volume 5 the guardian globe -...
TRANSCRIPT
13th Circuit Guardian Ad Litem Program June 2016
Volume 5
The Guardian Globe
I am sure that many of you have heard on the news and read in the
newspaper about the difficulties that Eckerd is having finding place-
ment for some of our kids in the foster care system. I want to thank
each of you for continuing to advocate for our kids and thank you for
attending our recent meeting with Eckerd to discuss this important
issue. During this meeting, Lorita Shirley, Chief Operating Officer of
Eckerd, explained that the number of children coming into the system
is problematic and that there are not enough high-end placements
that can meet the needs of some of our more challenging children who
need a placement. During the month of May, there were 196 children
removed from their homes, which is much higher than normal.
One way that we, as Guardians ad Litem, can help is to assist Eckerd
in identifying particular cases that need assistance. Examples may be
those cases where the child or parents need services and the referral
has not happened; cases where a staffing is needed to discuss the case; cases where it seems as the child is languishing in
the system. We need your help so that we can find kids a permanent home faster! If you have a case that may fit in one of
those categories, please let your CAM know so we may pass on the info and get things done. Right now, we have the benefit
of Eckerd reaching out to the GAL Program to help in identifying these issues and we should take advantage! If you have
any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. I know we are all working hard and are concerned about our
kids. Let’s continue to advocate and help as many children as we can. Thank you for your continued advocacy and your
dedication to our children!
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :
GAL Spotlights 2
Upcoming Events 3
Featured Legal Lesson 4
Anniversaries 4
Team Tibet 5
Meet our Senior CAMs 6
Voices for Children 7
Find us! 7
A Letter From Our Director
13 Points to Ponder from the 13th Circuit “I am for the
child.”
WELCOME NEW GALS!
Congratulations to
our new
Volunteers!
Helen Rogers
Nichole Ryan
Hannah Terry
Joanne Tremont
Shea Lakin
Joie Lopes
Maria McKenzie-Williams
Rada McKinnon
Isaias Mejia
Roberta Mejia
Dana Pate
Priscilla Perez
Mona Remy
Yuliya Babichuk
Mariana Beristain-Mayol
Amnanda Gore
Jordan Howell
Chris Knight
The Guardian Globe Page 2
Juanita “Nita” Serrano has been a Guardian ad Litem for approximately a year and half, and has recently been recommended and agreed to become a Master Guardian ad Litem. Juanita is currently working two separate cases and advocating for 4 children. Juanita also always offers to complete one time visits to children in need. Juanita was born in New Jersey and her family moved to Tampa when she was
a child, so she has grown up in Tampa. Juanita is married with three adult children herself, as well as three fur babies. When not busy advocating for children Juanita enjoys tak-ing pictures. She is a family photographer. She and her husband enjoy going to parks just to take photos and Juanita is currently taking more classes about photography. Juanita also volunteers her time as the Vice President and Director of Paralegal Certification on the Board of Direc-tors for the National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc. On top of all that priceless time advocating and volunteer-ing, Juanita works as a full time civil litigation paralegal with La Cava & Jacobson, P.A. where she works in the area of general casualty insurance defense. Juanita states as a litigation paralegal, her work revolves around deadlines and she works her Guardian ad Litem cases the same way. Juanita is detail oriented and uses her paralegal skills in her Guardian ad Litem cases for research and investigating facts. Juanita advocates strongly for her children by taking the time to ensure she has gathered evidence based facts by collecting every medical, therapeutic, and educational rec-ords needed for the children to ensure they are receiving the
best and safest care while in the system. Juanita suggests that what makes an effective Guardian ad Litem is some-one who is compassionate and not afraid to disagree with others. Her suggestion to other Guardian ad Litem volun-teers is to not be afraid to ask questions. Juanita’s favorite holiday is Christmas, because it is the one holiday where all of her three adult children are home. Christmas time has also been her most favorite moment as a Guardian ad Litem by participating in the Guardian ad Litem Toy Drive and astonishing the chil-dren with surprising Christmas gifts and seeing the spar-kle in their eyes. Juanita is always very generous and tries to bring something small to her children for each holiday. Juanita’s favorite quote matches her lively personality, “Live Well, Love Much, Laugh Often!”. For some people volunteering is about giving, but for people like Juanita, it is a way of living. It is only with the assistance of volunteers such as Juanita that the Guardian ad Litem Program accepts the challenge of en-suring a child has a voice and receives what they need while in the dependency system. ~ Maria Cuevas, Child Advocate Manager
GUARDIAN SPOTLIGHTS
Anita Spofford has been a GAL for approximately 5 years. Anita heard about the GAL Program from a close friend that is a GAL. Anita’s friend was so passionate about it that it sparked Anita’s inter-est. Anita decided to become
a GAL when her children were grown and leaving the nest. This allowed Anita to have the time to fully devote to the GAL Program.
