Denim and Diamonds C.A.S.E. 2024 Gala Program

Jessica Willis Fisher is a singer/songwriter, performing artist, speaker, and author who believes that sharing our stories with one another will change the world. Raised playing traditional folk music from an early age, she performed with her family band, The Willis Clan, in the Irish, Country, and Bluegrass music scenes and made appearances on the Grand Ole Opry and America’s Got Talent. At 24 years old, she left her seemingly happy family life due to the escalating danger and long-term abusive treatment from her father.

She dove into therapy to try and understand the events of her childhood which enabled her to participate in bringing her abuser to justice. Her memoir Unspeakable: Surviving My Childhood and Finding My Voice, sheds light on the trauma of sexual abuse and shares her journey to reclaim her voice in music and life. Jessica is a passionate advocate for fellow survivors and further shares her story through her deeply personal debut solo album, Brand New Day.

The generous donations of C.A.S.E.’s philanthropic community provides the ability to offer a sliding fee discount to families each year who do not qualify for grants but are unable to afford the full fee for our services. Please consider making a donation this evening so we can continue offering financial support to families in need.

C.A.S.E. Fund-A-Family Scholarship Testimonial:

“The scholarship we received through C.A.S.E. provided our family with strategies and tools to help us communicate more effectively. We were able to have a greater understanding of our adopted children’s thoughts, fears, and feelings. We are thankful for the time we spent working with our C.A.S.E. therapist and the generosity of those that made it possible.”

– Andrea

Zoe Evans was born in Huanggang, China and adopted in 2004 when she was 18 months old. Prior to her adoption, Zoe was living with a foster family that also worked in the Huanggang orphanage.

Zoe’s story of unpacking her adoption began with a middle-school assignment called “Where I’m From.” Ever since creating and presenting the knowledge she accumulated through interviews with family members, looking at photos, and researching the geographical and historical aspects of her birth country, Zoe has continued to take her interest to a deeper level.

Zoe was nominated to be the leader of an adoption group in middle school in Washington D.C., has continued to write several academic papers on her identity as an adopted, Asian American female, and centered her artwork to target different aspects of her story whether it’s through symbols or the selected color palette.

Zoe is currently an undergraduate at Marist College, in Poughkeepsie New York where she is majoring in social work. Working with kids has always been a passion of Zoe’s. She hopes to use her own insights and experience to help others overcome challenges they have faced in their adoption journey.

Kristiana’s adoption story started when she and her birth mom were sheltered by the family that would eventually foster and then adopt she and her sisters. They lived with the family starting when Kristiana was 5 and stayed for 2 years before her birth mom got Section 8 housing. Within 6 months Kristiana and her sister entered into the foster system. The same family who has sheltered she and her mom fostered and adopted them in 2018, when she was 9 and her sister was 2. In 2019, her youngest sister, Kamrynn, joined the family. Kristiana has been in trauma therapy since entering the foster system and continues to this day. Additionally, she does EMDR therapy weekly.

Kristiana has struggled with anxiety, grief and loss and had to learn how not to be the momma bear to her sisters, looking different than the rest of family, and finally coming into her own. She went from sitting in the back of the room with a hoodie over her head, to easily making friends and being a joy to her friends and family.

Kristiana is 15 years old and is in 9th grade. She’s the seventh child out of nine in her adopted family. Her favorite subject in school is geography because she loves to cook and learn about different cultures. Kristiana is also a swim coach for kids on the Lancers swim team. She enjoys singing and playing video games in her free time. She loves her pets, especially the family goldendoodle, Xanny. Kristiana is very happy to be getting this award and wants to thank her family and friends and her counselor, Ms. Mari.

Bernadette has navigated the foster care system in Washington, D.C., since the age of 14. She faced numerous challenges throughout her academic journey, yet successfully graduated high school and was accepted to Bowie State University. Bernadette is a rising senior involved in many extracurricular activities related to theatre. She recently received unsettling news from her academic advisor that she may not be able to graduate in 2025 due to a shortfall in credits. Bernadette is determined to turn this setback into an opportunity for growth and resilience in pursuing her dreams. She was a theatre acting and directing major but has changed to communications and public relations. With the support of the scholarship, Bernadette is committed to finishing her education, obtaining the required credits, and graduating on time. She looks forward to the possibility of starting her own business and making a meaningful impact.

Debbie B. Riley, LCMFT, is C.A.S.E.’s Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer.

She earned her Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and her Bachelor’s Degree in Family Studies from the University of Maryland. Since C.A.S.E.’s inception in 1998, Debbie has grown the organization into a national and international mental health resource for foster and adoptive families as well as for the professionals who support them.

Among her many professional accomplishments is her co-authoring of the book, Beneath the Mask: Understanding Adopted Teens. Debbie also founded the TAC (Training for Adoption Competency Curriculum) currently taught in 17 states across the country. Through a recent federal five-year grant awarded to C.A.S.E from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Debbie serves as the Principal Investigator to establish a National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative (NTI), created to build the adoption competency capacity of child welfare professionals and mental health practitioners that serve youth moving toward permanency as well as youth living in permanent adoptive or guardianship homes.

Debbie is proud recipient of the Children’s Bureau 2015 Adoption Excellence Award nominated by Rita Soronen, President and CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. Debbie’s unwavering commitment to providing resources, support and advocacy for children, teens and family members touched by adoption and foster care is in itself extraordinary.