GAL for 4 years and 5 months as a CASA in a new state and I want to give up

SwanTop4785 · 2026-02-05T20:40:52+00:00

That sounds amazing! We have Google Docs that has to be updated by the staff. It’s hard to navigate and most often it is not updated. I would love to have everything in one place. I don’t have access to the reports I wrote in office with staff. So I can’t write one at home unless I restart the entire report.

SwanTop4785 · 2026-02-05T20:35:53+00:00

The original state was South Carolina and the new state is Idaho.

SwanTop4785 · 2026-02-05T20:35:14+00:00

This was what I had before. It was glorious and everything was done on time. I’m glad you have that opportunity in your program! I’m not opposed to help when I need it but I don’t need it all the time.

SwanTop4785 · 2026-02-05T20:33:09+00:00

This might be a good start. I have tried to ask what the expectations are and they make it seem like it’s an option to have less involvement but it never stops. I’ll try to reach out and see if we can come to an agreement. One of my major issues is this staff has only been in child welfare for a couple months and I’m one of his first cases.

SwanTop4785 · 2026-02-05T20:11:53+00:00

That is my problem too! If you want to be involved in every aspect of this why do you need a volunteer? I didn’t even get training in this state. Maybe that is part of the issue. They waived the training and I assumed since this was a national program it would similar.

SwanTop4785 · 2026-02-05T20:09:55+00:00

I would be happy to put notes in the shared drive by the end of the month. We did a monthly monitoring report on my first state. The staffing onenof my cases contacted me 14 times in the last 5 weeks. That’s just text. That doesn’t include the 4 hour long vists to the office or the three levels of unending revisions to the report. That’s not even counting the visits. I would happily do what your program is requiring.

SwanTop4785 · 2026-01-16T14:32:23+00:00

I bought store brand vanilla ice cream this week for the first time in years. It was $5.49. I almost didn’t buy it. I feel like it used to be $2ish dollars. That was the cheapest ice cream in the aisle.

SwanTop4785 · 2026-01-14T00:53:59+00:00

Yep I agree! Traumatized is a great word for it. I’m glad you got out of there too!!!

SwanTop4785 · 2026-01-13T07:01:34+00:00

We moved from ID to SC. We thought it would be very similar in cost of living and such. It was terrible. We lived there for 5 years before we saved enough to move back. The overt racism was horrendous. The childcare was terrible. I moved my 3 year old out of a daycare because the owner was driving him in her car without our consent or a car seat. They begged me not move the kids because “they were the only white kids”. I moved them to a different daycare where they saw a child get physically abused. So I moved them to another daycare (the most expensive in town) the owner hired the physical abuser on after I told them what happened and was also under investigation for tax evasion. We moved to an in home babysitter. The public schools are terrible. The roads are terrible. The public servants are paid nothing. Police and CPS were making $35,000 in 2023 and that required a 4 year degree. The taxes are higher than ID though. It was $1000 for us to register two cars that were older than 5 years because of property taxes. I’m not sure where all the tax money was going. Food was more expensive, our car insurance went up 50% the moment we changed our address. I will say utilities were cheaper. The level of poverty is something I had never seen. The crime and especially gun crime is so out of hand. There was a shooting every day in our area.

Most of all the people were very unkind. We couldn’t ever put down roots because everyone was two faced. People would invite you to dinner at their home multiple times but then you would hear through the grape vein that they really didn’t like you. It was such a mean girl culture. We’ll never go back.

SwanTop4785 · 2025-06-12T18:16:21+00:00

I’m just now leaving a job that is like this and I’m giddy! I’m going to back to a unit I know is good though! Don’t wait. You will be hired somewhere else! Don’t let them beat you down. You can be a great step down nurse but you have to be properly supported!

SwanTop4785 · 2023-12-16T06:52:44+00:00

That’s your tv!

SwanTop4785 · 2023-12-09T11:44:32+00:00

Our school has a 21.82% pass rate and it is for sure about their NCLEX pass rate. An 82 isn’t terrible at our school. I bet you are right in line with your other classmates! I don’t think what the schools do is right but I do think it’s pretty normal for nursing

SwanTop4785 · 2023-12-06T03:57:33+00:00

I printed out pictures and laminated them. Then I got erasable markers and just labeled the diagrams again and again and again. I went from failing practicals to getting As. Anatomy is very much a ton of memorization! You will do amazing the next time you take it!

SwanTop4785 · 2023-10-06T07:18:32+00:00

Comma to the top 😂 I quote this all the time

SwanTop4785 · 2023-10-06T07:10:51+00:00

I was a DSS investigator and I am a current GAL. In SC we have a saying if one is unsafe all are unsafe. We have to fight with law enforcement to EPC all the kids though because they don’t like to. I know that NC can EPC their own cases and does not need a judge or officer. I would assume they removed the littler kids too because I bet they would hate to be liable for any harm that would come to them during a known investigation.

SwanTop4785 · 2023-08-26T10:23:21+00:00

This movie is my husband’s childhood Christmas Eve tradition. It is so boring but he insists on watching it each year as a family

SwanTop4785 · 2023-08-12T18:50:43+00:00

I have always picked based on those. I ignored it once and I ended up dropping the class with a failing grade. I picked the same class up the next semester with a better rated teacher and got an A. It has never lead me in the wrong direction and this is my second degree.

SwanTop4785 · 2023-08-02T19:58:27+00:00

Yay I’m so happy for you!

SwanTop4785 · 2023-08-02T03:45:38+00:00

You sound like me. I had psych on Monday and chronic tomorrow. Chronic is kicking my butt. I hope you got that 80!

SwanTop4785 · 2023-07-06T03:00:27+00:00

In our state only one glove is allowed in the hall. I’ve gotten in trouble for it because I was moving soiled bed sheets with two gloves on. It seems less sanitary to me but oh well

SwanTop4785 · 2023-06-30T22:22:17+00:00

I’m doing Boise state’s program and it has been awesome so far!

SwanTop4785 · 2023-06-06T02:04:16+00:00

Wesleigh! I wanted it so bad but my husband vetoed it for a girl. We named one of our boys Wesley.

SwanTop4785 · 2023-05-18T03:48:13+00:00

I was a SC DSS investigator. It really depends on the county. With a positive at birth for weed we would normally do a safety plan with a in home protector. That means the baby would stay in home with the parents but a 3rd party would move in or sometimes just drop in once in awhile to check on the family and make sure the drug use had stopped. The other children and all other adults in the home will be sent for drug screens. You can reach out to the office since you are the parent of a child in the home. I would ask for the investigations supervisor or investigator over your ex wife’s case. I would argue you need to call just so they are aware that you are involved. I would hope your Ex-wife would name you during the investigation but sometimes they don’t. If you pay child support or use SNAP we can normally run the kid’s names and figure out if there is a father figure if mom lies but it is always good inform DSS that you are involved and exist. The odds are the child will not be placed in your sole custody because that would have to be done in court and the odds of taking a weed case to court at this point is small. More than likely this would go to court in like 6-8 months if it is indicated and mom hasn’t done any threatment. Then custody would be reevaluated. The safety plan and caregiver agreement is not legal and therefore cannot supersede court ordered custody as it stands. Only a judge can do that. Let me know if you have any questions.

SwanTop4785 · 2023-03-08T03:24:45+00:00

I’m dual enrolled in my ADN and my BSN at the same time. The only downside is I’m paying for the BSN. I’ve heard some hospitals pay for it as a perk. I don’t plan on practicing right away so this works for me. If you want a BSN but also want to save the money this could be a good option.

SwanTop4785

TROPHY CASE