About - CASA of North Sand Mountain

together we will

The mission of CASA of North Sand Mountain is to be the voice for children who have been victims of abuse and/or neglect. Our Vision is to serve every child in Jackson County and Dekalb County by providing them with a caring and competent trained volunteer.

CASA of North Sand Mountain

Court Appointed Special Advocates of North Sand Mountain will provide abused, neglected or abandoned children with a highly trained volunteer to advocate for the child’s best interest before family courts in the counties of Jackson and Dekalb in the State of Alabama. Our volunteers will be recruited, screened and trained by paid staff. Our staff and volunteers will then work in conjunction with the judges, lawyers, and social workers to help ensure children receive appropriate care and support while navigating the court, child welfare, and foster care systems.

Volunteer training and
continuing education

Public awareness
efforts

Legislative and
governmental advocacy

CASA of North Sand Mountain serves 2 of 21 counties in the state of Alabama that assist abused and neglected children in their communities.

You can help Change A Child’s Story by volunteering with CASA of North Sand Mountain

GET INVOLVED

History

1977

In 1977, Judge David Soukup, a Seattle juvenile court judge, was concerned that there was too little information available to base life-changing decisions about the safety, permanency and well-being of children. To address this problem, he conceived the idea of citizen volunteers speaking up for the best interests of abused and neglected children in the courtroom. A CASA pilot program was formed to recruit and train community volunteers based on Judge Soukup’s idea.

1982

In 1982, the national CASA Association was established to direct CASA’s emerging national presence. From that first program has grown a network of nearly 1,000 CASA and guardian ad litem programs that are recruiting, training and supporting volunteers in 49 states and the District of Columbia. Read more about the history of the CASA movement.

CASA History »

1993–1997

On September 24, 1993, representatives from the then three local CASA programs (Jefferson, Madison, and Shelby) met and voted to establish a formal Alabama State CASA Network. As a result, the Alabama CASA Network, Inc. was incorporated in 1997.

2019

CASA of North Sand Mountain was originally a part of CASA of Northeast Region CASA. As we grew quickly and began to expand to serve children in more counties, there became a need for a second program. In 2019, CASA of North Sand Mountain was established.

Today

Today, CASA of North Sand Mountain supports 17 volunteers and serves 86 children in Jackson and Dekalb County.

Leadership

Board of Directors

Board President
Jonathan Phillips
CASA Volunteer

Vice-President
Sarah Chamlee
LPN Alabama Nurse Manager,
Achieve Home Nursing Services
& CASA Volunteer Advocate

Secretary
Jessica Townsel
Alabama Cooperative Extension System
& CASA Volunteer Advocate

Treasurer
Brandi Clayton
Town Clerk/Magistrate – Town of Fyffe, AL

Member/Fundraising Committee
Amanda Phillips
Director, Dekalb Ability Developmental Services
& CASA Volunteer Advocate

Member/Fundraising Committee
Beverly Annette Little
Business Owner at Double L Farms and Poultry
& CASA Volunteer Advocate

Member
Chris Burgess
Operations Leader at ATI Metals
& CASA Volunteer Advocate

Staff

Executive Director
Kelly Klein

Kelly Klein is the Executive Director of CASA of North Sand Mountain, a member of the Alabama CASA Network and the National CASA Association. Kelly has a degree in psychology, human services as well as family and children services. Kelly first began her journey with the Alabama CASA program as a CASA volunteer in the county she resides. She is mother to seven children, four of which were adopted through foster care and a proud grandmother to one. Through her experiences as a foster parent, she was driven to advocate for children in foster care to give other children a voice, ensure they achieve permanency and to provide a positive, stable influence.

To contact her, please email kelly@alabamacasa.org or call 205-478-8389

Advocate Coordinator
Cia Dempsey

Cia Dempsey is our Advocate Coordinator for our North Sand Mountain program. She has been with our program since the beginning of 2018. She is passionate about finding a safe and permanent home for abused and neglected children. She has a degree in Criminal Justice, and a background in Early Childhood Development. She serves on the board for The Jackson County Children’s Advocacy Center and is a member of Kiwanis. She is married and blessed with six children and two grandchildren.

To contact her, please email cdempsey@alabamacasa.org or call 205-478-8389