Review of Court, Trials, and Volunteers

Court Testimony and Preparation

• Volunteers don't need to be perfect when testifying; attorneys will guide them back on track if they miss something.
• Volunteers meet with the attorney before trials or evidentiary hearings to discuss the questions they'll be asked.
• The attorney may provide a list of questions in advance, making it similar to an open-book test.
• Attorneys can also provide insight into what opposing attorneys might ask.

Class 4 Overview

• The class will focus on the report writing process for court.
• The discussion will cover court-related topics tangentially.

Organization Tips

• Physical Binders:
  • One volunteer organized case files using physical binders with labeled tabs for each child.
  • Tabs could be divided by category (e.g., "medical").
• Electronic Folders:
  • Create folders on your computer or within your email to save relevant documents.
• Flowchart/Road Map:
  • Use a flowchart as a road map to understand the sequence of events in a case.
  • Remember that the judicial reviews section of the flowchart may be extensive.
• Judicial Review Report Template:
  • Review the template for the judicial review report to anticipate what information you'll need to gather.
  • For example, note the section on parental visits and plan to observe these visits or document their absence.
• Staffing Preparation:
  • Before a staffing, outline the case, noting the child's needs and the services they are receiving.
  • Review the case plan to remind yourself of the parents' agreed-upon responsibilities.
• Email Management:
  • Create folders to organize emails, even if the content doesn't seem immediately relevant.
  • Future cases may require referencing information about topics like IEPs or child advocacy.
• Timeline Creation:
  • Working on getting at least that much of the timeline in mind, and then the rest of it on paper.

Trial Preparation

• Example timeline:
  • 7th: Father was with the child on the night of.
  • 8th: Father took the child to see the pediatrician in Tampa General.
  • 9th: Child was removed.
  • 10th: Shelter hearing took place.

Organizing and Remembering Case Details

• It's important to organize case information and regularly refresh your memory.
• Example: Preparing for a judicial review involves contacting the therapist to gather specific information about therapy sessions.

Video Presentation

• A video series explores the experiences of children in the system.
• The presentation will focus on a portion of the first video in the series.
• The videos aim to provide insight into the challenges faced by children in care.

Understanding Children's Experiences

• Children's past experiences shape who they are.
• Even after entering a safe environment (playing with toys, eating dinner) the effects of prior trauma remain.
• Healing adverse childhood experiences is possible through positive childhood experiences.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

• Exposure to ACEs can have lasting effects on a child's well-being.
• Positive experiences can help counteract some of these effects.
• Understanding a child's history is crucial for providing effective support.

Illustration from Video

• In the video, a girl in foster care has a negative reaction when the foster mother offers her a new dress.
• She associates the dress with a previous argument between her mother and boyfriend.
• This illustrates how past experiences can trigger unexpected reactions.

Analogy of the Fern

• A new fern represents new child in the system.
• A fern that has gone through hardship illustrates the impact of a child's experiences.

Case Selection Considerations

• Time Commitment:
  • Assess available time before taking on a case to ensure you can provide adequate support.
  • Consider personal obligations such as work, education, and family responsibilities.
• Caseload Size:
  • It's better to serve one child well than to take on multiple cases without sufficient time.
• Child's Location:
  • Factor in travel time to visit the child, especially if they live far from your location.
• Child's Age:
  • Different age groups may require varying levels of time and attention.
• Number of Children in a Case:
  • A case with multiple children may involve visits to different locations.
• Type of Abuse:
  • It is OK to avoid cases involving types of abuse that you feel you cannot handle emotionally.

Gathering Case Information

• Prioritize Information:
  • Focus on the most important information first.
  • Avoid getting sidetracked by irrelevant details.
• Confidentiality:
  • Maintain confidentiality and do not disclose case details to unauthorized individuals.
• Information Sources:
  • Anyone who knows anything about the child, keeping in mind confidentiality.

Case Blurbs

• Two formats: One with a story in the middle, the other in an outline form.
• CAMs can look up extra information which can include case managements notes.

Case Blurb Example: Cinteria, Silea, and Nathaniel

• Basic Information:
  • Judge division.
  • Date when our office was appointed to represent children is usually the shelter date.
  • Three children: Cinteria (8), Silea (4), and Nathaniel (2).
  • Living with a relative in Brandon.
• Background:
  • Mother has mental health problems and was recently Baker Acted after threatening suicide.
  • Ongoing domestic violence between the mother and boyfriend.
  • Children reported feeling unsafe due to drug use and fighting.
  • Neighbor reported hearing yelling and banging.
  • Mother injure herself in front of the investigator.
• Baker Act:
  • Law that allows individuals who are a threat to themselves or others to be detained for psychiatric evaluation/treatment.
  • Maximum detention period is 72 hours.
• Next Court Date:
  • Always listed at the end of blurb.

Group Discussion: Case Prioritization

• What are the first three things you want to know in this case?

