November 2018

CASA of Bell

& Coryell

Counties

112 North Main Street

Belton, Texas 76513

(254) 774-1881

Hello to you all and note a “Starry Night” even Snoopy enjoys.

I love art and the emotions it evokes. I also love how a piece of art can be changed

just by a simple image. I wrote in the last newsletter that I was excited about change

but, when it recently knocked on my door, I had to sit down and soul-search. I am sad

to have to write this and did not intend to see this day for some time. I have had to

resign from my position as Executive Director for CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties. As

noted in my letter to our Board of Directors, I have two elderly parents who are now

requiring immediate help and our families are coming together to provide assistance.

I have wrestled with this tough decision as CASA of Bell and Coryell’s program is dear

to me. The blessing of working with such great hearts who give their time and energy to

children in foster care is a gift. While the set-up was hard fought over the last 2 ½ years,

each of you stayed the course with the organization. As a result, CASA of Bell and

Coryell Counties is now strong because of your dedication. Please know that CASA of

Bell and Coryell Counties and CASA volunteers are becoming known in our

communities and our support is growing! In weighing all issues, my most fervent desire is

to see the forward motion of the last two years continue. However, my need to go out

of state and the required time to address my family concerns would have had a

negative impact.

I want you each to know that this is a program to be proud of. Each of you will play a

part in the continued growth of CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties in the coming year.

Please continue with the great work you provide for children in foster care. Know that

you are “The Change” that assists children in foster care in reaching safety in

placement, permanency in family life, and a loving home.

Thank you for the privilege of serving alongside each of you and many blessings in the

days, weeks, and years to come.

Kelly Hardy, Executive Director

REMINDER

Advocate

timesheets are

due on the 5th

of each month!

Make your

time count!

CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties

Welcomes 13 New Volunteers!

On Tuesday, October 23, 2018, Presiding Associate Judge Charles Van Orden joined CASA in

welcoming 13 new Advocates to CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties. The last volunteer class of

2018 began September 6 with 10 eager new recruits. “This was a particularly interesting round

of training for our program with lots of twists and turns,” Karli Barger, Recruiter/Trainer stated.

“Being a CASA volunteer is a true commitment and investment of time. There always has to be

some expectation that not everyone who starts the CASA training will finish. However, with this

committed group of individuals and hard work from all sides, we proved the opposite is equally

possible for our program. With our new recruits, current volunteers, board members, and staff

continually spreading the word and sharing the valuable mission of CASA, this group quickly

became our largest class yet. Each of these individuals brings a high level of passion,

competence, and dedication that all children need and deserve.” CASA of Bell and Coryell

Counties has continued its growth over the course of the year and we are excited to see what

the new year has in store for our service and for our children. We would like to thank these new

Advocates for committing to speak up for at least 13 more children in our communities. On

behalf of all volunteers, board members, and staff of CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties,

welcome to the CASA family!

Class Photo (left to right): Michelle Cotton, Lois Woods, Judge Charles Van Orden, Debra West, Heather

Arthur, Frankie Hector-Jones, Karen Hutchison, Ellis Hutchison, Peggy Cunningham, April Calvert, Imelda

Egan, LaVonda Bobbitt, Sharon Cheatum, and Gwen Everett.

Volunteer Highlights and Stories

DaShanda Deas-Davis

DaShanda Deas-Davis of Killeen joined CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties in April 2017. This past

month, DaShanda successfully completed two cases, resulting in permanency for 4 children.

CASA Supervisor Vicki Israel stated, “DaShanda is true Advocate. She remained engaged in her

case from front to finish and maintained excellent documentation, reports, and communication.

It was an absolute pleasure working with her.” DaShanda is currently enrolled in graduate school

at Texas A&M – Central Texas, where she is pursuing her degree in Clinical Counseling.

DaShanda, thank you for your compassion, dedication to CASA’s mission, and for speaking up

for 4 beautiful children in your community!

Ralph Garcia

CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties had the pleasure of welcoming Advocate Ralph Garcia to

our program in August 2018. Soon after being sworn in at the end of August, Ralph quickly

accepted his first case involving 3 teens. The siblings are currently placed separately across the

state. Lindsay Beaton, Ralph’s Supervisor, stated, “Ralph has been working nonstop to get these

boys in the same area and is truly dedicated to ensuring these boys have monthly sibling visits.”

