18 new CASA volunteers sworn in at El Paso County Courthouse this week

Colorado Springs, Colo. (October 6, 2022) – Twelve new Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) and six new Supervised Exchange & Parenting Time (SEPT) facilitators were sworn in as officers of the court at CASA of the Pikes Peak Region’s swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday.

The ceremony took place at the El Paso County Courthouse and was presided over by Fourth Judicial District Judge William Bain. It was the final step taken by these community volunteers after weeks of training which covered topics like trauma, resiliency, poverty, mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence, and the role of the CASA volunteer.

Now, each new advocate will be appointed to an open case Dependency & Neglect by a judge so that they may speak up for a child and ensure that child’s best interest remains front and center during court proceedings. The new SEPT facilitators will now facilitate court-ordered supervised parenting time for children and their non-custodial parents in the CASA Family Center.

Congratulations new advocates Emily Bryngelson, Robert Dalzell, Irene Davis, Karen Delich, Olivia Ferrara, Brittany Guiter, Layla Hernandez, Suzanne Murray, Donald (Jay) Rakes, Sung Kelly, Alison Takkunen, and Russel Vogel; and congratulations new SEPT facilitators Sara Adcock, Shannon Bender, Rene Courtney, Scott Nos, Jean Paul Laurenceau, and Shelly Roberts-Frost.

CASA continues to seek new volunteers to support children in El Paso and Teller counties who are involved in the child welfare system due to abuse, neglect, or severe domestic conflict. The next available volunteer information sessions can be found here: www.casappr.org/volunteer.