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CASA of Pima County Newsletter
CASA of Pima County 2225 E. Ajo Way, Tucson, AZ 85713
Main office: 520-724-2060
Volume 4, Issue May/June, 2017
CASA Support Council News
CASA Recognition Luncheon, 4/20/17
The Support Council was delighted that 115 people
attended the Recognition Luncheon on April 20, 2017.
Thank you to everyone who attended. We hope you
enjoyed the fellowship, as well as the delicious lunch. We
also want to thank retiring Judge, K.C. Stanford, who
provided us with an inspiring speech on his experience
with CASAs. Congratulations to all the award nominees
and winners! Also, a huge thank you for the support
from the Juvenile Court Judges and Court Personnel who
attended, as well as CASA Program Staff and CASA
family members and friends.
Will your CASA child age out of the system soon?
If yes, the Support Council can provide some assistance
to them. The CASA Support Council will provide $100 in
grocery store gift cards, as well as cookbooks and
recipes to our CASA youth aging out of the system.
Please contact Sharon Inorio, CASA Support Council
Board Member, at 749-0029 to request your card
Gift Cards for Special Events
If your CASA child is graduating from high school,
middle school or elementary school, he/she can be
rewarded with a gift card to celebrate this
accomplishment. As well, if you have a case ending, you
may request a gift card for your child and/or family to
celebrate adoption or reunification. Request cards from
your CASA Program Coordinator. And, don’t forget
those CASA children who have a birthday coming up soon.
They are entitled to a gift card, too.
Summer Activities for CASA Children
Please see the article in the Newsletter on various
resources for summer activities for your CASA child.
Please feel free to contact the Support Council on our
website, www.pimacountycasa.org, if you have any
questions, or any special requests for us.
A Great Leader – Chris Swenson-Smith
By Krissa Ericson, CASA Program Supervisor
There are not enough words
to describe the type of leader
that Chris Swenson-Smith has
been for our Court, our Division
and our CASA Program.
She is a champion for children!
She is dedicated to the field of social work.
She is an advocate for our advocates.
Chris has provided for our program in so
many ways that is it hard to imagine what
we’ll do without her. But to her credit she has
helped us build a great program and a great
team. She has led by example and has helped
me become a strong leader. We will miss her
dearly but we know she will always be an
ambassador for CASA and the life changing
work you do.
Thank you Chris for your leadership, your
grant writing talent, your compassion for the
children and the thousand other things you
have done for us! Best wishes on great
adventures in retirement!!
Inside this Issue:
Pg. 2 - CASA Kudos Pg. 4 –CASA Recognition Luncheon 2017 Pg. 6 – Memories of a CASA Advocate Pg. 7– CASA Celebrates 40 years Pg. 9 – Child Welfare in the News Pg. 10 – Who is our client? Pg. 11 – 15 Announcements, Trainings & Events Pg. 16 – CASA Support Council Information Pg.17 & 18 – May & June Calendars Pg. 19 – Contact Information Page
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Court Appointed Special Advocates
Pima County, AZ
CASA Kudos
A warm welcome to our newest CASA trainees, Tom & Jean, Bob, John, Ixia, Christine,
Brian, Mary & Claudia! (not pictured Russ & Leticia)
Thank you to CASA Judy Chazel, CASA Kathy Herrera, CASA Anne White and CASA Leigh Creighton for taking another case.
Kudos CASA Tanya Ivey for helping see one of her CASA children find permanency with relatives.
Thank you to CASA Marianne Vivirito and CASA Armando Robles for helping with two Courtesy CASA cases.
Kudos to CASA Becky Heilman for accepting her first CASA case! She has hit the ground running!
Thank you to CASA Julie Miller and CASA Linda Sherrill for taking on the role of Peer Coordinator!
Thanks to CASA Ray Sutton for always being there for your CASA teen. Your dedication and enthusiasm for being a CASA is always appreciated by everyone on your case.
Thank you to CASA Marsha Gary & CASA Ron Chew for being willing to be interviewed by Green Valley News for an article on CASA. Have you read it? You can find this recent article along with past articles on our website. http://www.azcourts.gov/casaofpimacounty/News-Events
Kudos to CASA Ginger Towne on your excellent report! The Judge thanked her for her thorough report.
Thank you to CASA Sarah Gotschall, CASA Andie Cohn, CASA Wendy Steffen, CASA Judy Price and CASA David Dodge for allowing a new CASAs to observe your FCRB meetings or recent court hearings. We appreciate your help in showing New CASAs the ropes!