As well as the wonderful DaShanda Deas-Davis, Ralph is also currently enrolled at Texas A&M

University – Central Texas pursuing his Master’s in Clinical Counseling. While in school and serving

with CASA, Ralph is also a dedicated husband and father. Thank you, Ralph, for all you have

done and continue to do for these 3 boys as a Court Appointed Special Advocate!

If you have not yet been featured in the CASA newsletter or if you have only been briefly

mentioned, we are still waiting to hear your story! Your Recruiter/Trainer is actively seeking

information from our staff, those who have praised CASA volunteers in our communities, and

from you - the CASA volunteer! If you would like to share your story but remain anonymous, let

us know! Please send us your stories or stories of your fellow volunteers by email to Karli Barger,

Recruiter/Trainer, at kbarger.bccasa@outlook.com.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Ann Hendrix (November 19), Eberge Maximilien (November 9), Naomi Ortega (November 11),

Courtney Robson (November 2), and Linda Thompson (November 4).

CASA ANNIVERSARIES

Marilyn Burns (8 years), Tom Creek (1 year), Laurie Kiniry (4 years), Tonita Stovall (2 years), and

Naomi Ortega (2 years).

Meet Your Board of Directors!

Would you like to know more about our fabulous Board of Directors? Each month, CASA

of Bell and Coryell Counties features one member of our Board to shine light on their

roles, backgrounds, and experience with CASA. This month, we would like you to meet

our Board Outreach Chair, Tina Capito!

November 2018: Tina Capito Tina Capito currently serves as the Board Outreach Chair for CASA

of Bell and Coryell Counties. Tina’s professional experience includes

19 years teaching general education, special education (including

self-contained, resource, and inclusion), and currently serves as

Killeen Independent School District’s Transition Specialist for Special

Education. She has had the privilege of being a former military

spouse and has taught in Colorado, Louisiana, Germany in DoDDs,

and now resides in Harker Heights, where she has worked for KISD for

the past 9 years. Over the last 19 years, Tina has served on several

committees and developed intervention programs that have shown

positive student outcomes, not only in special education, but also in

general education for at-risk students. She has also served on several

other nonprofit boards, including Educated Angels, City Boards, and

the Public Education Council. Tina states that CASA is near and dear

to her heart because she was once part of the state system for children. She also says that over

the years, she has remained a strong advocate for education because it is what saved her in

life. Tina’s own educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Education (2001) and a

Master of Education from Regis University (2006). She has received numerous awards and

recognition for her work in Central Texas for providing scholarships for students, basic needs for

homeless children, and for developing programs for individuals with disabilities. Tina says she is

most proud of being a new grandmother and a mother to her two young adult children, Andruw

and Jaylyn.

Thank You, Walmart!

A cornerstone of the Walmart philosophy is “living

better” and your local Walmart locations are

giving back and supporting their communities!

CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties recently

received 2 grants from Walmart Giving in Bell

County. These CASA champion supporters know

the positive impact CASA volunteers can make in

the lives of our local children and they want us to

keep speaking up! With these grants (totaling

$2,500) CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties is able

to continue providing a trained community

volunteer to more children that so desperately

deserve a voice. Thank you, Walmart, for helping

us grow in our mission to provide quality advocacy

for abused and neglected children in our two

counties. The next time you visit the Walmart

Neighborhood Market (960 East FM 2410 in Harker

Heights, Store #6459) or the Walmart Supercenter

(3401 South 31st Street in Temple, Store #746) be

sure to give them a huge “thank you!” for

supporting your local CASA program!

WHO CAN BE A CASA?

If you or

someone you

know has heart,

strength, and

compassion to

speak up for

children, let us

know!

Court

Appointed

Special

Advocates are

volunteers who

pledge to give

their time to

help children

journey through

the foster care

system. They

speak on behalf

of a child at

court hearings

and use their

voice to put the

best interests of

the child first.

If you have or

know someone

that has the

qualities to give

children

another

chance, let us

know by

emailing

kbarger.bccasa

@outlook.com.

