CASA - what is it?

At last night's NAMI meeting in Crystal Lake a very interesting presentation about CASA was made by executive director Kelly Pokharel. CASA is Court Appointed Special Advocate. (NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness; the local chapter meets monthly in Crystal Lake.)

CASA is the voice for abused and neglected children in McHenry County and is part of a national organization. It was formed in 2005 and originally was located in the Woodstock Square Mall until it moved to McHenry.

In McHenry County there are about 2,000 reports of child abuse and neglected each year. Many reports are to DCFS, and many cases include drug and alcohol abuse involving a parent.

CASA workers are unpaid volunteers who are interested in and concerned about children. Interested adults (you must be 21 to volunteer) are screened and then go through a 40-hour training that is offered twice a year. Once approved, they are sworn in by a McHenry County judge. Here we have just one juvenile judge.

Each CASA volunteer handles just one case at a time, which might take about 10 hours/month. The Advocate collects information that becomes part of the child's case, but the Advocate is not a therapist or provider of treatment. He or she is not like a Big Brother or Big Sister and does not spend "alone" time with the child-client. The goal is to see that the child is in a safe, permanent home. At that time the case is closed, as far as CASA is involved.

For information, contact CASA via http://www.casamchenrycounty.org/ or call (815) 363-5920

For information about NAMI, visit www.namimchenrycounty.org/ or call (815) 344-8300