Kudos to Peer Coordinator Sandra Rohen for consistently being present for her CASA children’s placement while they navigated through the intense process of adoption subsidies.
Kudos to CASA Tami Danze, for her commitment to her CASA youth. The past four months have been intense for this case, with bi-weekly meetings and CASA Tami remains steadfast, keeping up to date with her teen’s situation.
Thank you to CASA Elizabeth Nielsen for allowing a new CASA to observe her during a dependency review hearing.
Judge Metcalf shared his appreciation to CASA Rosalie Greenfield for her work on one of her CASA cases.
Judge Christoffel thanked Co-CASAs Susan Canty and Carolyn McGorray for their help and their report on their case.
“Shout Out” to CASA Book Club Members Rosalie, Sal, Robin R., and Becky. I have immensely enjoyed journeying through books together with all of you. – From Tricia
Kudos to CASA Audrey Kulwin, for sharing engaging community opportunities that help to better connect with our CASA children.
Judge Wagener gave kudos to CASA Ron Chew. She was grateful to him for his CASA work. Kudos to CASA Rudy Padilla for accepting his first CASA case!
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Court Appointed Special Advocates
Pima County, AZ
Thank you to CASA Howie Adams for taking on a new CASA case. Congrats to CASA Jennifer Anderson for being nominated for a Child Abuse Prevention Award! CASA Program Coordinator Adelina Altamirano was nominated as well. Thank you both for your dedication to children. Kudos to CASA Maggie Johnson for her thoughtful and professional work on behalf of her CASA children. A special thank you for the activities she does with the boys and for all of the new learnings and guidance she provides as they grow and develop. Thank you to CASA Steve Johnson for remaining an important constant and trusted adult in his CASA young person’s life and for his
patience and understanding and continued advocacy on the child’s behalf, during the ups and downs of his life.
Kudos to CASA George Franklin for taking a second case and for ‘hitting the ground running’ on his new CASA child’s behalf.
Kudos to CASA Barbara Baehler for her advocacy and for being thanked by the Judge for her well-written and informative court report.
Kudos to CASA Paul Black for his persistent and well-informed advocacy on behalf of his CASA child and for his tenacious efforts in trying to engage the mother in her case plan service.
Thank you to CASA Ardie Banks for being tenacious for your CASA teen. As the education surrogate, Ardie got her the 504 plan and because her teen is about to go to high school she finally got her IEP.
Thank you to CASA Jennifer Gillaspie for selecting her first CASA case and for her excitement in beginning her CASA work!
A special thank you to CASA Dayle Lansman for her extraordinary work to assist in arrangements for her CASA child to visit his father out-of-state. Dayle worked collaboratively with the family, the DCS case manager and the CASA Support Council, who provided the resources to help make this visit happen!
In great appreciation for CASA Pat Cables for being such a dedicated and constant CASA advocate in her child’s life!
Thank you to CASA Lorna Boon being a strong advocate for your CASA boys to get the mom's supervised visits started. It shows you how much it means to them!
Thank you to Peer Coordinator Ellen Werts for your 8 years of service with CASA of Pima County. We wish you well in your move!
Congrats to CASA Katie Espinoza on completing your first year of grad school and thank you for interning with the CASA program & Juvenile Court.
Congrats to CASA Aimee Felix & CASA Tina Aprahamian on your upcoming graduation.
Thank you to the ladies of Kappa Alpha Theta for sponsoring a spring event for our CASA Advocates & Youth at the University of Arizona.
Thank you to Dimon, Apache & Josh Sanders for your ongoing support of CASA of Pima County and your participation in numerous events!
A special kudos to CASA Edie Connors her CASA teen told her therapist that her CASA is one of the important people in her life, along with her brothers, her therapist, her in-home worker and her friends at school.
Kudos to new CASA – CASA Alex Robie – she jumped in to her first case and already helped her CASA teen secure funding to pay for prom! Thank you Alex!
Thank you to Peer Coordinator Mary Ann Martin for sharing resources with our team!
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Court Appointed Special Advocates
Pima County, AZ
CASA Recognition Luncheon 2017
Once again the CASA Support Council for Pima County, Inc. hosted a fantastic
Recognition Luncheon. It was well attended and a wonderful time of celebration.
Congrats to the nominees and selected honorees for each of the awards.
