Our mission is to help strengthen families and support children, teens and adults impacted by trauma and adversity.

On October 8th, CASA held their "CASA Celebrates" event. We were glad to recognize CASAs for their years of service. Other activities included a wine grab, a raffle, and more! We would like to thank all of our sponsors, donors, and everyone else who supports CASA.

If I had to describe trauma-informed care, I wouldn’t be able to capture it in one word. Trauma-informed care means that we try to think about every possible trigger so that for a little while, we can make things easier for you. For a little while, you don't have to worry about yourself or others around you. We worry for you. We recognize life has been unfair, wrong things have happened and you feel unsafe. Trauma-informed care means giving you that safety, all the way from the bottom to the top of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. 

As you walk into the Canopy Center, the smell of cookies and popcorn reaches you. A glass of lemonade is offered to you, and smiles that feel like a hug envelop you as you head into your therapist's office. But what if you don’t have the ability to come to the office? What if transportation is a struggle? Disclosure of abuse can lead to loss of many supports including financial. We value how pervasive the effect of the trauma is in your life and work to eliminate barriers so that you can begin your healing journey. This looks like providing gas cards and cab services to families in need. We also know that between juggling it all, sometimes food can become a struggle, which is why we have a kitchen on site and also provide grocery store cards to those who would benefit from them.  

As your kiddo gets settled into the therapist’s office at the Canopy Center, we recognize that you as a caregiver might feel overwhelmed with your own emotions. We have diverse types of waiting rooms to offer you space to regulate your own emotions. We understand this is a difficult time. Your kiddo also has multiple ways of expressing their emotions: sand trays, educational board games, interactive books that teach breathing techniques, an abundance of art supplies and lastly, a state of the art sensory room, because we all know trauma is stored in the body. Your kiddo might talk about difficult things, vulnerable things, things they might not be able to tell their closest friends and family. And so, the healing begins. 

At the Canopy Center, we want you to feel soft and taken care of. We want you to know that coming into this space with the intention to heal is a really big deal, and we are so inspired by your courage and resilience.

Lots of love,

The Canopy Center

A CASA advocate can be the person who reflects the good things in a child’s life back to them, which can change how the child is able to see themself. Take Lucas’ story for example…

Lucas, a child from a residential care center, told his CASA advocate that he felt worthless and that he worried he would grow up to experience the poor outcomes that others in his family had experienced. 

In response, his advocate highlighted the things Lucas was good at and the things that made him (and the people around him) happy. For example, he was a pro at Uno, and he enjoyed running laps around the table singing songs. Lucas also had a really sharp sense of humor! 

On one particular visit Lucas was feeling pretty down, and his advocate asked what would cheer him up. Lucas shared that he really missed his mom’s cooking. So on their next visit, his advocate brought one of his favorite foods, which was pot roast. While enjoying the meal, Lucas playfully related to his advocate all the ways the meal could have been improved. 

After that visit, Lucas and his advocate started to cook together in the community kitchen during visits, making up their own recipes as they went along. After some time of sharing these cooking experiences, on one visit Lucas told the advocate, “Ten years from now you’re going to eat at a restaurant, love the food, and ask to see the chef. Then, I’ll come out of the kitchen and say, ‘Look, I did it!’”

What a change in this child’s view of himself as the advocate reflected his abilities back to him!

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Questions? Check out our website, canopycenter.org or email us at info@canopycenter.org