A community champion

CASA was incorporated in 1981 as an emergency domestic violence shelter to accommodate 22 participants, children’s programs, and an outreach department to provide support groups and peer counseling. The fundraising groundwork was laid to open a 30-bed shelter in 1992.

Under the leadership of Linda A. Osmundson, CASA grew to include enhanced support groups, a 24-hour domestic violence hotline, outreach services, training for law enforcement and other community members, and youth programs such as the Peacemakers Program teaching violence prevention in Pre-K through 8th grade classes. CASA Collections Thrift Shoppe was opened in 1998 to collect items for domestic violence survivors and raise funds for CASA.

CASA opened the doors to a newly constructed 99+ bed domestic violence center in July, 2015. In addition to providing safe refuge to more than three times as many people than before, it adds an integrated array of on-site support services such as a resource center and rapid re-housing program to help domestic violence survivors attain safety and economic opportunity.

In July 2017, Lariana Forsythe, an experienced executive with more than two decades in the nonprofit sector, became the organization’s Chief Executive Officer

Under Lariana’s leadership, CASA’s services have grown and expanded to include an Injunction for Protection legal team, robust housing opportunities, multiple service sites, and in October 2022, CASA opened Florida’s only Family Justice Center, earning the 2023 National Purple Ribbon Award for Outstanding New Service Launch in the United States.

CASA once again expanded service in January 2024, extending certification within Marion County.