Attorney of the Year
Gabriel Munoz (2017 Honoree)
Kirsten Tobin
CASA: Attorney’s Choice
Kathleen Elsberry (2017 Honoree)
Rosalie Greenfield
CASA: DCS Choice
Ardie Banks
Sally Bedrick
Pam Coggins
Richard Cook
Amy Hogan (2017 Honoree)
Tanya Ivey
Ceci Rivera
Sandra Rohen
Linda Sherrill
Jane Swivel
Lori Taylor
CASA: Judge’s Choice
Christine Hoekenga Steve Lautenschlaeger (2017 Honoree)
CASA of the Year Award
Jennifer Anderson
Kathy Anderson (2017 Honoree)
Ardie Banks
Sally Bedrick
Rookie CASA of the Year
Sariah Bechtel
Jane Dobrovolny (2017 Honoree)
Marsha Gary
Lesa Jensen
Gabrielle Morlock
Sal Quijada
Allison Wannemacher
Case Manager of the Year
Leisha Lee (2017 Honoree)
Gisela Ramacciotti
Joseph Rapp
Antonio Santa Cruz
Stephanie Wells
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Court Appointed Special Advocates
Pima County, AZ
Luncheon 2017
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Court Appointed Special Advocates
Pima County, AZ
Memories of a CASA Advocate
By Karen Abman
In Memory of CASA Marsha Luttrell
We wanted to take a moment to recognize and remember
our precious CASA advocate, Marsha Luttrell, who passed
away January 2017. Marsha’s dedication, hard work,
tenacious persistence, and deep caring for her CASA
children are truly appreciated and inspirational. Marsha
became a Court Appointed Special Advocate in 2011. She
was appointed to 4 cases and advocated for a total of 6
children.
Marsha’s work on her last CASA case began October 2014. By mid-February 2017, all four
of the children had been adopted. Marsha was a consistent and trusted presence in all of
the children’s lives. She worked closely with their foster and adoptive families and spent
meaningful time with the kids, attending school events and taking them on fun and new
activities and adventures.
Marsha was an articulate, respected, and active team member as she advocated for and
helped to access medical, mental health and educational resources. She had been appointed
by the judge on the case to be the educational surrogate parent for one of the children.
Marsha’s involvement was non-stop; always paying attention to the children, gathering
information, trouble-shooting, and finding needed resources.
We wish to thank Marsha’s husband Tom, for his time and strong support of Marsha in her
CASA work. We want to extend our deepest sympathies to Tom and to Marsha’s other
family members and friends. We are grateful to
have known and worked with Marsha. Her generous,
determined, adventurous, and compassionate spirit
remains in our hearts and in the hearts of the
children she served.
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Court Appointed Special Advocates
Pima County, AZ
A Visionaries Reality Celebrates 40 Years
By CASA Jennifer Anderson
This past March 11-14, 2017, the Annual National CASA/GAL Conference was held in Seattle, Washington. This city
was chosen because it holds significant meaning for the Court Appointed Special Advocate movement across the United
States with over 1,000 programs, 77,000 volunteers, and more than 250,000 children’s voices represented in juvenile
court rooms. On March 13, 2017, Court Appointed Special Advocates, Guardian Ad Litems, National CASA Program
staff, countless CASA program employees, and judges across the country convened in Seattle, Kings County,
Washington. Attendees were honored to hear from the visionary of the CASA movement, Judge David Soukup. He
expressed to the people in the filled ballroom that over 40 years ago, “It struck me that it might be possible to recruit and
train volunteers to investigate a child’s case so they could provide a voice for the child in proceedings which could affect
their whole lives.”
In 1976, Judge Soukup, who at the time was seated on two benches because in Kings County, Washington the courts
were of general jurisdiction. He said, “When I was not sitting at juvenile court I was trying civil cases, often involving
large amounts of money or important legal issues. I would do the best job I could in deciding those cases and leave them
at the courthouse when I went home. I wouldn’t wake up at 4 am worrying about my decisions. While sitting at juvenile
court, I never got a night’s sleep without waking to wonder if at least one decision I made that day had been the best for a
child.”
Judge Soukup explained that he realized that no one was present in his juvenile court room that had a singular focus for
the child’s best interest. He wanted to hear from someone who spoke just for the child. He knew if he could have facts
and details regarding each child’s circumstances, it would have bearing for him to make the best decisions for each child.