During Anita’s 5 years with the GAL Program, she has advocated for 20 children and is currently the GAL for 11 children spread over 4 cases. Anita generally likes to ac-cept cases that need a lot of work quickly, such as the up front TPR cases because she has the time and flexibility to devote to trials. She also loves to see children be adopted and get a fresh start, when appropriate.
When asked about her favorite part of being a GAL volun-teer, Anita described a recent occurrence that was very touching. Anita received an invitation to the baptism of a little girl that was adopted last year! Anita was very touched that she made such an impact on this family’s life that they wanted to include her on this family’s celebra-tion. Anita further stated that she enjoys receiving Christmas cards and seeing how the kids that she once advocated for are growing in a safe environment. Seeing these pictures makes being a GAL worth-while!
~ Alicia Green, Child Advocate Manager
Page 3
UPCOMING TRAININGS & EVENTS IN SERVICE TRAININGS!!
Tuesday, 7/12, 6-8pm
Early Childhood Court Project
A Family Place,
9391 N Florida Ave, Tampa
GAL Office:
Thursday, 7/14, 6-9pm
JR Bootcamp
Presented by Liza Ricci, Supervising
Attorney
Tuesday, 7/19, 6-8pm
Psychotropic Medication
Presented by Valentina Villalobos, Attorney
Have a suggestion for a training? Let us know!!
Brown Bag Lunch! Come have lunch with some fellow GAL Volunteers to talk
about your cases and mingle. Bring your lunch!
It will be on Friday, 7/15 from 12-1pm at the GAL Office.
RSVP required to [email protected]
June 2016
CALLING ALL TRANSPORTERS!
The GAL Program has received donated tickets
to several events to help provide some free nor-
malcy activities for our kids in foster care.
Please contact your CAM for more info on the
following opportunities:
Glazer Children’s Museum– free admission tick-
ets
10 tickets for Free Admis-
sion to MOSI
2016 Tampa Yankees Tick-
ets (approximately 8 tickets
per game). Visit their web-
site at www.tybaseball.com
for more info. They often
have some great specials!
If you are not an approved GAL transporter, talk to
your CAM today about submitting your application so
SAVE THE DATE!
The Guardian ad Litem Foundation is excited to
host 6 Regional Volunteer Conferences across
the state, presented by Sunshine Health. The
Tampa conference will be in February 2017. Reg-
istration will open soon!! Registration is $25.00
and includes: lunch, breaks, and 6 hours of in-
service training. Details regarding registration to
follow soon. Visit FLGAL.org for a list of topics that
will be presented.
UPCOMING OPTIMA TRAININGS! Wednesday, 7/6: 6:00pm – 8:00pm at the
GAL office (must have computer or laptop)
Tuesday, 7/12: 2:00pm- 4:00pm &
6:00pm – 8:00pm at County IT Building
(505 N. East St, Tampa)
Wednesday, 7/13: 6:00pm – 8:00pm at
the Carrollwood Cultural Center (4537 Low-
ell Rd, Tampa)
Thursday, 7/14: 10:00am– 12:00pm &
6:00pm – 8:00pm at HCC the Regent
(6437 Watson Rd, Riverview, Room 109)
RSVP required to [email protected]
Page 4
One challenge that often pre-
sents itself in the dependency system is
incarcerated parents. While the system
focuses on the rehabilitation of those
parents, the effect, or the toll, of the in-
carceration on the child/children in-
volved is often overlooked. Two and a
half million American students are al-
ready further along the pipeline to prison
than their classmates –simply because
they have a parent who is behind bars.
