Session 7: The Amarillo Case

Facilitator: Helen-Marie Robertson, Advocate Supervisor hrobertson@casabaltco.org

Please complete the following steps in the order they appear. Reflection questions must be submitted through the form below by 12 PM the day of the session.

Watch and complete the Foundational Course here.
Review the following:
1. Glossary of Terms
2. Writing Effective Court Report Recommendations
Review the following Amarillo Case Materials:
Watch the following videos (in order):
Complete the questions in Session 5 Reflection.

Please complete and submit the following by 12 PM the day of the session.

Session 4: Amarillo Reflection

Name

First

Last

“Saving Kids – Children of Addicts” Reflection Questions

1. What was going through your mind as you listened to the stories of the siblings impacted by their mother’s substance use disorder? How did you feel about the mother?

2. Did anything change for you the way you think about people impacted by addiction? Why or why not?

3. After watching the video and thinking about your role as a volunteer, what challenges might you have balancing the children’s best interests with their mother’s addiction?

4. If you were the CASA/GAL volunteer in this case, what concerns would you have regarding these children and potentially reunifying with their mother?

5. Unlike what happened in this video to the mother, most addicts don’t have that one dramatic experience that “scares them straight.” It’s often a difficult journey to sobriety with peaks and valleys. What concerns would you have supporting a child of a parent who struggles with addiction? What additional information would you want to have at your disposal to inform your recommendations to the court?

“Why We Stayed” Reflection Questions

1. What was going through your mind as you listened to the stories told by these survivors of domestic violence?

2. Did anything change for you the way you think about victims of survivors? Why or why not?

3. After watching the video and thinking about the Amarillo case from your case note review, how do you think the domestic violence allegations were handled for this case? Would you have done anything differently? Why or why not?

4. How do you think hearing these stories and reading the information about domestic violence might influence your volunteer advocacy?

5. What else do you want to learn about this topic or concerns that you have, as it regards your participation as a CASA/GAL volunteer?

“The Invisibles” Reflection Questions

1. After watching “The invisibles” video and learning about Joshua’s history and experience, what would you say contributed to his positive outcomes? What concerns do you have for Joshua’s future and what things could you do if you were Joshua’s volunteer to support his transition to adulthood?

2. In thinking about older youth like Maria Amarillo who is in danger of aging out of foster care without permanency what types of services and supports would you recommend for older youth (16 and older)?

3. Many older youth aging out of foster care or who have aged out of foster care, reconnect with family and parents who they might have been “removed” from due to abuse and neglect. Knowing this might be the case for an older youth you are assigned to, what sorts of concerns do you have and how might you address them?

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