Judge Soukup said that he knew the Child Protective Services’ caseworkers had obligations to their agency, the
children’s parents, and others involved in each case. He knew the children’s lawyers could not investigate the level of
facts involved in each case, and advocate for each of their children’s countless mental health, social, developmental, and
educational needs.
In January 1977, the inception of the CASA movement went from vision to action. Over four decades ago, Judge Soukup
asked his bailiff to call and invite four or five people in the community he knew to join him for a brown bag lunch. The
informal lunch was so he could share his intentions with a small group of people to ask them for outreach help to find
people in the community who would volunteer their time to become children’s voices in court. With a pronounced smile
on his face, Judge Soukup said, “There were 50 people in the room when I walked in for that lunch. I thought, ‘this idea
is going to work.’ It has worked, with tens of thousands of people like you, speaking up for hundreds of thousands of
children, have proven that it does.”
“At one early meeting to discuss starting CASA, I was asked if I was worried that volunteers would become emotionally
involved with the children. I answered that if they didn’t, we had the wrong volunteers.” It has been documented that
during the first year of the program in Kings County, WA, 100 community volunteers became active and implemented
Judge Soukup's vision, which prior to 1977 these children did not have effective representation in judicial proceedings.
Judge Soukup said, "Children's needs were not being adequately represented to the court."
During the introduction of Judge Soukup to the conference attendees. Ms. Marcia Sink, New Hampshire CASA,
President and CEO spoke to Judge Soukup, “Because of you, systems have been changed. Because of you, CASA’s are
effecting positive change for their children. Because of you, the pioneer of this vision, not only did you think of it, but
you followed through with it. Then after your retirement from the bench, you had the courage to become a CASA.”
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Court Appointed Special Advocates
Pima County, AZ
After Honorable Soukup’s 14 years of serving in Kings County Superior Court, he retired in 1983, and returned to
private practice for 13 years, and then became a Court Appointed Special Advocate. “When I retired from the bench, I
decided to see what I had gotten people into and I became a CASA. It was an extraordinary experience. Both the hardest,
and the best thing I’ve ever done.”
Judge Soukup said he was proud to be a part of a community of people who
invested themselves in children that were in the dependency system. He was
pleased to walk through the process that each Court Appointed Special
Advocate had and will experience, which includes extensive screening,
ongoing trainings, and he appreciated the supportive supervision. He
explained that the juxtaposition for him was challenging, but he realized the
strength it took for community volunteers to become intricately involved in
dependency proceedings by being the confidential “eyes and ears” for each
child to report to the judge.
His voice had genuine appreciation, as if he was thanking each of the 77,000
advocates, “For a long time I wondered who you marvelous people are who
give so much of yourselves to children. I became a volunteer in our program
and I soon realized that, although I had slept better as a judge knowing that CASA volunteers were speaking up for the
children who needed their voices, now it is the volunteers who are up at 4 am worrying about these kids. Thank you, and
I commend you for your extraordinary commitment to children and for your sleepless nights.”
Judge Soukup briefly paused, then continued to speak about his time as a Court Appointed Special Advocate, his face
was filled with joy, and audience members anticipated he was going to share a personal CASA story. “One of my best
memories is after one of the last dependency hearings on my young CASA boy’s case, I came out of the court room, and
the social worker brought him to the court house. He saw me and immediately ran up to me and grabbed my hand and
dragged me over and said, ‘I want you to meet David, he’s my best friend.’”
Judge Soukup has a long list of extraordinary accomplishments helping children and adults. However, with the many
notable accomplishments, the standout is that Judge David Soukup was the visionary and actioner of the Court
Appointed Special Advocate movement. This was Judge Soukup’s most brilliant vision, and was recognized by being
chosen as the recipient of the Washington Bar Association’s Award of Merit for his inception of the United States
children’s advocacy program. It has been reported by those who attended that this awards ceremony that it came both as
a shock and honor to the then retired Judge. “It is remarkable that the Washington State Bar Association would bestow
their highest honor for a program that is dedicated to helping needy kids. That is just remarkable,” Judge Soukup said.
In honor of Judge Soukup’s vision and action, CASA of Pima County currently has 214 CASAs (active, inactive, in-
training advocates and peer coordinators). Since January 1, 2017, 238 children have or had a Court Appointed Special
Advocate to speak as their voice at Pima County Juvenile Court Center. Our collective efforts will help our local CASA
program and the vision of Judge Soukup grow to new heights. Thank you for playing a part in this life changing
endeavor.