Studies show parental incarceration can
be more traumatic to children than even
a parent’s death or divorce, and the
damage it can cause to children’s’ edu-
cation, health, and social relationships
puts them at higher risk of one day going
to prison themselves. Yet, often, that
circumstance is a hidden problem, hard
for teachers to track and difficult for chil-
dren and caregivers to discuss.
More than 2.7 million American
children and youths have at least one
parent in federal or state prison, and on-
third of them will reach age 18 while a
parent is behind bars, according to the
National Resource Center on Children
and Families of the Incarcerated, at Rut-
gers University in Camden, N.J.. Parental
incarceration can be safer for a child,
particularly when the parent was impris-
oned for domestic violence or child
abuse. But regardless of why a parent is
behind bars, emerging research suggest
it puts children at high and often invisi-
ble risk, as well as aggravating existing
racial and poverty gaps.
Children of incarcerated parents
have higher rates of attention deficits
than those parents missing because of
death or divorce, and higher rates of
behavioral problems, speech and lan-
guage delays, and other developmental
delays, according to a study published in
the Journal of Health and Social Behav-
ior. In a related study, higher rates of
asthma, obesity, depression and anxiety
were also identified. For education, the
statistics are equally as dramatic: only 1
percent to 2 percent of students with
incarcerated mothers and 13 percent to
25 percent of students with imprisoned
fathers graduate from college, according
to a report from the American Bar Associ-
ation and the White House.
For children who go into foster
care, helping parents stay involved in
their children’s lives and education can
make a big difference in whether those
children succeed. That is not an easy
task for a parent in prison. More than
40 percent of those in federal prison are
kept at least 500 miles from home, and
61 percent of those in state prison are
incarcerated 100 or more miles away,
according to a presentation by Philip M.
Gentry, a professor at Columbia Law
School. Despite the realistic challenges
of facilitating a relationship between the
incarcerated parent and the child/
children, it is vital to a child’s develop-
ment and success as studies show. In
making recommendations to the court
regarding an incarcerated parent’s visita-
tion and/or continued contact, please be
aware that the effects are significant and
long-lasting.
Jennifer Sarmiento, Esq
WORKING WITH INCARCERATED PARENTS
Featured Legal Lesson:
1 Year
Sarah Cauley
Charles Murphy
Holly Vermette
Stacy Appleton
Tia Massey
Louis Rigney
Andrew Arace
Debrah Arace
2 Years
Karen Horii-Stever
Margaret McCleland
Synthia Denis
Esther Auzirus
Renee LaSala
Elizabeth Miller
Jennifer Rodriguez
Peggy Fuhr
3 Years
Kenneth Tedeku
Georgeta Ionescu
Elizabeth Ledee
Ronda Storms
Alexcia Wiggins
Lyn Young
Barbara Warren
4 Years
Lisa Griffin Hodgdon
Monica Epstein
Sheila Moree
Lorraine Sierra
Gracia Sugantharaj
Wilbur Wiggins Jr
Ashley Goodman
Shella Hendricks
Art McNeil
Marilyn Beiser
Seema Sabir
5 Years
Katherine Bazarte
Marsha Kearney
Theresa Penn-Lavery
Paula Kuntz-Long
John Pappas III
Edward Peters
Micah Washinski
Steve Gillespie
Michelle Cloutier
Yasmin Rhodes
Miguel Isasmendi
Marlene Henderson
Sue Griffin
Linda Coomey
6 Years
Evelyn Lopez
Jessica Arthur
Rosemary Cossuto
Julie Anderson
Suzanne Hulls
7 Years
Lavone Henry
Sandra Gay Smith
Julie Seward
Marilyn Exum
8 Years
Sean McSharry
Julie McDaniel
LaShawn Strachan
Edith Jefferies
Niurka Rosario
9 Years
Lorraine Smith
Judy Wolfe
Kari Neller
11 Years
Sandra Show
Kelleigh Ambs
Kathryn St. Clair
22 Years
Shayla Sumner
These Guardians cele-
brate their anniversaries
with the GAL Program in
June:
Page 5
It's hard to believe that Team Tibet has been on
the job for 2 ½ years! A lot has happened in that
time! We have learned a lot along the way and
we've made a lot of friends all across our system
of care. Tibet has served primarily the children of
the Dependency court system - both at the court-
house and at Mary Lee's House. We are proud to
serve alongside such very caring and dedicated
professionals! Most recently, we are being consid-
ered for more work in our criminal courts for those
cases that originated in dependency. I am excited
about the idea of being able to provide continuity
of care to these victims.