New CASA

Volunteer

Orientation:

January 10, 2018

5:30 – 7:00 p.m.

at the CASA office

C

A

S

A

CASA Volunteers and Staff Dial In at

the Texas CASA Conference

On Thursday, October 18, 2018, CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties headed to Denton, Texas to

join over 600 child champions in the Texas CASA network for the annual Texas CASA

Conference. CASA volunteers, board members, staff, supporters, and child welfare professionals

from across the state gathered at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Denton Convention Center to

share in three days of strengthening our advocacy and planning for the year ahead. This year’s

theme, “Tune In to CASA,” asked participants to “dial in” to the needs of the 72 local CASA

programs by focusing on four key areas: well-being, trauma-informed care, connections and

Collaborative Family Engagement (CFE), and cultural diversity and inclusion. Those in

attendance from CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties included Karli Barger (Recruiter/Trainer),

Lindsay Beaton (Advocate Supervisor), Vicki Israel (Advocate Supervisor), Claire Joseph

(Advocate), Michelle Wininger (Advocate), and Ellen Wright (Advocate). The conference

included a total of 12 sessions, Keynote Speaker Steve Pemberton (Chief Human Resources

Officer for Globoforce and Best-Selling Author), the Twilight Tunes concert hosted by Discover

Denton, The University of North Texas Green Brigade Drumline, the Texas CASA After Party, an

address from Texas CASA CEO Vicki Spriggs, and so much more. Our volunteers and staff have

returned and all are excited to put what they have learned to practice to ensure a brighter

future for our local children as we head into 2019!

Strengthening

the voices of

children.

WONDERING

WHO SOME OF

OUR

SUPPORTERS

ARE?

Central

Texas &

Greater Fort

Hood

Bell

County

Comm.

Court

Coryell

County

Comm.

Court

THE SWALM

Foundation

Get Your Tickets for CASA’s Kris Kringle Christmas Basket!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and now is the time to secure your tickets for CASA’s Kris Kringle

Christmas Basket. This years’ basket includes over $3,000 of gifts donated by champion CASA supporters

right here in our community! Tickets are now on sale through December 7 and can be purchased by calling

the CASA office at (254) 774-1881. Ticket prices are 1 for $5, 3 for $10, and 8 for $20. The raffle drawing will

take place at the Salado Winery Co. (841 North Main Street in Salado, Texas) on Saturday, December 8 at

6:00 p.m. Cost of entry (including a wine ticket) is $15. If you are unable to attend the drawing on December

8, know that the winner need not be present to win! If you do not plan to attend the event but wish to be

included in the drawing, tickets must be returned to the CASA office by Friday, December 7 at 5:00 p.m.

You can drop your tickets off at the CASA office (located at 112 North Main Street in Belton, Texas) or

contact one of our ticket sellers to pick up your tickets before the deadline. All proceeds go to supporting

CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties!

Gift cards donated by: Value

Fire Street Pizza $50.00

YOUphoria Day Spa & Salon $150.00

McAllister’s (Copperas Cove) $80.00

McAllister’s (Temple) $30.00

Good Life Bakery Café $50.00

Fries Etc. $28.00

Giovanni’s Italian Restaurant $100.00

Marilu Family Hair Salon $52.00

Megg’s Café $50.00

Mee Mee’s Thai Cuisine $25.00

Freddy’s Frozen Custard $60.00

Business/Donor Item(s) Value

Wes’ Burger Shack & More Sauce & t-shirt $15.00

Vista Real Estate & Christine Fletcher YETI® Cooler $299.00

Great Clips (Copperas Cove) 2 product bags (1 male, 1 female) $85.00

Navy Federal Credit Union Baseball caps, pens, & koozies $100.00

Off the Cob Popcorn tin (take in and fill up!) 25.95

Anonymous Don’t Lose Your Cool (game) $14.88

LifeWay Christian Bookstore 5 children’s bibles & 6 videos $100.00

Anonymous Scentsy cream tulip burner $50.00

Anytime Fitness (Copperas Cove) 2 monthly passes $80.00

Waffle Cone Ice cream social $35.00

New York Pizza Family meal $45.00

Freezing Point Creamery 6” cake $23.99

Smallcakes Cupcakery & Creamery 6 cupcakes & 1 pint of ice cream $30.00

GymX 2 one-year memberships & 2 massages $688.00

Jersey Mike’s 2 entrees $23.69

Spare Time Texas 90-minute bowling w/ 6 shoe rentals $90.00

Sammons Golf Links 2 gift certificates for 4 rounds of golf each $280.00

Paperdoodles Party supplies $61.35

Anonymous Family Feud game $19.96

CASA CASA tote bag & children’s book $30.00

Precious Memories Florist & Gift Shop Basket $200.00

Earthscapes Wooden frog $34.00

LipSense Starter kit $95.00

Made by Moon 4 pairs of earrings & “Blessed” sign $54.00

THANK YOU for supporting your local CASA! Total: $3,154.82

Take a look at what’s in the basket!

