Supporting Child, Caregiver, and Family Well-Being In Times of Crisis: Strategies to Promote Effective Virtual and Phone Engagement |
Anyone who interacts with children, caregivers, and families has an opportunity to reach out and provide encouragement, support, and information that can strengthen a family’s ability to meet both the challenges of daily life and the added stressors that come in a time of crisis. Families develop and cultivate resilience through adversity, and often they just need some additional resources to thrive. There are many ways that professionals outside of child protective services can act to support children and their caregivers and connect them with appropriate resources that may mitigate any risks for harm.
This document is organized by the five protective factors that build on family strengths to foster child and youth well-being and development
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139 CASA volunteers served 301 children in February and helped find safe, permanent homes for 10 of those children.
116 children are still waiting for someone to be their voice.
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It takes 30 minutes to learn about the difference a CASA can make in a child's life.
Register for a virtual information session so you can join us for the next training starting on May 17, 2021
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Our recruiters are excited to announce the "I Said Yes" to CASA Campaign. Each month we will share a video from volunteers inspiring others to say yes to becoming a CASA. Click the link below to hear why CASA William Welch said yes to becoming a voice for a child!
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Debra Stampley
Ms. Stampley has been a CASA volunteer for seven years and has been a voice for twelve children thus far. She has been a committed volunteer for every case on which she has served.
Debra always makes it her priority to visit with her CASA children as quickly as possible so they have someone committed to seeing them in a safe, permanent home.
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Rosalie Vitrano
Since being sworn in as a CASA on September 18, 2018, Ms. Vitrano has advocated for 4 children on 3 cases.
Ms. Vitrano is always available to speak with her foster parents, and offers encouragement and support to them whenever they need it.
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Monitoring Your CASA CASE
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We all remember that the four roles of a CASA Volunteer are Information Gathering, Facilitation, Advocacy, and Monitoring. While Monitoring is one of the last roles listed, it is one of the most important. We often consider our monthly visits as fulfilling that aspect of our job description. While monthly visits are required and needed, please remember that in order to provide quality advocacy we have to monitor aspects other than how the child is doing in their current placement.
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Remember to keep your CASA Volunteer file up-to-date with your current
auto insurance card, driver's license, and contact information.
And remember to visit your CASA child face-to-face at least once a month.
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In February, the Children's Advocacy Center provided advocacy and forensic interviews to 49 children.
In the River Region, 23 children and families were provided 49 hours of counseling.
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Megan Miley
Livingston Parish
Megan Miley has been an active Livingston MDT member for 10 years. She began working for the Livingston Parish 21st Judicial District Attorney’s office in 2001 where she serves as the Victim’s Advocate.
Megan diligently works to assist and prepare victims both inside and outside the courtroom. She helps answer questions and provide information throughout the entire criminal court process. Megan thinks it is very helpful to work with the MDT team because she gets a full picture of the entire case.
Thank you, Megan, for being so dedicated in helping the children and families in your community.
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Matthew Belser
Tangipahoa Parish
After graduating high school, Matthew furthered his education and pursued a bachelors degree in history and political science from Louisiana State University where he graduated in 2004. He then received his law degree from Southern University in 2007.
Shortly after receiving his law degree, Matthew worked as a judicial law clerk for Judge Ricks from the fall of 2007 up until May 2010. Later he was hired at the 21st District Attorney’s Office. He worked in Livingston Parish from May 2010-July 2017. Matthew currently works out of the Tangipahoa District Attorney’s Office and serves as the child sexual assault legal advisor.
Matthew’s favorite part about being on our MDT is being able to provide leadership early on in the case process.
Mathew, thank you so much, for being dedicated in serving the children and families in our community.
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What is an Adverse Childhood Experience? |
According to Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana, “Nearly 54 percent of Louisiana’s children have experienced an adverse event, compared to 46 percent nationwide, and 28.2 percent of those experienced at least two adverse events, up from the national rate of 21.7 percent.”
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Stewards of Children Training
Stewards of Children is a revolutionary sexual abuse prevention training program that educates adults to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. The program believes and teaches that child safety is an adult's job.
This training is offered using a virtual platform at $10 per participant. Your $10 includes a workbook, personal resources for better protecting children, CEU Certificate for 2.0 hours, and sustains this training for others to be trained.
Upcoming trainings:
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Positive Parenting Program |
Triple P Selected Seminar Series is an introduction to the strategies of positive parenting and Triple P. Parents attend any number of three 90-minute seminars (Power of Positive Parenting; Raising Confident, Competent Children; and Raising Resilient Children).
The Power of Positive Parenting Teen Program is a multi-level system of family intervention for parents of children and adolescents ages 12-16 who have, or are at risk of developing, behavioral or emotional problems.
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Brave children tell their stories. Courageous adults help these children through their trauma and assist them in finding a safe future. Buttons of Bravery represent the journey of one child for a year under the care of Child Advocacy Services. |
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In 2020, Child Advocacy Services CASA Program served 516 children with 198 volunteers dedicating over 7,564 hours. The CAC Program provided 614 forensic interviews and 457 hours of counseling to children and families.
YOU can help us do more by investing in services for children!
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