Just a few reminders:
For dependency cases:
1) You can contact Brenda via email at [email protected] to request
Tibet's services. You may also text Brenda at 813-545-5882. Tibet may be re-
quested for a child attending a status hearing, providing in camera testimony,
closed circuit testimony, and on the stand testimony. In addition, any child undergo-
ing a forensic medical examination, sexual assault examination, or deposition may
benefit from Tibet’s services.
2) Please find out before requesting services if the child on your case likes
dogs. Please also find out if there are any allergies. A child may feel ambivalent
about dogs - and then usually Tibet wins them over, so we are open to meeting a
child who may be less than enthusiastic but open to the idea.
3) Only in very limited circumstances will Tibet go to a home. It must be a situation in which we can't meet with the
child any other way or a trial prep situation. In these instances, the homeowner has to agree to Tibet coming to the home, and
any pets that exist in the home must be locked up prior to Tibet's arrival and for the duration of her stay.
4) For trials when Tibet assists a child in closed circuit testimony: Please send the signed order for Tibet's involve-
ment to Brenda. The Child Advocacy Center will not permit us to be involved without the order. When writing orders about the
use of Tibet in a closed circuit testimony please include Brenda's presence in the room. Please refer to Tibet as a "facility
dog" (vs. "service, therapy, comfort") and please refer to Brenda as a "handler" (vs. trainer). It may seem like splitting hairs but
these terms matter. Your GAL attorney will take care of this for you, but be sure to ask!
For cases going to criminal court:
The folks at the State Attorney's Office want to know that Tibet has previously met a child and formed a bond prior to using her
in their procedures. If you desire Tibet to assist your child for any interviews at the SAO, please work with Brenda to have Ti-
bet work with the child at court, if possible, or at the very least facilitate a meet and greet with Tibet. Increasingly, we are con-
ducting these at Home Depots around Tampa - I usually try to accommodate the caregiver and meet them at the Home Depot
closest to their home. We can be creative - contact Brenda to brainstorm on how to best accomplish this.
Final thoughts:
Tibet was brought here as a tool for trauma-informed care. Trauma informed care is a multi-faceted notion that includes the
use of many tools. Tibet is just one tool. I have been struck by the number of GAL volunteers who say to me, "does this really
work? Does she really help the kids?". Being a first row witness to her incredible impact and the author of many short vi-
gnettes about her work, I'm astounded that there would be any doubt about
this. I have been making myself a student of the neurophysiology of trauma. I
am looking forward in the months to offering some of this amazing information
to our staff and volunteers. I promise I will keep it interesting and relevant!
~Submission by Brenda Kocher, GAL Volunteer and Tibet’s handler
T E A M T I B E T
Wayne Coleman is one
of the Senior CAMs in
the office and has been
with the GAL Program
for 25 years! Wayne is
the third of four children
born and raised in Taun-
ton, Massachusetts. Short-
ly after graduating from SMU (No, not Southern Method-
ist University) formally Southeastern Massachusetts
University –now University of Massachusetts, Dart-
mouth, with a Bachelors of Art degree in Psychology, he
moved to Tampa. Wayne has now resided in Florida for
35 years! He will be married to his lovely wife, Olympia,
for 30 years in November and has two great sons, Will -
25 and Alex -22. Prior to working with the GAL pro-
gram, Wayne worked with developmentally delayed
adults in a residential facility for several years. He has
been fortunate enough to have primarily worked in the
Social Services field, because he has always felt the
need to help people. Wayne states that he has thor-
oughly enjoyed advocating for our children and support-
ing the GAL volunteers over the years and if he were to
be given a second chance on life, he doesn’t think that
there is much that he would change.
