Title : The role of the nurse as an advocate for children in the community: The court appointed special advocate (CASA)
Abstract:
Nurses play a pivotal role in advocacy among our children and adolescents in the community, through various collaborations and partnerships. A key gap in the evidence is the collaboration between pediatric nurses and the department of social services, who care for our most vulnerable youth. Advocacy among our foster care youth historically falls to social workers, case managers, child protection workers, but collaboration rarely occurs between the child welfare system and nurses. Having pediatric-focused nurses integrated into this process brings an element that has been missing in the child welfare system. Nurses provide the bridge between the healthcare, child welfare and court systems. This enables nurses to become much more active and integrate the best evidence into care and advocacy, and to mitigate the risks associated with foster care and optimize outcomes. One way to engage in these collaborative efforts is through programs, such as the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA). This key role utilizes pediatric nursing knowledge and expertise of pediatric growth, development, and advocacy skills to support children in foster care in the community. CASAs have extensive training in trauma, communication, collaboration, adaptability, inclusion, and advocacy. At the completion of training, each CASA is sworn in by the County court system.
Audience Take Away:
- Describe the status of children in foster care in the U.S
- Describe the history of the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)
- Discuss the collaborative role of CASA and the unique role of nursing as a child advocate within the community
- Apply advocacy partnership principles that can be applied to various populations nationally and internationally