Initial Questions for the Case

• What is the mother's current status, is she receiving treatment?
• Are the children happy with the aunt, is it a stable environment?
• Are the kids getting therapy or treatment?
• Are the children back in school, and enrolled?
• Where are we currently at in the case?

Approaching Relative Caregivers

• How to approach without sounding like the person in charge?
• How to provide information based on your experience or let me check with my team to get an answer for you.
• Ascertain without sounding; it's a delicate balance.

Other Considerations for Relative Caregivers

• Often, have an unrealistic idea of how long this may last.
• Second, relative caregivers don't have backup, support, and education that foster parents have.
• Third, relative caregivers are related to one of the parents, and sometimes they think they know the parent better than you do.
• If the children tells you that they saw the mom on the weekends, notify CAM first.
• CAM will then tell you everything and all the information.

What to do after learning the mom was over on Weekends?

• Tell CAM first.
  • You know what, mom's been over there on weekends.
• CAM should then communicate/collaborate who case manager need to know.
• Does this need to be brought in court?
  • CAM will guide you through it.

Thought Process about the Relative

• Without shining the flashlight or sounding like an interrogator.
• Want to talk about with the aunt, not in front of the children about if she ever called in abuse reports herself for themselves.

Starting the Case

• The first contact you're going to make is whoever the caregiver for the child is.
• When you get your case, you need to get out and see dose children.

Important Documents

• Badge with picture on it.
• Electronic/paper copy of order from judge.
• The notice of acceptance is the one that has your and your CAM and your attorney's name on it, saying that you are specifically the people from our office.
• A release of information for the agency that they're going to for their services.

Case Notes

• It needs to be a note in OPTIMA.
• Give yourself credit for what you do.
• Notate it in the file so that everyone can see what work has been done.
• Trial: opposing attorneys can request our notes.
• Keep track of everything in OPTIMA.
• If you have text or email conversations, you can summarize it.

Home Visits

• You need to see the home, even if it's a licensed foster home.
• You gently explain to the caregiver that, Since this is my first visit here, I need to look around your home some.
• You need to see where they sleep in.
  • Do they have their own bed?
  • Do they have some drawers or closet to put their possessions in?
  • All their clothes are not still like in a big plastic garbage bag sitting in the corner of the room.

Home Environment

• If homes are messy, but need to be clean and safe, then it's okay.
• Relative caregivers don't have to follow exactly the same rules as licensed foster care.
• Touring the home, see where the child sleeps, unannounced visits.
  • Pace management does that too.
• Counting toothbrushes in the bathroom.

Safety Considerations During Visits

• If the home is a bad environment, bring somebody together.
  • Have had volunteers that asked me to come. The mother/father, they would threaten.
  • Pit bulls in the home.
  • Most cases you're not visiting in the home a long time.
• Unpleasant Mothers and case managers.
• If a parent makes a threat, and usually it's not bodily harm, but more of like, get you something.
• You can knock on the door and stand out in the yard.
• Can schedule visit same time as case manager.

Types of Visits to Kids in the System

• Yes, you are able to go to see them at school/daycare.
• However, also need to see environment back at the place where they are staying.
• If a child can have a conversation with you, you need to take that chance to speak with them.
• Remember to always put facts and observations.

School Visits

• The following can be used for school visits.
  • Badge.
  • Driver's License.
  • Paperwork, GAL for a child in school, the teacher's name.

Brain Development and Trauma in Children

• School is preparing children for the rest of their lives.
• Advocating for them to be served as well as possible.
• Kids are coming from trauma that adds to removal.
  • Stress will affect brain development.
• Want safe/stable environments to learn or work with that.
• Trauma includes:
  • Psychologically distressing events.
  • Outside range of normal experiences with fear, terror, helplessness.
  • Does not have to happen directly.
• Brain development
  • First is survival needs.
  • Afterwards is language, processes, and support in learning.
  • Can then learn social and emotional skills.
  • Higher levels of cognition and thinking at last.

Normal Development vs Trauma

• Teen learning cause and effect.
• If not having these abilities in their brains, they cannot do it. Have to come up with ways to help and work around it.
• The following items stay focused on survival.
  • A lot of times anxiety, always seem like they are on alert.
  • Emotional regulation.

Video - Understanding the Impact of Violence on a Child's Brain

• The video from Doctor Jacob Hamm, helps to understand how fighting can affect kids and young people in ways that are not helpful and don't get our kids a good start in life.

Understanding the Brain

• Understanding the two parts of the brain so we can learn that a child is not open to the list.
  • The Survival Brain.
    • That is focusing on danger - fight or flight.
  • Learning Brain.
    • Switch to on. and stay on.
    • Learning new info.
  • Good News - More stress is controlled, easier to be in Learning Brain.
    • Homes, communities and schools make kids feel safe physically, emotionally, mentally, socially.
    • Tuning into kids, emotions, the needs to switch onto and stay switched onto.