Court Appointed Special Advocates walk with children through trauma, one visit, one report, one hug at a time.
When we hear about kids who’ve been abused or neglected, the first thing we think is: bad parents. “Most of us start out with a preconceived notion that people who do these things are bad,” says Amy Jackson, executive director of CASA of East Tennessee. “It’s just not the truth. Sure, there are bad parents, but nobody plans to abuse or neglect their children. Life happens. There have been generations of abuse in the family. Poverty. Mental health issues. Drug use. Bad decisions. All of those things mount against a parent.”
And when they do, children are often removed from the home while the juvenile justice system investigates the situation and determines what’s best for them. That’s where a CASA comes in.
CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate. Volunteers are trained by CASA of East Tennessee and appointed by Juvenile Court Judge Timothy Irwin to get involved in the situation. CASAs spend time with the children every month while their case moves through the system. They get to know their parents and visit the home from which they were removed. They talk with neighbors and teachers. Relatives and friends. And finally, they report their findings to the court, which Irwin considers before making a decision about their welfare.
“They do good work,” Irwin says of the CASAs. “They give me eyes and ears in a situation where I may not otherwise have them. They give a third-party look at what’s going on. What’s the condition of the home? Is there food in the refrigerator? Is the home safe? Are there hazards to be aware of? Their reports are excellent, a great aid in determining what’s best for the child.”
“Reunification is always the goal if possible,” Jackson says. For the last year she says 28 percent of families were reunited and 78 percent were long-term placements with relatives. “Sometimes it’s not possible, but (parental rights) terminations occur only after we’ve exhausted all efforts. So many stories are stories of triumph, of overcoming incredible hardship to get reunited. Most parents are trying. Even when they fail, it’s not for lack of trying.”
How CASA works
Court Appointed Special Advocates of East Tennessee was established in Knox County in 1986. Judge Carey Garrett learned of a growing CASA movement nationwide to respond to the needs of Juvenile Court judges for assistance in abuse and neglect cases. Half of its funding comes from government grants; the remainder comes from private foundations and donations, including its annual Storybook Ball.
Volunteer CASAs complete an application, provide references, sit for an interview and undergo background checks. They are expected to stay with the program for at least a year. The volunteers take a 33-hour pre-service training course. Once they’re fully trained they are asked to provide continuity for a child by visiting with him or her at least once a month while their case is being considered, which often takes a year or more. They generally are involved in only one case at a time so they can really learn what’s going on.
That’s a big difference between CASAs and Department of Children’s Services social workers, who may have dozens of cases at any given time.
“CASAs are not required to be experts in any way,” Jackson says. “They are expected to listen and observe and then report what they learn. All they really need is a heart for children and time to commit.”
Jason Bise has been a CASA volunteer for about a year. He got involved after learning about the program from his wife, who was a CASA in Colorado before they moved to East Tennessee four years ago.
“The best part is getting involved with the kids and being impactful in assuring they are heard and understood,” he says. “They are excited to have an adult to talk to, to really listen to what they’re thinking. Then going in front of court and helping to come up with a solution that benefits them? It’s one of the greatest honors of my life.”
Currently CASA of East Tennessee has 38 active volunteers. Training sessions are held quarterly. The nonprofit is always seeking people with the time and heart to commit.
Time makes the difference
Each month CASA staff members meet with Judge Irwin to determine which cases would most benefit from the involvement of a CASA. “They try to work within our capacity so we’re not overloading our volunteers,” Jackson says. “There’s always a greater need. The number of kids in Knox County’s child welfare system is roughly 600 at any given time. We served 156 kids in 2024.”
The court appoints CASAs based on a lot of things: sometimes because the law doesn’t allow them to appoint a guardian ad litem, an attorney tasked with representing a child’s best interests. “The judge uses us for an extra set of eyes and ears when they don’t have enough information,” she says.
Most of the children they see are in kinship placements, Jackson says, meaning they’re living with a family member or a close friend. Only about 10 percent are in foster care.
When CASAs are appointed, there has been a petition placed before the court. Perhaps a mom has petitioned for unsupervised visits with her children as part of the process to regain custody. CASAs will investigate that and see where that mother is in her journey. Has she completed rehab and is she living drug free, for instance. Or has she gotten a job that will provide for them? And how do the children feel about the situation?
“Part of what makes CASAs so special is they can take the time with kids and wait until they’re ready to talk,” says program director Colby Webb. “They’re trained on how to work with kids with trauma. They know what they’re looking at when they go in. And they show up again and again and do what they say they’re going to do. They are a consistent presence in that child’s life. They’re not an attorney or a case worker. They’re just people who are there because they care. Kids can sense that.”
A sympathetic friend
Not all CASA volunteers are people. Some have four legs and fur. Working with HABIT (Human-Animal Bond in Tennessee), CASA identifies animals who go to court when requested — often when a child has been called to testify. The dogs are there to provide comfort and support. They are sworn in to serve, as are human CASAs.
Karen Armsey, program administrator at HABIT, has been in court with her two dogs, Nash, a Great Pyrenees, and Shiloh, a Giant Schnauzer mix. She even remembers Nash having his paw on the Bible when he was sworn in in 2016.
Sometimes the dogs have sat with kids while they testify. “The dogs go up and the kids pet them while they testify,” she says. “It puts them more at ease, lowers their anxiety.”
They’ve also accompanied kids into custody hearings. She remembers one case involving three boys, their foster parents and their biological parents. When the hearing ended, the oldest boy, about 9, gave the dog a big hug.
“He thanked the dog for being there and said ‘because of you, court wasn’t so scary.’ That’s why we’re there.”
Volunteer feedback
Kellie Stines has been a CASA for three and a half years. “When I retired I wanted to find volunteer opportunities where I could make a difference. I went through training remotely post-COVID. It’s been nonstop since,” she says. “It’s the hardest, most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.
“There’s no one type of CASA case. Some kids go back to their parents, some don’t. You want to fix everything for them, but you can’t.”
What keeps her coming back is knowing that she is the constant adult in their lives. “Two cases I’ve had have been going on for two years. I keep seeing the kiddos that long; even if they change homes, they know I’m there.”
She still hears from a family even though the case was closed years ago. “Once a year I get a text from the dad saying thank you for being a part of the process and updating me on his kid’s progress in school. That keeps me focused when the struggles get to me.”
What would she say to someone considering being a CASA? “Understand it’s going to be difficult. Families are complicated. Listen with an open mind. Trust but verify. And realize that consistency does make a difference.”
For more info about CASA’s work and to learn how to become volunteer, go to casaofeasttn.org.
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