Kim Cunningham is a
Senior CAM and has
been with the GAL
Program since August
2008. Kim supervises 5
CAMs and also a team of
volunteers. Kim was
born in Cincinnati, gradu-
ated from high school in
Maryland and received her bachelors degree from the
University of Central Oklahoma. Kim moved to Florida
in 1996. Kim has worked for social service agencies
since 1990 and has been a worker in both Oklahoma
and here in Florida. Kim has been an adoption/foster
care supervisor for DCF and an Independent Living Co-
ordinator for a CBC agency. Kim was married for 32
years before becoming a widow and has two sons and
their spouses that live in Florida as well as a daughter
and her spouse that live in Oklahoma. Kim has 6 grand-
children-four boys and two girls. Kim enjoys travelling,
reading and hanging out with family and friends.
Marymarie King is a
Senior CAM and has
been with the GAL
Program since June
2007. She is originally
from Wyoming (hence
the picture of the Teton
Mountains in her of-
fice!) and relocated to
Florida in 2005. She has been married to her husband,
Matt, for 11 years, and has two beautiful daughters,
Elliana (5) and Kyla (1). When Marymarie is not work-
ing, she spends most of our time by the pool in the
summer and enjoys going to the zoo, Busch Gardens,
and taking weekend trips away.
Marymarie began with the program as a volunteer and
briefly worked for Hillsborough Kids, Inc. She currently
supervises 5 CAMs, including the Adoption Team, and
works directly with about 15 fabulous volun-
teers! Recently, Marymarie has been involved in the
Early Childhood Court (Baby Court) Project, and is excit-
ed to see the pilot grow in Hillsborough Coun-
ty. Marymarie states that she truly loves working for
the Program, because we help make life-changing dif-
ferences for the children we work with. She considers
herself very lucky to have extremely dedicated CAMs on
her team, as well as some of the best volunteers!
Angie Green is a Sen-
ior CAM and has been
with the program
since August 2000. Angie was born the third
of four children to now a
retired educator
(mother) and retired
government employee
(father). Angie states that she and her siblings were
reared in a Christian home and environment with an
understanding that we had to live above the considered
norm. Education was firmly pushed; not if education
would be pursued after high school but where
you wanted to go. Angie’s parents afforded them all to
attend private college or universities of their choosing
and that privilege is very appreciated and understood
today. Shortly after college, Angie married and recent-
ly celebrated 30 years of marriage. Angie has been
blessed with 2 magnificent children Alicia and Andrew
and could not be prouder. Angie has a 3 year old grand-
son, Jeremiah, and a granddaughter (Jackson Mariah)
who is expected to arrive soon. God has been good to
me and my family as I approach 1 year of being cancer
free! Life is good!!
Tammy Miller is a Sen-
ior CAM and has been
with the Hillsborough
County GAL Program
since July 2014. She
has been in the social
services field since 1994
when she was an Ameri-
corps volunteer with the
North Carolina Low Income Housing Coalition. She at-
tended NC State University and graduated from Mount
Olive College in 2001 with a BS in criminal justice and
an MS in criminology from Florida State University in
2003. Tammy began her Guardian ad Litem career in
Panama City and then moved to Jacksonville to be-
come a child protective investigator. She took a hiatus
from social services to teach college courses for two
years before returning to the field in the Tampa Guardi-
an Ad Litem program as a CAM since July of 2014 and
the Trainer since May of 2015. Her significant other,
John, lives in Jacksonville and serves as the DCF Com-
munications Director for northeast Florida. She is an
avid animal lover and currently has two dogs Callie and
Zoey.
www.facebook.com/GALTampa
FIND
US
www.galtampa.org
https://twitter.com/galtampa
By the end of July, Voices for Children will be sending
each of our volunteers a short survey to gage our volun-
teers’ understanding of the support that Voices for Chil-
dren provides to the Guardian ad Litem Program. The
survey will help Voices in understanding more about
our volunteers’ perceptions of our non-profit partner.
Please complete the survey to help Voices for Children!
Are you a Tampa Bay Bucca-
neers fan? If so, you will find
our ad in the upcoming Bucs
Annual Yearbooks! The ad to
the side will be in every Bucs
yearbook printed and will also
be on the electronic version on
their website. You may pur-
chase a Bucs yearbook at the
stadium, but they will also be
distributed to all advertisers in
the yearbook. Complimentary copies are provided to all
season ticket holders, the dedicated fans who sit in a box
or suite, and all corporate sponsors of the team. We are
excited about the potential to raise awareness about the
need for more GAL Volunteers to advocate for the rapid
number of children joining the dependency system every
day.