2006.10.20: October 20, 2006: Headlines: COS - Colombia: Psychology: Children: Abuse: Press of Atlantic City: As a school psychologist for 17 years, Colombia RPCV Charlotte MacNeice worked with children who had been neglected or abused
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2006.10.20: October 20, 2006: Headlines: COS - Colombia: Psychology: Children: Abuse: Press of Atlantic City: As a school psychologist for 17 years, Colombia RPCV Charlotte MacNeice worked with children who had been neglected or abused
As a school psychologist for 17 years, Colombia RPCV Charlotte MacNeice worked with children who had been neglected or abused
MacNeice encourages others to become Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) volunteers. “There’s a lot that one can do to improve the lives of children who’ve not had much experience with people fighting for their best interests,” she said. “In the Peace Corps, we talked about ‘high risk, high gain’ activities or projects. In CASA, the children and volunteers have a lot to gain; the risk is there won’t be a CASA there to help smooth the way to a better home and life. The ups of being a CASA are exhilarating, and the downs are challenging, but if a person cares about children and wants to help in small but significant ways without judging others, then CASA is the right choice.”
As a school psychologist for 17 years, Colombia RPCV Charlotte MacNeice worked with children who had been neglected or abused
Retiree uses experience to help neglected children
By DEBRA RECH For The Press, (609) 463-6719
Published: Friday, October 20, 2006
As a school psychologist for 17 years, Charlotte MacNeice, of Cologne, Galloway Township, worked with some children who had been neglected or abused.
When she retired and learned about Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASAs, she decided to put that experience to use.
The CASA program, which began nationally in 1986, recruits, trains and supervises community volunteers who advocate for one child or family of children in out-of-home placement. The CASA office in Somers Point recruits volunteers to work with children in Cape May and Atlantic Counties. There are currently 600 children in both counties who need advocates and fewer than 200 CASA volunteers.
CASAs spend time with the child or children they are assigned to, interview others involved and make recommendations regarding the child’s needs to a Family Court judge. Often it means working with the Division of Youth and Family Services, or DYFS, to help children find new homes. The goal is to find safe, permanent homes for the children and provide services to the children if needed.
MacNeice, who retired after working with the Mullica Township School District, was also a bilingual guidance counselor in Camden and has served as an education consultant, ESL teacher, VISTA volunteer in Puerto Rico and Peace Corps volunteer in Colombia.
A year after MacNeice retired, she began looking for a way to use her skills from her former career and help children. She read an article about CASA and signed up immediately.
“I spoke to the CASA staff and was very impressed with the mission of the program and the passion of the staff,” MacNeice said. “The training I received was probably the best I’ve ever had, and I’ve had a zillion hours of in-service training and workshops. I also volunteer for AtlanticCare Hospice, but CASA has given me a special opportunity to use my counseling, Spanish language, educational and special education knowledge in a unique way.”
In the past two years, MacNeice has advocated for five children in two cases. She now helps train new volunteers by speaking about educational advocacy at CASA training sessions.
“In the past two years, I’ve been able to do things and meet people that I never would have met otherwise as a CASA,” MacNeice said. “I’ve gone to several court hearings when my cases were in court, and my court reports seem to have influenced decisions by the judge in court. It’s a great feeling knowing that you can inform others — judges, law guardians, defense attorneys — who make decisions for your child.”
MacNeice had one case for nearly two years and helped another family that has since moved out of state. She tours schools, attends Child Study Team meetings and talks with parents, teachers, guidance counselors, counselors, foster parents and DYFS workers. She says doing CASA work seems natural to her.
“When you work as a psychologist, counselor or teacher, you’re going to meet neglected or abused children — it’s just a given and you may not even be aware of it,” MacNeice said. “My passion for years is to seek justice for those without a voice. It sounds corny, but I feel very deeply about this.”
MacNeice said the hardest part of being a CASA is the slow pace of the agencies involved in the case.
“I find myself impatient when things don’t get done as quickly as I’d like,” MacNeice said. “When children move from one foster home to another or to a different residential placement, their progress is set back. The new staff may not know the child; the child is scared and angry, reluctant to make new friends all over again.
“In my case, I quickly went from excitement and joy to frustration and sadness when my boy’s perfect foster placement didn’t work out and he had to be moved to a residential placement,” she added. “The move was needed as he wasn’t ready for the foster home setting, but the foster parents still care about him and are waiting for him to ‘get his act together’ and perhaps return to them.”
MacNeice encourages others to become CASA volunteers.
“There’s a lot that one can do to improve the lives of children who’ve not had much experience with people fighting for their best interests,” she said. “In the Peace Corps, we talked about ‘high risk, high gain’ activities or projects. In CASA, the children and volunteers have a lot to gain; the risk is there won’t be a CASA there to help smooth the way to a better home and life. The ups of being a CASA are exhilarating, and the downs are challenging, but if a person cares about children and wants to help in small but significant ways without judging others, then CASA is the right choice.”
To e-mail Debra Rech at The Press:
DRech@pressofac.com
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Headlines: October, 2006; COS - Colombia; Psychology; Children
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Story Source: Press of Atlantic City
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Colombia; Psychology; Children; Abuse
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