CASA Leader Named Director of the Year

March 5, 2013 - PRLog -- The National CASA Association announced this week that local community leader, Ann Marie Binsner of Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)/Prince George’s County will receive the 2013 Kappa Alpha Theta CASA Program Director of the Year award. Selected from over 900 program directors, Binsner is being recognized for her outstanding contributions to our community. According to the National CASA Association, the Program Director of the Year is selected based on “outstanding leadership qualities resulting in the enhanced quality of a program’s advocacy”. The awardee must have taken significant action to establish or expand the program. According to Theresa Carleton, Communications Associate for the National CASA Association who has worked with the awards committee for over 10 years, Binsner is “most deserving.” The award will be presented next month at the National CASA Association’s annual conference in Anaheim, CA.

CASA, a non-profit that trains community volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children in foster care, began operations in Prince George’s County in 2001 and Binsner has been the Executive Director since the program first started. Those who work with her site Binsner’s energy and dedication to CASA’s mission as a driving force behind the success the program has enjoyed. She has brought together a dynamic staff that is a recognized partner in the child welfare community. She has forged relationships with the Prince George’s County Juvenile Court, the Department of Social Services (DSS), and Legal Aid, entities responsible for children and families involved in foster care.

As Director of the Prince George’s County Department of Social Services, Gloria Brown has worked with Binsner on a variety of initiatives for the children and youth in care. Brown says of Binsner, that she “continues to demonstrate outstanding leadership and teamwork qualities and we greatly appreciate her talents, invaluable support and care for the residents and youth of this County.”

Binsner also serves on the Steering Committee of the Prince George's County Model Court which brings together various service providers to improve the services the Court provides to children and families. Judge Martin, Associate Judge for the Prince George’s County Juvenile Court, invited Binsner to serve on the Steering Committee due to her effective leadership of the CASA program. “The spirit of Ms. Binsner comes through in the work of CASA supervisors and volunteers,” says Martin. “Ms. Binsner has trained a cadre of supervisors and volunteers who thrive at every opportunity to recommend to the Court what is in the best path to achieve stability and permanency for each youth for whom they advocate.”

In just under 12 years, the CASA program has grown from one Director serving a handful of children to a staff of 6, serving more than 150 children. Binsner has tirelessly advocated for the best interests of abused and neglected children and built a program that is poised to grow until every child in need is assigned a CASA. Binsner is a stunning example of both an efficient manager and passionate advocate who has woven together fiscal responsibility, best practices, bridge-building and awareness-raising to launch the next decade as a period
of tremendous growth and improvement for the welfare of Prince George’s County’s foster care population.

About CASA/Prince George’s County:
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)/Prince George's County is a volunteer-based organization that partners with the juvenile court to improve the lives of children living in foster care who have suffered from abuse and neglect. With a strong commitment to diversity, CASA trains and supervises volunteers from the community who advocate for the best interest of children, recognizing and respecting each child's individual needs. By providing a voice to children in the foster care system, CASA’s goal is to help children and promote the timely placement of those we serve in safe, permanent homes.

To volunteer with CASA, call 301-209-0491 or go to www.pgcasa.org.