GBA Supports Local LCSW who Created a Unique Approach to Treat Trauma in Children

Gary Bess Associates (GBA) has operated as a fully remote team since late 2018, when the Camp Fire devastated the town of Paradise, California, where GBA’s brick-and-mortar office had been located. Prior to the fire though, all staff had lived in the local area, a scenic region of northern California. At the center of the region lies California State University, Chico, (CSU, Chico) an institution with strong ties to GBA history. Over the years, several GBA staff have graduated from CSU Chico, through the Master of Social Work (MSW) program, and other disciplines. Gary, GBA Principal, and Jim, Director of Evaluation & Research both taught in the School of Social Work for many years. GBA has also hosted several graduate level interns from CSU, Chico’s MSW program.

Given our firm bond with the University, GBA was pleased to provide pro bono evaluation work for Casey Hersch, a local, home-grown Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who graduated in 2006, and was awarded the CSU Chico Social Worker of the Year Award at that time. Casey’s own path to overcome trauma, coupled with her experiences as a licensed mental health provider for nearly two decades, led her to develop a unique approach to help children cope with trauma. She wrote a book, illustrated cleverly by her husband, called “I am Pawso,” a cute and  effective rhyming story about a cat who teaches kids how to turn around difficult situations, through interactive lessons and skill building activities. To accompany her book, published in December 2023, Casey has developed handouts and supplemental materials that can be completed individually or in group settings. The book and approach have been steadily gaining traction and success. Casey is now training social workers, teachers, and others working with children, on how to use her engaging book with youth. These efforts are what brought Casey to CSU Chico, her alma mater, in October 2024. Casey was invited to lead an in-person training, also available live virtually, for Social Work graduate and undergraduate students entitled, “I am Pawso: Implementing an Integrative and Holistic Healing Model for Children and Families Through Story Telling.” During the training, which was hosted on campus, Casey told her story, and taught her approach to early intervention with children, using her book as the cornerstone. Several GBA staff were also in attendance to support her work, and to learn about Pawso.

GBA was honored to provide Casey a pro bono evaluation of her training. GBA’s Director of Evaluation & Research, Jim, led the project. He developed two surveys to assess the impact of the training. One survey was designed for completion by the social work students in attendance, with the second survey being designed for completion by the practicum instructors (internship supervisors). GBA created a report of survey results to include demographics of attendees; mean score analysis of scaled survey items; comparison of results by subgrouping (such comparison by student age, and by graduate versus undergraduate students), and qualitative analysis of open-ended question. The training was well received by the University and was impactful for students. When asked about the most meaningful part of the training, one student responded, “[the most meaningful part was] hearing your journey, and how it influenced the creation [of your book] was awesome. I love hearing from people who see such value and ability in kids.” We thank Casey for giving GBA the opportunity to support the work of a local social worker, and to continue giving back to the School of Social Work at CSU, Chico.

Author:  Jetta Meadows