Also included in the basket…

The Subhani

Foundation

Frank and

Sue Mayborn

Foundation

News from Texas CASA

Phoenix House: Residential Treatment Program for Adolescents

If you are working with an adolescent between the ages of 13 and 17 (or 18

if enrolled in high school) who is struggling with substance abuse or addiction,

Phoenix House is a residential treatment program providing room and board

and serving patients from across the state. Phoenix House currently has two

Texas locations that are open to serving Bell and Coryell Counties’ youth (in

Austin and Dallas). The Austin location is open to boys and the Dallas location

serves girls and boys. As a leading nonprofit treatment provider, Phoenix House offers affordable,

evidence-based and holistic care to adolescents who have lived in an addicted family system

and experienced traumatic events. Patients at Phoenix House work with Master’s-level clinicians

and have access to a psychiatrist. Some onsite activities and facilities available to patients

include sports, mindfulness workshops, yoga, pet therapy, and a music studio. Participation in

the Phoenix House Program is voluntary and patients may not be admitted against their will. To

learn more about Phoenix House, visit the Phoenix House website. If you would like to schedule

an individual assessment at the Austin location, please contact Tim Young (Assessment

Counselor) by phone at (512) 569-8838 or by email at tyoung@phoenixhouse.org. If you would

like to schedule an assessment in Dallas, you may contact Susanna Huffman at (214) 999-1044

or shuffman@phoenixhouse.org.

Texas CASA Announces Release of New Training Curriculum

The wait is over! CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties

is excited to announce that Texas CASA has

released its 2018 New Volunteer Pre-Service

Training Curriculum. The 2018 Texas CASA Training

Manual includes six case studies, family

engagement tools, materials on trauma-informed

care, cultural competence, Texas-specific laws,

and much more with online options available for

trainees. Along with the release of its new pre-

service training curriculum, Texas CASA has

included a newly re-designed Learning Center

where CASA programs can access up-to-date

resources, PowerPoints, games, and handouts to

supplement the new curriculum and provide a

learning experience designed to equip our

volunteers with the tools they need to provide high-

quality advocacy for Texas children. On November

7 and 8, Recruiter/Trainer Karli Barger and

Advocate Supervisor Lindsay Beaton joined the

Texas CASA Training Team in Conroe to explore this

30-hour deep-dive into the essentials of advocacy.

The new training curriculum will be implemented at

CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties beginning in March 2019. CASA Supervisor Lindsay Beaton will

be joining Karli Barger in implementing the 2018 curriculum as a new, collaborative staff

approach to CASA of Bell and Coryell’s Pre-Service Volunteer Training.

T

h

a

n

k

y

o

u

!

Read More at These Texas CASA Blogs!

The CASA Voice Inside CASA

Do you want to get your Texas CASA news firsthand but struggle finding the time to keep

informed? Texas CASA knows our volunteers, board members, staff, and supporters are staying

busy fighting the good fight. Here’s where we introduce you to The CASA Voice in a Minute!

With Texas CASA’s new quarterly digest, even the busiest child champions can keep up with all-

things-CASA. The CASA Voice in a Minute is a single email sent to subscribers once every three

months and includes only the most important and relevant stories from previous editions of The

CASA Voice. Click here to take a look at the first edition of The CASA Voice in a Minute. If you

like what you see, you can subscribe here!

Need A Christmas Gift for a CASA Child?

‘Tis the season of giving and local CASA supporters are calling the CASA office to let us know

they are ready to give! CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties is calling on all Advocates to contact

Karli Barger, Recruiter/Trainer, to provide the wish lists for your CASA kids. If you do not yet have

a wish list, please provide the age of your child(ren), clothing size, and any other relevant

information that will help out our CASA elves this holiday season! Know that we have a list of

individuals ready to give to the children you serve, so let’s make sure every CASA child in Bell

and Coryell has a memorable Christmas! You can contact Karli at (254) 831-9880 or at

kbarger.bccasa@outlook.com.

