Callie Nowicki was engaging with CASA Volunteers long before she realized she would become one. She knew that they were advocates of some sort, but she did not know much more.
“In my previous life, before I had children, I was a speech therapist,” said Callie. “Many clients I worked with were involved in open court cases, and they would have CASAs.”
When Callie’s children were born, she decided to take a step back from her work. However, when they were enrolled in school full-time, she suddenly felt a huge void.
“Something was missing for me,” said Callie. “I reached out to my social worker friends and my speech therapist friends looking for ways to become involved. Then, I found CASA again.”
Callie has been a Dependency and Neglect CASA for just under a year, spending time each week with a seven-year-old boy.
Throughout Callie’s time on this case, she has worked hard at building a meaningful relationship with the child and his father. She understands that it is in the child’s best interest to support his parents as well.
“Kids are super funny and often super adaptable, but adults are not always like that,” said Callie. “They may need more time. Nobody asks about dad. Nobody asks if he’s okay or if he’s exhausted.”
When Callie first got started, she realized that building a positive relationship may take more time than anticipated. She could feel that the child’s father was very reserved and skeptical. It took a few months of carving out time to get to know him during her visits before progress was made.
“What would I want?” she wondered aloud. “I think I would just want a hot second to catch my breath.”
Her main goal in the beginning of the case was to burn out the child’s energy at the park after school, thinking that this would be fun for him and supportive for his caregivers.
“Then, I spent so much of my time talking with dad,” she said. “I wanted to take the time to understand their situation, their perspective, and who they are as people.”
Callie listened to the child’s father and learned that he was in the military, so he used certain terms that stood out differently to her. She began meeting him where he was comfortable, matching his language and earning his trust.
“He communicates in military terms, so I try to approach things in this way,” said Callie. “We call goals ‘missions’ because that’s what he refers to. For me, a lot of this work has been about supporting dad and the other family members, so that the support can trickle down to the child,” she explained.
Callie expresses an understanding that people grow when faced with new opportunities and challenges. They may just need a helping hand or someone to walk alongside them.
This, she now realizes, is what being a CASA Volunteer is all about.
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