Interested in promoting CASA on Facebook or Twitter? Contact Jill or
Krissa for images like these two shown here!
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Court Appointed Special Advocates
Pima County, AZ
Child Welfare in the News AZ: Foster parents must adapt to tougher DCS safety inspections (Opinion) Havasu News - March 15, 2017
http://www.havasunews.com/news/foster-parents-must-adapt-to-tougher-dcs-safety-inspections/article_e17f4e2c-24c0-5b1b-
9b07-6f3c85be34d8.html
AZ: Judge throws out suit challenging tribal adoption restrictions Pinal Central - March 17, 2017
http://www.pinalcentral.com/arizona_news/judge-throws-out-suit-challenging-tribal-adoption-restrictions/article_a82899bc-
9092-5d70-a398-24c7110e3d7b.html
AZ: State child-welfare agency scraps secret recordings (Includes video) KPNX - March 20, 2017
http://www.12news.com/news/local/arizona/arizona-child-welfare-agency-scraps-secret-recordings/424108515
AZ: New masterclass program invests in Arizona foster kids future (Includes video) AZFamily.com - March 27, 2017
http://www.azfamily.com/story/35009339/new-masterclass-program-invests-in-arizona-foster-kids-future
AZ: Most federal money intended for Arizona's poorest families goes to child-safety efforts Arizona Daily Star - March
25, 2017 http://www.lakeexpo.com/news/politics/arizona-spends-relatively-little-on-direct-help-to-the-
poorest/article_e47eb4d6-bb39-5015-b7ac-49929424fa87.html
AZ: Tucson non-profit battling child homelessness (Includes video) KVOA - April 12, 2017
http://www.kvoa.com/story/35137975/tucson-non-profit-battling-child-homelessness
AZ: Indian community attorneys argue before AZ Supreme Court to protect Indian children Sonoran News - April 17,
2017 http://sonorannews.com/new/2017/04/17/indian-community-attorneys-argue-az-supreme-court-protect-indian-children/
US: Parental Satisfaction at Work May Reduce Potential for Child Abuse or Neglect Chronicle of Social Change - March
03, 2017 https://chronicleofsocialchange.org/news-2/parental-satisfaction-at-work-may-reduce-potential-for-child-abuse-or-
neglect/25307
US: Homelessness Leads to Justice System and Vice Versa, New Report Details Juvenile Justice Information Exchange -
March 01, 2017 http://jjie.org/2017/03/01/homelessness-leads-to-justice-system-and-vice-versa-new-report-details/
US: Grandparents have many things to consider when raising grandchildren Enid News and Eagle - March 05, 2017
http://www.enidnews.com/news/local_news/grandparents-have-many-things-to-consider-when-raising-
grandchildren/article_1a58662a-f808-5f2f-9b9b-2110f6e1ec7f.html
US: Education Instability a Symptom of Bigger Foster Care Problem (Opinion) Chronicle of Social Change - March 07,
2017https://chronicleofsocialchange.org/blogger-co-op/education-stability-symptom-bigger-foster-care-problem/25336
US: Flourishing From the Start: What Is It and How Can It Be Measured? Child Trends - March 07, 2017
https://www.childtrends.org/publications/flourishing-start-can-measured/
US: Hispanic Girls Facing Higher Suicide Rate La Prensa San Diego - March 13, 2017
http://laprensa-sandiego.org/featured/hispanic-girls-facing-higher-suicide-rate/
US: Federal education law adds critical supports for homeless students Education Votes - March 13, 2017
http://educationvotes.nea.org/2017/03/13/federal-education-law-adds-critical-supports-homeless-students/
US: Finding Safe, Supportive Homes for Teens in Foster Care National Center for Youth Law News - March 01, 2017
https://youthlaw.org/publication/highlights-work-march-2017/
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Court Appointed Special Advocates
Pima County, AZ
US: Report Looks for Ways to Better Engage Young Fathers in the Child Welfare System Chronicle of Social Change -
March 17, 2017 https://chronicleofsocialchange.org/research-news/report-looks-ways-better-engage-young-fathers-child-
welfare-system/25600
US: Who Counts as a "Homeless" Child? It Matters Rooflines - March 17, 2017
http://rooflines.org/4807/who_counts_as_a_homeless_child_it_matters/
US: Barletta requests update on law to help opioid-addicted babies Wilkes-Barre Times Leader - March 20, 2017
http://timesleader.com/news/local/644629/barletta-requests-update-on-law-to-help-opioid-addicted-babies
US: Health and behavior problems can linger after child abuse Reuters - March 20, 2017
