My jourNey was through fAITH IN GOD AND THE SUPPORT OF THE EVER-PRESENT PEOPLE IN MY LIFE

Joan Ulsher is a San Antonio-based writer, award-winning child advocate, and retired U.S. Army Major. As a former foster care youth and abuse survivor, she chronicled her journey from childhood trauma to child advocacy in her memoir, Misplaced Childhood: A True Story of Resiliency and Child Advocacy, published by Rehm Press in September 2023. Joan donates author profits or royalties to her local CASA program because she is passionate about their mission of serving abused and neglected children in foster care. 

 

Her military career led her to become the chief contributor and editor of the U.S. Army Medical Department Activity-Japan Patient and Staff Handbook 2000, published in Japan in 1999. She was a Registered Health Information Administrator and Patient Administration officer before dedicating her post-Army career to community service and philanthropy in 2005. She holds a master’s degree in the combined program in Health Information Management and Health Information Systems Management from the University of Pittsburgh. 

 

Joan began her volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate or CASA advocacy in 2018. She has advocated for 24 children and continues taking new cases often. Joan wants every child in foster care to have a volunteer to advocate for their “best interests” in court because she never had an advocate when she needed one as a teen in foster care. She is an expert in Education Advocacy and most recently became involved in Legislative Advocacy by spearheading the development of a grassroots Legislative Advocacy Team in 2020. She serves as the Chairperson of that team at Child Advocates San Antonio. She has been awarded The Spirit of Mercy Award by the Mount Mercy Academy Alumni Association and was named Child Advocates San Antonio’s Rookie of the Year, the San Antonio Business Journal’s Nonprofit & Corporate Philanthropy Volunteer of the Year, the Bexar County Fostering Education Success Program’s MVP Champion and Child Advocates San Antonio’s Advancing the Mission awardee for her volunteer work in her community, most notably with CASA. Joan is also a “DIY” enthusiast and creates custom-painted themed furniture for children leaving foster care and entering their forever families during her leisure time.