Advocate Impact: Linda Wilson

August Story of Hope

Written By: Linda's Advocate Supervisor

This Story of Hope is to highlight the amazing advocacy of Linda Wilson. Linda became a volunteer in February of 2018. She was eager to sign onto her first case, any case, her only request was to be put on a case that could benefit from having a Spanish speaking advocate. I just so happened to come across Mark’s case.

Mark age 9, had been removed from his Mom because of drug use and his Dad hadn’t been around in years. Before his removal, Mark and his Mom only spoke English in their home. After he was removed, Mark was placed with his Paternal Grandmother, who spoke very little English, so communication was a bit rocky in the beginning. This barrier also complicated his Grandmother’s understanding of the system and rules that came with being placement.

Linda noticed quickly that there could be a placement problem due to lack of communication and understanding between CPS and Mark's Grandmother. She was there to clarify any misunderstandings Grandma had, and even referred her to a new program called Grandparents raising Grandchildren, something that became an excellent resource for Grandma.

Linda also noted that Mark hadn’t experienced a lot of things most 9-year old’s have. He hadn’t really been to a park, gone swimming, visited a museum or even the library. She made it a point to take him out to show him a variety of new experiences. Mark’s favorite outing was going to Morgan’s Wonderland when CASA received tickets. Mark had a blast and has a newfound love with the water and swimming.

Linda spent her time on the case not only advocating for permanency, but she also helped to prevent placement breakdown by teaching Mark Spanish.

Throughout the case Mom would not consistently engage in services, which switched the focus from reunification with Mom to reunification with Dad. Dad had never really had a relationship with his son and combined with the fact that he only spoke Spanish it made it harder for Father and Son to bond initially. As a result, Linda spent her time on the case not only advocating for permanency, but she also helped to prevent placement breakdown by teaching Mark Spanish. This helped him feel confident in communicating his everyday needs to Grandma while his parents had the opportunity to focus on their services. The Spanish lessons also helped make him more comfortable with building a bond with his Father.

In the end the Mother was not able to complete her service plan and her rights were terminated. Mark was reunified with his Father and he is doing very well. Thankfully, Mark had Linda by his side to advocate for him the entire way. She made sure he was always with family and comfortable in his home. She also took him to the library to improve his reading skills and introduced him to things that he may have never experienced without his CASA. Linda went above and beyond to help Mark maintain a stable placement during his time in foster care. She also helped to bridge a communication gap to ensure that his story had a happy ending.