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CASA Trainees Appointed as Advocates

Citing a "huge need" for new volunteers, CASA of Hill County Executive Director Mark Douglass has appointed three area residents to a roster of one currently working on behalf of abused children in Valley County.

Appointees include Rosalie Nelson, Bonnie Markle and Sarah Mason, all of Glasgow. U.S. District Judge John C. McKeon presided over the ceremony.

CASA of Montana's stated mission is to support and promote court appointed volunteer advocacy for abused and neglected children so they can "thrive in safe, permanent homes."

"We serve residents of Valley, Phillips, Blaine, Hill, Chouteau and Liberty counties," Douglass explains, clarifying the broad reach that CASA enjoys in the region.

According to Douglass, there are 42 children in Valley County who have been removed from their homes due to allegations of abuse and/or neglect. With a staff of just four fully trained and duly appointed child advocates, the organization is depending on increased interest and involvement from the community to fulfill its mission.

The director emphasizes the need for greater community involvement to compensate for the disproportionate ratio of children to advocates in the area:

"Our success serving abused children in Valley County will be in direct relation to support from the community and I know how pivotal hometown newspapers can be in that effort."

While many minors already have a guardian when entering the court system, CASA appointees serve as independent advocates on their behalf, as well as conducting investigations, making recommendations, monitoring services and mentoring children to help them better understand their options.

"Our job," explains Douglass, "is to help the child to know their judge better while also helping the judge know the child."

The official title for CASA appointees is guardian ad litem.

Prior to the appointments of Nelson, Markle and Mason, Douglass had been working all open cases in the county. With the addition of qualified assistance, he expects to be able to focus on some of the less-severe cases currently before the court.

Changes in CASA's makeup in the area reflect Douglass' efforts to make contacts within the community. He has been conducting meetings and informal chats to try and shore up a broader volunteer base with members of the public.

Founded in 1976, CASA had early success recruiting area residents to its cause, but has seen a drop in interest in recent decades.

In order to qualify as guardian ad litem, volunteers must complete a 30-hour preservice training program that includes education about family dynamics, state laws, child development, issues relating to child and spousal abuse, as well as substance abuse and mental health issues.

Additionally, the program emphasizes education on subjects that are harder to pin down, such as the permanency of influences on the lives of children and ongoing outreach involving relationships with family members and other members of the community.

Such efforts rely on substantial volunteer support, as well as organized, institutional backing and expertise.

"It's a matter of taking this one step at a time," Douglass concludes, "and these three are a good start for rebuilding the foundation of the program.

The next preservice training for prospective volunteers is scheduled to begin the week of August 10 in Glasgow (location TBA). For more information, call (406) 265-6743 or email [email protected].

 

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