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-pediatrics-trauma-guidelines-idUSKBN16R2B5
US: Kids Who Suffer Hunger in First Years Lag Behind Their Peers in School National Public Radio - March 23, 2017
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/03/23/520997010/kids-who-suffer-hunger-in-first-years-lag-behind-their-peers-in-
school?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=science
US: Michael Reed pushes for child abuse prevention (Includes video) WATE - March 30, 2017
http://wate.com/2017/03/30/knox-county-to-host-child-sexual-abuse-prevention-training/
US: Nearly Four in 10 Kids Are Involved in Maltreatment Investigations by Age 18 Annie E. Casey Foundation - March
28, 2017 http://www.aecf.org/blog/nearly-four-in-10-kids-are-involved-in-maltreatment-investigations-by-age-1/
US: Childhood sex abuse could accelerate puberty in girls, study finds CBS News - April 05, 2017
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/sexual-abuse-accelerates-puberty-girls/
US: States produce a bumper crop of ACEs bills in 2017—nearly 40 bills in 18 states April 27, 2017
http://www.socialjusticesolutions.org/2017/04/27/states-produce-bumper-crop-aces-bills-2017-nearly-40-bills-18-states/
CASA Recruitment Corner
By Jill LaBrie
March and April have been a whirlwind of activity for outreach and recruitment! Now that
I have a moment to catch my breath, I want to give a very big heartfelt Thank You, to all
of the Advocates, Peer Coordinators, CASA Staff and Court Staff who have helped with
and supported our many, many activities. I can honestly say that all these events would not
have been nearly as successful without you! Thank you! Jill
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Court Appointed Special Advocates
Pima County, AZ
CASA Question: Who is our client?
Inspired by & adapted from the writing of fellow CASA Program Staff in Pinal & Gila County
(Greg Clark & Patti Dremler)
“If I were to ask our CASA volunteers who is our client? Who are we working on behalf of? I would bet
that the majority of the responses will be, “my client is the child that I am assigned to.” This certainly
makes sense, after all, the children in foster care need a voice, an advocate in their corner and someone to
speak out for what is right from their perspective, not only in court but also in the community. But is that
the correct answer?”
Consider our name…CASA of Pima County. “Going deeper, consider the abbreviation: CASA – Court
Appointed Special Advocate. The first word is the correct answer! Court.” Our advocates work on behalf
of the Pima County Superior Court – Juvenile Division. As a CASA, you are appointed to a case by the
Presiding Judge of the Pima County Juvenile Court. You are sworn in as an officer of the court; hence
you are working for the court. You are also subject to the rules and guidelines of the Arizona Supreme
Court as our program is a member of CASA of Arizona. CASA of Arizona is part of the Administrative
Offices of the Courts (AOC) which the administrative arm of the Arizona Supreme Court. CASA of
Arizona provides pre-service training; issues your CASA I.D. Badge; administers the CASAaz Dashboard
and webmail; among many other things. The common theme here is court. Your service as a CASA
volunteer is to the court.
As mentioned previously in this newsletter, your role is to help a local Superior Court Judge by providing
detailed, fact-based reports, which enables them to make informed decisions in determining the outcome
of a dependency case. The 13 Judges at Pima County Juvenile Court count on you to gather this
information through a variety of activities. For example, attending Child and Family Team meetings and
visiting with your CASA child. Everything you do should be done with the intent of building a strong,
objective, factual court report to inform the judge on the case.
We often say “CASA advocates are the ‘eyes and ears of the court’ and bring the ‘wisdom of the
community’ to our court.” In legal terms, you are a Friend of the Court through your role as an advocate.
You are not an interested party such as the assistant attorney general or the child’s attorney, but rather a
community member, sent from the Court, Appointed by a judge, specially trained & with a Special
mission, to Advocate in court and the community for what is in the child’s best interest.
