CASA Spotlight: Mary Schuman
Mary Schuman is a combination of zeal and pragmatic resilience---a reserved and elegant woman who has planned the growth of communities, managed political campaigns, served as an elected official and championed the cause of children.
In fact, working to protect and support children has been and continues to be at the center of her life. In addition to her CASA activities, Mary is passionate about reducing firearm injuries and deaths among children in the St. Louis area. She volunteers numerous hours distributing free gun locks and safe gun storage education to families at community events to reduce children’s access to unsecured guns in homes.
A resident of University City, Mary grew up in North Dakota and came to St. Louis to attend St. Louis University, where she earned a master’s degree in urban affairs and met her husband. She worked for St. Louis County as a community planner and became involved in University City civic affairs as she raised three sons.
In late 2002, Mary completed the required 30 hours of training and became a CASA volunteer.
Her move to CASA was prompted by an article she read in the 1990s about CASA’s mission and success: “In the 1990s, we were in the midst of gang violence locally and nationally. As an elected city official, I met with a room full of gang members and a handful of parents and school administrators. These boys were dangerous but still in school. At one point, a gang member stood up and eloquently told us that all any of the teens in the room had ever wanted was someone to stand by them. He said no adult had ever done that, and that is what their fellow gang members do for them. I did not join CASA to curb gang behavior, but that young man’s words underscored how important it is for children to have someone who will stand by them, and in our role as advocates, we do that.”
To Mary, the CASA concept made even more sense after she talked to Mary Taylor, a neighbor, who was running CASA in St. Louis City at that time.
CASA Case Advocacy Supervisor Danielle Sitze is very glad Mary Schuman had that conversation: “Mary is amazing---she does so much research and is so dedicated to helping children find permanent homes and have opportunities to thrive. She is a role model for all of us.”
Danielle earned her master’s degree in social work at St. Louis University, after serving for four years in the Navy. Prior to coming to CASA of St. Louis, Danielle worked with teen outreach for two different agencies and as a case manager with Great Circle.
In her current role, Danielle assists CASA volunteers by guiding and supporting them as they navigate through a system that involves fully researching the child’s family background and discussing each case with both the attorney who serves as guardian ad litem and the government family services division case manager.
Danielle points to Mary’s latest case as evidence of why the work of CASA volunteers is so essential. “A severely disabled 16-year-old boy was found with his deceased mom—malnourished and dehydrated, and Mary took on the case as his advocate. She hit the ground running---doing so much research and reaching out to community resources to meet his multiple needs. Mary has been the consistent support for this boy for many months—going to doctor appointments, seeing him through surgery, and assisting in the assessment of his extensive special education needs. She is thrilled that his team is close to finding a permanent placement for this young man with a home where he can be part of a family.”
Carrying up to two cases simultaneously, Mary has worked with teenagers, toddlers, adolescents and elementary school children of all races and ethnicities. Some have had developmental disabilities, others serious medical needs and behavioral challenges. Some came into care due to physical abuse, others from gross educational and physical neglect. She says most of the cases have been complicated, requiring not gigantic leaps or heroic actions but small steps that create opportunities. For all these young people, she has served as the consistent adult—taking a global view of their needs when government case workers, with so many cases to manage, could not.
Of her many cases, Mary recalls one that represents the type of work done by a CASA volunteer: A brother, age 9, and sister, age 5, were placed in separate foster homes due to severe neglect. The boy, David, drank as many as 40 glasses of liquids daily, yet tested negative for standard diabetes as did his sister, Cindy. But Cindy, too, was always thirsty, always requesting to use the bathroom. She wet herself and snuck out of her classroom to whet her thirst. Both were written off as children with significant behavior problems and continually disciplined. Mary suspected a medical problem was behind their behavior and pushed a pediatric endocrinologist to move the children to the top of her six-month waiting list and test them. The physician discovered different diseases that required monitoring and medication for both children, easing obstacles to eventual adoption.
“Even if things don’t work out perfectly, the time spent advocating for a child can still help that child feel as if he or she is important,” Mary adds. “Over the years I have learned the stunning amount of work that is involved and how complicated the cases, family dynamics and environments can be. It’s so critical that children feel they are important to someone—and when they encounter CASA volunteers, these children seem to understand that we are not being paid to help them. They realize we are giving our time to each of them because they are important.”
Now grandparents to six children ranging in age from 8 months to 11 years, Mary and her husband have served as role models to their sons who coach youth sports teams, have served as Big Brothers to children who need role models, and who are giving to the communities around them, —so the Schuman legacy continues.