CASA’s Audit Journey: Building Trust through Continual Improvement

After an extensive process that covered all organizational compliance areas from case files to financials to Board of Directors, Child Advocates San Antonio (CASA) is so proud to share our incredible audit results below: 


Policy Compliance - 100 % 

Board of Director’s File Compliance - 100% 

Human Resources File Compliance - 100% 

Case File Compliance - 99% 

Volunteer Advocate File Compliance - 100 % 

 

We are thrilled that our hard work and commitment shines through in these audit results from Texas CASA, and we cheer this amazing success! Over this extensive audit, we had zero compliance findings and zero follow-up action items. 

 

Employees, donors, and our community can trust in the accuracy of our audit findings and our demonstrated commitment to positive change. We recognize that this audit was not just a one-time event but part of a continuous cycle of improvement. 


We are on a journey of assessment, adaptation, and growth. We measure our progress, celebrate our successes, identify new areas for improvement and create action plans for excellence. 

The extensive internal audit processes we began two years ago have proven to be a vital tool in enhancing our organization's performance and integrity. We remained focused our commitment to excellence in achieving our mission, while maintaining transparency and building credibility. The drive of continual improvement, driven by the results of our audits, allows us to move forward with confidence, knowing that we are on a path of sustained success. 

A Journey to Excellence

By Angela Kester, VP of Quality Assurance and HR, CASA 


Over two years ago, CASA embarked on a challenging and rewarding journey. We began preparation for an extensive triennial audit of our organization's operations by Texas CASA. As the Vice President of Quality Assurance, my mission was to ensure that our business processes were not only efficient and compliant but also capable of fostering a culture of trust and excellence within our organization. 

The scope of the audit was vast, encompassing a wide range of topics that would significantly impact our certification, funding, and reputation. We began with an assessment of our organization's compliance to identify areas to strengthen and found that CASA overall was 71% with existing standards from Texas and National CASA. Our entire organization collaborated to achieve compliance. Over the next 2 years, we created, or strengthened, 35 organizational policies and plans in collaboration with our Board of Directors. We established a rhythm of internal peer-to-peer audits for case and volunteer files and tracked those metrics monthly. I met with each department’s Vice President monthly to assess and strategize about compliance and metrics related to their department. 

The list of topics under the audit's purview was extensive and included: 


Advocacy: Thoroughly reviewing case and volunteer files to assess best practice in advocacy, coaching, and documentation in alignment with our mission. 


Risk Management: Identifying potential risks and vulnerabilities, evaluating our risk management strategies, and recommending improvements to mitigate potential threats. 


Compliance and Governance: Ensuring that our organization adhered to all relevant laws and regulations, and that our Board of Director structure supports ethical decision-making. 


Financial Operations: A thorough examination of our financial statements, transactions, and controls to ensure accuracy, transparency, and compliance with regulatory standards. 


Process Efficiency: Analyzing our operational workflows and recommending process improvements to enhance efficiency. 


Information Security: Assessing the security of our data and IT systems, identifying vulnerabilities, and recommending measures to safeguard sensitive information. 


Human Resources: Evaluating our HR (Human Resources) policies, recruitment and training processes, and employee satisfaction levels to ensure a healthy and productive work environment. 


Quality Control: Examining our product and service quality standards and recommending enhancements to ensure consistent high-quality delivery. 


Social Responsibility: Auditing our social responsibility initiatives, such as diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, Trauma-Informed Care, and community engagement to align with our values. 


As the audit approached, our team focused on transparency as we evaluated data trends. We pivoted to accommodate the new Texas Administrative Code (TAC) and Health and Human Service Commission (HHSC) requirements that were added frequently to our audit cycle's scope. We strived to demonstrate CASA’s values of excellence, integrity, commitment, and compassion throughout the audit process. 


We became the first local CASA program in the country to achieve national Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) certification during our audit preparation period and we incorporated TIC principles into our audit preparation process.

 

I conducted mock audits with many employees to encourage and equip them during their audit preparation. Volunteer advocate supervisors trained and supported our volunteer advocates as they committed to excellent documentation on their cases. We measured internally that our compliance was at least 97%, a 26% improvement from our initial assessment of 71% compliance at the beginning of our journey. Our fearless leader, President and CEO Angela White, addressed potential audit anxiety by modeling and frequently encouraging compassion for our colleagues during the audit preparation. 


