“Being a CASA is so purposeful on so many levels. Being a CASA has given me a perspective on the world – on our country, its policies, its people, and its children – that no formal education can match.”
CASA volunteer
Peggy Grauwiler Executive Director
Dr. Grauwiler rejoined CASA in October 2008 as Deputy Director overseeing all aspects of the CASA program. Prior to her return, she was part of the founding team responsible for creating New York University’s Center on Violence and Recovery, where she served as Director of Center Projects from 2003-2008. Earlier work focused on the development of domestic violence courts and programs within the criminal justice and child welfare systems in New York City. In 1996, in partnership with New York State Chief Justice Judith Kaye, the Center for Court Innovation and Safe Horizons, she directed the first felony-level dedicated domestic violence court in Kings County. This pilot program’s success led to the creation of the New York Domestic Violence Court Model, which continues to be replicated statewide and received an Innovations in American Government Award in 1998. She has provided group and individual treatment to battered women, clinical supervision to social workers and provided domestic violence training nationally for judges, court personnel, clinicians and victim advocates. Her written work has appeared in the Children and Youth Services Review, Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, and Public Health Reports. She holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Social Work from New York University, an M.S. in Social Work from Columbia University, and a B.A. in Art History from Hunter College.
