Casa Of Rochester-Monroe County Inc

TO ADVOCATE FOR CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN ABUSED AND/OR NEGLECTED.

COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES (CASA) OF ROCHESTER/MONROE COUNTY IS A PRIVATE, NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT TRAINS AND SUPERVISES A DIVERSE GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS TO ADVOCATE FOR THE BEST INTERESTS OF CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED AND ABUSED. THESE CHILDREN HAVE BEEN REMOVED OR ARE AT RISK OF BEING REMOVED FROM THEIR HOMES. CASA'S GOAL IS THAT ALL CHILDREN HAVE A SAFE PERMANENT HOME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. FAMILY COURT JUDGES ASSIGN A CASA VOLUNTEER TO WORK ON BEHALF OF A CHILD AND FAMILY. VOLUNTEERS ARE TRAINED TO ADVOCATE FOR THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE ASSIGNED CHILDREN, AND FREQUENTLY FACILITATE ACCESS TO ADDITIONAL SERVICES FOR THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES. CASAS ALSO REPORT BACK TO THE COURT AND ALL PARTIES INFORMATION GATHERED ON THE FAMILIES, IDENTIFYING BARRIERS AND OPPORTUNITIES. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)AS ADVOCATES, CASAS STRONGLY RECOMMEND THE PRIORITIZATION OF RESOURCES FOR THESE VULNERABLE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES TO PROMOTE AN EQUITABLE OUTCOME.CASA IS A SINGLE PROGRAM AND PART OF THE NATIONAL CASA MODEL, MEETING ALL STANDARDS. OUR CASES ARE ASSIGNED BY THE SEVEN SITTING FAMILY COURT JUDGES AND IN THE 2021-22 YEAR WE HAVE BEGUN TO REBUILD THE CASELOAD WE HAD EXPERIENCED PRE-PANDEMIC. THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR WE SERVED 149 CHILDREN (75% OF PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS) IN 68 FAMILIES WITH 43 ACTIVE AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR. ADDITIONALLY THERE ARE NON-ADVOCATE VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTING THEIR TIME AND TALENTS SERVING ON OUR BOARD, COMMITTEES, AND AT EVENTS FOR A TOTAL OF 54 VOLUNTEERS.THE ADVOCACY WORK WE DO WHILE THE CASE IS OPEN HAS A SUBSTANTIAL IMPACT ON THE CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES. ABOUT 71% OF THE FAMILIES SERVED BY CASA OF ROCHESTER/MONROE COUNTY ARE ULTIMATELY REUNIFIED, AND LESS THAN 1% OF THEIR CLOSED CASES NEED TO BE REOPENED. IN 2021, NO CLOSED CASES WERE REOPENED; IN 2022, TWO HAVE BEEN REOPENED TO DATE. IN BOTH OF THOSE CASES, CASA HAD EXPRESSED CONCERN TO THE COURT THAT THE CLOSING WAS PRECIPITOUS. SOME KEY NYS CASA OUTCOMES, WHICH ENCOMPASS THOSE OF MONROE COUNTY, INCLUDE:- 95% OF CHILDREN RECEIVED ONE OR MORE SERVICES ADVOCATED FOR BY CASA- 97% HAD THEIR MEDICAL NEEDS MET, INCLUDING 93% FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES- 92% OF CHILDREN WHO WERE IN NEED OF AN IEP OR 504 PLAN RECEIVED THE NECESSARY SERVICES OR PARTIES WERE NOTIFIED- 94% ATTENDED SCHOOL AT LEAST 90% OF THE TIME OR OBSTACLES WERE IDENTIFIED/PARTIES NOTIFIEDTHIS PROGRAM IS SUPPORTED BY CONTRIBUTIONS.