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Court Appointed Special Advocates
Pima County, AZ
17 Years
CASA Nancy Davis
(5/2000)
16 Years
CASA Sylvia Canelos
(5/2001)
8 Years
Peer Coordinator Cynthia Dean
CASA Ida Sandler
(5/2009)
5 Years
CASA Paul Black
(5/2012)
4 Years
Peer Coordinator Richard Cook
(6/2013)
3 Years
CASA Andrea Dempsey
CASA Art Hoffman
CASA Jan Hoffman
CASA Amelia Lobos
CASA Mark Rosenberg
(6/2014)
2 Years
CASA Terry Bernier
(5/2015)
CASA Monica Ayon
CASA Constance Strickland
CASA Conny Swacha
CASA Jeff Tye
(6/2015)
1 Year
CASA Dayle Lansman
(5/2016)
CASA Barbara Carter
CASA Sigrid Hooijmeijer
CASA Luke Nagele
CASA Nina Strausberg
CASA John Swiencicki
(6/2016)
Announcements
Don’t forget to complete the 2016 Annual Program Survey. Your feedback matters! https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2016CASAProgramAssessment
Follow CASA of Pima County on Facebook & Twitter to
stay up to date on local, statewide and National Child
Welfare News.
https://www.facebook.com/casaofpimacounty
https://twitter.com/CASAPimaCounty
Years of Service Recognition
Pima County CASA Advocate Oath
I, (INSERT NAME), AM A CASA ADVOCATE!
I AM DEDICATED TO MY CASA CHILD &
I WILL ADVOCATE FOR THEIR BEST INTEREST.
I PLEDGE TO PERFORM THE FOLLOWING DUTIES:
SEE MY CASA CHILD 1X PER MONTH (AT LEAST)
SUBMIT MY CONTACT LOGS BY THE 1ST OF THE MONTH
SUBMIT MY COURT REPORT 2 WEEKS BEFORE THE
HEARING
AND ATTEND COURT TO PROVIDE A VERBAL UPDATE!
I WILL SUPPORT CASA OF PIMA COUNTY BY
REFERRING FRIENDS & FAMILY MEMBERS TO
JOIN OUR TEAM!
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Court Appointed Special Advocates
Pima County, AZ
Training Announcement
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Court Appointed Special Advocates
Pima County, AZ
Training Opportunities: May 2017
CASA Book Club
Day & Time Book Location
Wed. May 17, 2017
5:30pm – 7pm
Born for Love: Why Empathy is
Essential—and Endangered
By Maria Szalavitz & Dr. Bruce Perry
Beyond Bread – Wilmot/Speedway
Location
Contact Krissa –
June 23 , 2017
1:00pm – 2:30pm
Hillbilly Elegy
By JD Vance
(No copies available in CASA Office)
Juvenile Court Building
Contact Krissa –
Note: 2 – 3 Copies of each book may be available to check out via the CASA office.
We need all CASA Advocates and Peer Coordinators to complete 12 training
hours each calendar year. Seize the day & start now!
Contact Jania with any questions – [email protected]
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Court Appointed Special Advocates
Pima County, AZ
CASA Case Support Meetings
Monday, May 8, 2017
(3:00-5:00pm)
Nanini Branch Public Library
7300 N Shannon Rd
Facilitator: Tricia Keeler
(Location 1 on map)
Monday, May 15, 2017
(9:30am-11:30am)
The Good Shepherd UCC Church
17750 S. La Canada Drive
(Sahuarita)
Facilitator Cynthia Dean
(Location 5 on Map)
Monday, June 12, 2017
(2:00 – 4:00 pm)
Sandra Rohen’s House
Facilitator: Sandra Rohen, 219-2496
(Location 2 on Map)
Friday, June 23, 2017
(10:30-12:30pm)
*Email Amy for location*
Facilitator: Amy Hogan
(Location 4 on Map)
Thursday, June 29, 2017
(3:00-5:00pm)
Wilmot Library
530 N. Wilmot Road
Facilitator: Nicole Stockett
(Location 3 on Map)
CASA Support Council – Activities for CASA Children
SUMMER ACTIVITIES FOR YOUR CASA CHILD!
The 2016-17 school year will soon be over, and you’re probably thinking about some fun activities to keep your
CASA child(ren) busy and active. Below are a few suggestions from the Support Council.
TRIANGLE “Y” CAMPERSHIP SCHOLARSHIPS ARE STILL AVAILABLE!!
If your CASA child is between the ages of 7-17, he/she may be interested in camp. Start talking to the DCS Case
Manager and the placement about the “Y” sleepaway camps. Numerous CASA children have attended in the
past and thoroughly enjoyed their experience. The website for the Camp will provide more information:
https://tucsonymca.org/location/triangle-y-ranch-camp-and-retreat-center/. The scholarship covers all fees
except for money for the camp store. Applications are still available from the CASA office through Krissa
Ericson at [email protected].
