CASA Connection

Here at our CASA SHaW program, we have a number of CASA volunteers who have been with our program for well over a decade. They have been the eyes and ears on their case(s) and have made an incredible difference in the lives of the children they have served. This is Part 2 of our "Why" series, as we talk to these amazing individuals and dive into their "why." Why they have stayed with CASA so long,...

Here at our CASA SHaW program, we have a number of CASA volunteers who have been with our program for well over a decade. They have been the eyes and ears on their case(s) and have made an incredible difference in the lives of the children they have served. As part of our "Why" series, we're diving into their "why." Why they have stayed with CASA so long, and what their volunteerism has meant to t...

The one thing individuals in the social work world have is compassion. Compassion for those who are less fortunate within our local communities. We want to help, and many do their all to bring positivity to others. However, how should we handle and feel when the resulting burnout arises? This episode dives into these subject matters for our CASA volunteers and all individuals in our communities.

On this episode, Tracey and Jeff discussed their own personal stories about summertime positive childhood experiences from their past. For many, summer signifies a break from the usual demands of school and work, offering opportunities for relaxation, travel, and spending quality time with people who matter most to us. The positive childhood experiences we have as youth helps create nostalgia, par...

On this episode, Tracey and Jeff are keeping things light. Well, as light as they can be. While funding for CASA programs throughout the United States remain up in the air based on federal funding cuts, Tracey and Jeff discussed how we can find fun funding sources for our CASA programs in the future. 

On this episode, Tracey and Jeff dove into the critical importance of resource parents within the world of foster care. These individuals, mainly family members, are some of the forgotten individuals at times within the system. Why are resource parents so important? How can they help provide for youth living in foster care? These are some of the questions we answered within this episode.

On this episode, Tracey and Jeff dove into the importance of help children and families via concrete resources. They spoke about CASA SHaW's "Big Ideas" plan and how we must continue to provide children living in foster care with better and enhanced resources in a very uncertain world. 

This week, Tracey and Jeff talked about men's mental health as we recognize Men's Mental Health Awareness Month here in June. Jeff shares some of his story growing up, and inevitably focusing on himself and his mental health, healing from the trauma he endured as a young boy. The overriding theme of this episode, talking to someone helps to heal. 

This episode features former New Jersey Superior Court Judge Thomas Dilts who pulls back the judicial curtain within the realm of foster care. After having spent much of his career as a family court judge, he came to understand how valuable CASA and CASA volunteers were to children living in foster care within our communities. We discussed his time as judge, what CASA has meant to him, and how he...

In this episode, Tracey and Jeff talk about the very real condition of burnout and how we, in the social work profession, need to institute boundaries from time to time. The mental health of our CASA volunteers, staff, Board of Trustees, and every stakeholder is important.  We need to recognize what burnout might look like, and how to put up those boundaries when needed.

We spoke to our friends at CASA of New Jersey about the CASA Network Impact Initiative they have undertaken with the 12 CASA programs throughout the state. What is the goal of this initiative? How is being implemented? Inevitably, how will this help our CASA programs better serve children who are living in foster care? A great discussion about the progress our CASA programs are making.

On this episode, Jeff is joined by CASA SHaW Case Supervisor Lynn Kinkel as they discuss CASA's 20-year anniversary. Lynn was recently recognized at CASA SHaW's 20th Anniversary Gala as one of foundational pieces of our CASA program over the past two decades. Lynn discussed her many experiences, how she thinks we - as a society - can be better for children, and what our CASA nonprofit has meant to...

Within this episode, Tracey and Jeff discussed healing-centered practices that are valuable for adults. We all want to interrupt children’s negative behaviors, and one of the best methods to do this is to promote healing-centered practices. The strategies to do this are: self-care, co-regulation, and touch points. We hope this episode is valuable to you and those in your network.

In this episode, Tracey and Jeff discussed the concerns and reality of about future CASA funding as there is much uncertainty coming from our federal government about how new policies may impact nonprofits and essential services to children and families in our community. Will our CASA nonprofit (and others throughout the state and country) be able to continue serving children in foster care approp...

On this episode, Jeff sat down and spoke to CASA SHaW's intern, Matthew Wickman, about his internship as a social work major, and how he dove into his work here at CASA. They spoke about how his internship provided him real world experience, the knowledge he has gained about CASA and the foster care system, as well as how he has grown both academically and personally. Plus much more great discussi...

On this episode, Jeff talks with CASA SHaW Case Supervisor Wendy Parcell about her professional career, what led her to our CASA program, and how our CASA program has been making a positive impact for youth living in foster care, as well as their families. This is a great discussion that pulls back the curtain a bit and takes the listener inside CASA. 

On this episode, Jeff sat down with CASA SHaW advocate Karen Talbert to discuss her story about why she decided to become a CASA volunteer and how we can best be effective in our advocacy for youth living in foster care. Jeff and Karen discussed the learning curves after she became and advocate, and how that learning process created positive impact for the youth on her case. It was a great discuss...

As we embark on a new year of serving youth living in foster care in our region, we outlined and discussed in this episode our CASA goals for 2025. Tracey and Jeff discuss a number of avenues the CASA program will traveling, and endeavors CASA SHaW will be taking on to help serve more children and families.

As we end the 2024 year, our CASA program has accomplished much, and we wanted to share just a few of those accomplishments with you on this episode. From our recent CASA Holiday Shop to our trainings to our fundraising and events efforts to helping kids graduate from high school, we're so proud of what we've done here in 2024.

As the holiday season is here, we wanted to touch on what trauma means for children - and even adults - during this time of year. Cory Matthew, the Program Director from Middle Earth in Somerset County, NJ, talked to us about being more trauma informed. Plus, what is the best way for us to reach children, especially during this time of year when families get together and when there are people cele...

This is Part 3 in our three part series titled "Positive Discipline." In this episode we discuss positive discipline as it pertains to children ages 13 to 18. These are the formative teenage years when parents and youth are challenged in many ways. What are the dos and don'ts in terms of discipline? What responses and communication can be of harm to teenagers, and how can we as adults be good stew...

This is Part 2 in our three part series titled "Positive Discipline." In this episode we discuss positive discipline as it pertains to children ages 6 to 12. What are the dos and don'ts in terms of discipline as these formative years are so critical for children. What responses and communication can be of harm to them, and how can we as adults be good stewards to them? We get into it and provide a...

This is Part 1 in our three part series titled "Positive Discipline." In this episode we discuss positive discipline as it pertains to infancy to children to are 5-years-old. What are the dos and don'ts in terms of discipline as babies and children start to grow? What responses and communication can be of harm to them, and how can your mannerisms and demeanor help them? We get into it during this...

What is the future of healing? How can we better understand and embrace that process of healing from trauma? The healing-centered engagement model and C.A.R.M.A. principles shows us how we can do this as a community and society overall. Culture, agency, relationships, meaning, and aspiration are the principles we can utilize. We discuss this in detail during this episode with Tia Sanders from the...

Based off our previous podcast upload (episode 55), we dove into how we can build rapport with parents who have suffered from trauma and repeat the cycle. How do we reach more folks? Trust is a huge aspect of this. We also look at how we can better understand others and build stronger relationships with those who have suffered abuse.