CASA welcomes volunteer coordinator

Southeast Nebraska CASA recently welcomed a new volunteer coordinator for Saline and Gage counties.

Cindy Essam will serve the counties in offices located in Beatrice and Wilber.

The organization was awarded a $64,940 sub-grant through the Nebraska Crime Commission, making it possible to add volunteer coordinators to the program.

The grant was given primarily to provide volunteer advocacy for victims of child abuse and neglect and to expand the program to Gage and Thayer counties. Court Appointed Special Advocate services continue in Seward, Saline and Jefferson counties.

Essam has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in criminal justice and enjoys being able to make a difference. She has two grown children and six grandchildren.

“I love this kind of work,” she said.

Her interest in the field started when she worked at the Omni Group in Beatrice.

“I attended a court hearing with one of the kids and it didn’t go very well. And this lady put her hand on my shoulder and she was his CASA worker,” she said.

Essam felt a connection with the worker.

At that time, CASA was not yet offered in Gage County.

Essam likes to volunteer to help with the annual March Against Child Abuse. At the recent event, she said Southeast Nebraska CASA Director Wess Robotham was the speaker so she talked to him after the event.

Essam went through the CASA volunteer training in the summer of 2015 and was sworn in in September.

“Just from my experience with the little guy I had in Fairbury, just with the short time I’ve been there, I’ve noticed how much the court system does pay attention to CASA. I’m very impressed with the work they do. You really do get to know the kids,” she said. “I guess I just like being a voice for them. Often the kids are scared. They don’t know where they are going. They don’t know what’s going on. It’s just kind of nice to be able to help them.

In the position, Essam will be in charge of finding new volunteers and guiding them through the procedures.

“Our volunteers meet with volunteer coordinator once a month and they provide a monthly support group meeting for all of the volunteers in each county so that they can share obstacles that they are facing and help come up with solutions,” Robotham said.

The coordinator also helps with training new volunteers and ongoing training of current volunteers. Essam will also monitor cases that don’t have a volunteer so that when one becomes available, there will be information ready.

“So we are able to fill them in when they get appointed,” Robotham said.

Essam will be in Gage County (707 Court St., Beatrice) on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and Saline County (inside American Legion Building in Wilber) on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

With CASA only being in its second year in Saline County, Robotham said there is still in need for CASA volunteers.

Part of the grant is also paying for a volunteer coordinator in Seward, a position that has not yet been filled.

Robotham said there are children waiting for CASA volunteers in all five counties.

“In rural Nebraska, it is hard for us to think that child abuse or neglect happens in our backyard, but it does so we are in need of CASA volunteers,” Robotham said.

Robotham said it is important to have more volunteers so that every child has an advocate.

CASA volunteers gather information on the child, the family, and how things are going in the child’s life.

“They facilitate collaboration amongst the other parties involved in the case,” Robotham said.

A CASA reports to the judge on the child’s well-being and make recommendations for what is in the child’s best interest.

To become a CASA volunteer, visit www.southeastnebraskacasa.org/volunteer

Seward County has 13 children and eight families on the waiting list. Saline County has 18 children and 11 families and Gage County has 11 children and six families waiting.