TUCSON PARKS AND RECREATION CLASSES
The “Tucson Parks and Recreation 2017 Summer Activity Guide” is available on-line at:
https://www.tucsonaz.gov/parks/activity-guide. We encourage you to register early, as popular classes fill up
quickly. The Support Council can help with funding. Details on activities for the following age groups are
available on line:
KIDCO Program for Ages 5-11
Teen Programs for Ages 12-14
Summer Junior Staff in Training Program for Ages 14-17.
OTHER ACTIVITY OPTIONS
On the CASA Support Council website, www.pimacountycasa.org click on the “Activities” tab and click on
“Activities” in the left-hand column. You will find the document, “Free Passes/Discounts/ Inexpensive Choices
for CASAs”. This list presents a wide variety of indoor and outdoor activities. You may use your “outing” and
“mileage” reimbursements up to the allowable amounts for expenses.
SUMMER SCHOOL FOR ACADEMICS
We know that some of your CASA children may be behind in required classes. Check with your child’s school
district to see what’s available to help your child catch up or advance for next year’s classes. Please ask if they
will give a discount for “foster children”. The Support Council is happy to fund the cost. If your child could
benefit more with one on one tutoring, please fill out a “Special Request” form on the Support Council website
and explain the need and associated cost.
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Court Appointed Special Advocates
Pima County, AZ
Calendar of Events
MAY, 2017 SUN MON TUES WED THUR FRI SAT
1
2 3 4 5
6 Invisible Wounds
Training @ Abrams 9:30am
7
8
Nanini Library
Case Support 3:00pm –
5:00
9 10 MLE – Foster
Care & Adoption 2:30pm
11 12
13
14 15 Sahuarita/GV Case Support
9:30am – 11:30
16
17 CASA BOOK
CLUB 5:30pm – 7
Beyond Bread - Wilmot
18
19 Teen Case Support
3:00pm – 5:00
20
21 22
23
Peer Coordinator & Staff Meeting
1:30pm
24 Infant &
Toddler Case Support 2-
4pm Court Report
Writing @ 2:30pm
25 26
27
28 29
CASA office & Court Closed
Memorial Day
30
31
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Court Appointed Special Advocates
Pima County, AZ
Calendar of Events
JUNE, 2017 SUN MON TUES WED THUR FRI SAT
1 2 3 CASA/
Habitat Build Day!
4
5
6 7
8
9
10
11 12 Sandra’s Case
Support Meeting 2 pm – 4
13
14
15
16
17
18 19
20
21 22
23 CASA Book
Club 1:00 – 2:30
@ Court Vail Case Support
10:30am – 12:30
24
25 26 27
28 Infant &
Toddler Case Support 2-4pm
29 Wilmot
Library Case Support 3 – 5p
30
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Court Appointed Special Advocates
Pima County, AZ
Contact Information
CASA of Pima County 2225 E. Ajo Way, Tucson AZ 85713
Main Phone Number: (520) 724- 2060 - FAX 724-2211
http://www.casaofpimacounty.org Program Supervisor: Krissa Ericson 724-2069
Coordinators: Nicole Stockett 724-9240
Support Specialists: Maria Chavez 724-5024
Selina Chan 724-9241
Lupe Ornelas 724-2060 Karen Abman 724-9242 3rd Support position to be filled!!
Adelina Altamirano 724-4516
CASA Recruiter: Jill LaBrie 724-9238 Tricia Keeler 724-2249
CASA Volunteer Screener: Jesus Aguilar 724-2987 CASA Intern: CASA Trainer: Jania Wright 724-4579
If you are interested in writing a story or article for this newsletter, contact Krissa Ericson
**Check Facebook and Twitter for more stories, events & updates**
www.facebook.com/casaofpimacounty
Twitter: @CASAofPimaCounty
CASA Support Council for Pima County, Inc. P.O. Box 36017, Tucson AZ 85740 Phone Number: (520) 575-5130
www.pimacountycasa.org President: Linda Koral 465-4425
Directors: Sharon Inorio
VP, Programs: Eloise Williams 743-8603
Peter (Bud) Inorio
Treasurer: Karlene Nelson 591-4841
Frederica Leonardo-Torres
Secretary: Elda Lopez 269-3061 Jon Merritt
Jan Webster
CASA Team April 2017
(Left to Right)
Back Row: Maria, Adelina,
Krissa, Jill, Nicole, Lupe
Tricia & Karen
Front Row: Selina, Jesus
& Jania