the staff experienced on a daily basis he saw the need to help disseminate information to help the staff cope care for themselves so they could care for others in their job. I have to say, much of the information we went over I was already aware of but the great thing about the work shop was that it reminded me to pull out these tools and use them. Below are some resources that you may find helpful too!
I hope these resources help if you ever need it and always remember to take advantage of our Brown Bag Lunches to seek support from other volunteers and staff. Also, our Employee Assistance Program listed below is available to volunteers should you need it and it is free and confidential!
844-208-7067 www.SOFEAP.com
Community Outreach Coordinator,
Karen Malo
|
Case Managers of the Month for June/July
In the spirit of partnership, the Guardian ad Litem Program nominates a case manager from the case management agencies serving under Eckerd Community Alternatives. For June the Case Manager of the month from Youth and Family Alternatives (YFA) is Ruth Dorit. Ruth is a strong advocate, and communicative. For July
the Case Manager of the month from is Tom Engel. Tom is very responsive, dedicated and works well with the volunteers and staff of the GAL Program. Please honor and thank these case managers when you see them!
Many of you are aware that in Pinellas, ECA will soon begin to provide all case man
agement
services for the kids
previously
served by Directions. During this transition, things should continue in the same manner. We will continue to ensure our kids are safe
and
have the services they need by maintaining our focus on advocating for their best
interest
and being courteous and respectful with our partners as this transition occurs in our circuit.
_________________________________________________
|
|
|
|
|