Our audit was completed in September of 2023. The audit included: 

  • 18 randomly selected case files 
  • 12 randomly selected volunteer files 
  • 6 randomly selected employee files 
  • 12 months of board meeting minutes with attachments 
  • 3 months of bank statements 
  • Over 100 policy, plan, and organizational documents 

 

Interviews included the: 

  • Board Chair, Kevin Moore 
  • Board Treasurer, Matthew Barnfield 
  • President/CEO, Angela White 
  • Each Vice President 
  • Program Staff 

 

Moving forward, our work towards CASA’s mission continues, bolstered by the tangible results we created and the trust we have built. As the Vice President of Quality Assurance, my role is to ensure that the audit process remains an integral part of our organizational culture. By fostering an environment where employees have clear expectations and understand the importance of audits in our pursuit of continual improvement, we guarantee a bright and sustainable future for CASA. 

Story of Hope: Jimmy and Mary Young

By bfines • December 10, 2025
Jimmy and Mary Young eagerly began their second case in August 2024. The children—Chris, 11; Emily, 9; and Sofia, 7—were in the care of the Department due to neglectful supervision by their mother, who struggled with alcohol dependency and depression. She had left the children unattended to travel to Port Aransas to drink and go fishing. In addition, the home environment was observed to be in disarray, with minimal food, posing a risk to the children’s well-being. The mother was arrested on three counts of abandonment of a child. The children’s father had passed away from cancer a few months earlier, in March 2024. The children were initially placed with their grandmother, who decided after a few weeks that she could not care for them. They were then placed with an uncle, who gave notice within two weeks. Subsequently, the children were placed together at Boysville, where they remained for the duration of the case. Although the children had already experienced two moves in just one month, the Youngs were optimistic about their placement at Boysville. The children from Jimmy and Mary’s first case had also been placed at Boysville, so the Youngs were familiar with the facility and had established a good rapport with the staff. From the beginning, Mr. Jimmy introduced himself to all parties involved in the case, exchanged phone numbers with the caseworker and the children’s attorney, and maintained close communication with them during the children’s moves. Once the children were placed at Boysville, Mr. Jimmy contacted the case manager and counselors there to inquire about setting up therapy and enrolling the children in school. The Youngs advocated for transportation to and from school, and the children were approved to ride the school bus. They also recommended bereavement therapy to help the children cope with the loss of their father. Mr. Jimmy learned about a summer camp at the Children’s Bereavement Center, made a few calls, and successfully registered the children to attend. Throughout the duration of the case, the Youngs visited the children monthly, maintained close contact with the CPS caseworkers, updated the children’s attorney after visits, and remained in frequent contact with the children’s therapists and teachers. They advocated for tutoring and addressed behavioral concerns with the children’s therapists. The Youngs documented everything in Optima, wrote court reports, and attended several CASA training courses to stay informed and further their knowledge of child welfare. They also chose to attend court in person to maintain face-to-face contact with the judge, other parties on the case, and the children’s mother. One particularly notable aspect of this case was the Youngs’ consistent communication and engagement with the children’s mother. After their initial meeting, the Youngs maintained regular contact with her, inquiring about her progress in services, employment, and housing. They frequently encouraged her to continue and complete her services, checked in after court hearings, and provided moral support—offering her hope. During the previous Christmas, Jimmy and Mary sent the mother a recording of the children singing Christmas carols, delivered messages from the children, and shared photos of special events. During phone calls or family visits, they listened patiently, giving her space to express herself. Within a few months, the mother opened up to them about the children’s father and his cancer diagnosis, sharing how it was discovered and discussing his passing. As the mother continued working on her services, Jimmy and Mary cheered her on, reminding her that her efforts were for the sake of reuniting with her children. At the merits hearing in September, the Youngs, in agreement with CPS, recommended an extension to allow the mother more time to maintain sobriety, begin extended visits with the children, and possibly start overnight, unsupervised visits. The extension was granted, as the mother had completed all her services and maintained stable employment and housing. Weekend visits began, and by late September, the mother continued testing negative for substances. The children were placed with her on a monitored return. Jimmy and Mary visited the children in the home for the following two months, providing CPS, the children’s attorney, and the court with very positive feedback. The children were happy, thriving, and their needs were being met. The Youngs provided their final recommendation of reunification in court in late November, and the judge granted reunification, dismissing CPS from the case.  It was the Youngs’ consistent communication and encouragement toward this young mother that led to the successful reunification. They followed up after hearings, facilitated communication between the mother and caseworkers when the relationship felt strained, and provided the mother the opportunity to share her perspective without judgment—all while encouraging her to do her best for her children.

December Advocate Spotlight

By bfines • December 10, 2025
Alice Babine
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