Outreach

Do you want to help spread the mission of CASA in our communities? Would you like to help

connect passionate individuals with a truly worthy cause? If so, CASA is always looking for

volunteers to assist with outreach! We will need a minimum of four (4) CASA volunteers, staff,

board members, and/or Friends of CASA to operate our CASA booth in 1.5-hour shifts for this

years’ Christmas on the Chisholm Trail! Participants will assist in event set-up, break-down, and

sharing the mission of CASA with many of our future volunteers and supporters! If you are

interested in participating in this year’s Christmas on the Chisholm Trail, please contact Karli

Barger by calling (254) 831-9880 or emailing kbarger.bccasa@outlook.com.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2018 | 12 – 7 P.M.

CHRISTMAS ON THE CHISHOLM TRAIL

CITY OF BELTON AND THE

DOWNTOWN BELTON MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION

101 EAST CENTRAL AVENUE

BELTON, TEXAS 76513

PARADE STARTS AT 6:00 P.M.!

Volunteer In-Service Training

One of the many wonderful things about being a Court Appointed Special Advocate is the

opportunity to learn and grow! Advocates maintain 12 hours of in-service training per year in

order to provide informed advocacy to children in Bell and Coryell Counties. Your local CASA

and other organizations in our communities provide many continuing education opportunities

to volunteers and partners with numerous individuals, agencies, and community organizations

to share information on a wide array of topics in the sphere of social work and child advocacy.

There are always more opportunities in the works and Karli Barger, your Recruiter/Trainer, is active

and on it! If you desire to grow in your service to children as a Court Appointed Special

Advocate, your CASA staff always has something for you! Take a look at the new training

opportunities below. There are also several other options you have to receive continuing

education credits in your community or from home. We hope you will join us!

Introducing TBRI® 101: A Self-Guided Course

in Trust-Based Relationships

Provided by Texas CASA

Part I: Understanding Trauma

Part II: Empowering Principles

Part III: Connecting Principles

Click here to access!

CPS Stakeholder Webinar

Provided by the Texas Department of Family

and Protective Services

Medical and Behavioral Health Services

Thursday, November 29, 2018

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. CST

Click here to register!

Other Options for In-Service Training

1. Your CASA office has numerous movies, books, and training videos available for

checkout for all CASA volunteers. Stop by and browse through what we have

available!

2. There are many forums, trainings, and workshops provided throughout our communities

by numerous individuals and organizations that relate to your work as a CASA

volunteer. If you attend an event you believe is relevant to your role as a CASA, you

can receive credit for it!

3. Texas CASA has multiple webinars covering a wide array of topics, all valuable and

worth viewing. You can access these webinars here!

4. Lunches with Judge Van Orden and Judge Mundkowsky always count as in-service

training! Both judges generously make themselves available to CASA volunteers on a

regular basis throughout the year and provide the opportunity to speak one-on-one

with Bell and Coryell CASAs. Each session you attend counts toward your in-service

training! We are scheduling more lunches with Judge Van Orden and Judge

Mundkowsky for 2019, so stay tuned!

In order to receive credit for any in-service training you perform on your own without signing in as a

group, you will need to provide a one-page summary of the material covered. These summaries should

include what you learned and how you believe it will benefit you in serving children in foster care.

Recruitment and Pre-Service Training

New CASA Volunteer Training

Thursday, January 10, 2019| 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. | CASA Office

Do you or does someone you know want to make difference for a child in the foster

care system? If so, visit our website to submit an application or call Recruiter/Trainer

Karli Barger at (254) 831-9880 to receive the complete application packet!

APPLY TO BECOME A CASA HERE!

Do you know someone who has what it takes to speak up for a child? If so, nominate them here!

Time, Time, Time!

Turning in your time sheets each month

allows CASA to receive funding for your

hard work! Your local CASA program

recognizes the incredible work you do and

we want you to be recognized for it!

If you have questions or concerns regarding

completion of your time sheets or how to

submit your documentation, contact your

CASA Supervisor, call (254) 774-1881, or email

casa.bccasa@outlook.com.

Please remember to not use names – only the title of the person, (i.e. teacher, doctor,

CPS worker, supervisor, child, mom, dad, foster mom, foster dad, etc.) to maintain

confidentiality!

Our team of volunteers, board, staff, and communities are beyond

grateful to all of our supporters – and you, our individual donors and

CASA volunteers who continue to stand up for children and support

CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties.