Training that works for you!
You don’t have to come to CASA knowing how the child welfare system works. That’s what training is for. Our goal is to give you the knowledge, tools, and confidence you need to step into your role as a child advocate.
What does CASA training include?
Our initial training is a 30-hour course spread over several weeks, designed to adapt to your schedule. You’ll learn about:
- The CASA role — what it means to be a court-appointed advocate and how your role differs from that of a parent, mentor, caseworker, or attorney.
- The child welfare system — how children enter foster care, what happens during a dependency case, and how the various people and agencies involved work together.
- Child development and trauma — how abuse, neglect, separation, and other experiences can affect a child’s development, behavior, relationships, and ability to trust.
- Building relationships with children — how to communicate with children of different ages and create a safe, trusting relationship while maintaining appropriate boundaries.
- Understanding families — learning to approach parents, caregivers, and other adults with respect while keeping the child’s best interests at the center of your advocacy.
- Advocacy and information gathering — how to ask questions, gather information, communicate with professionals, identify unmet needs, and look beyond the paperwork to understand the child’s actual experience.
- The role of the court — what happens in court, who the key players are, what CASA contributes, and how to communicate effectively with the court.
- Reports and recommendations — how to document your observations, organize information, and provide the judge with objective, well-supported recommendations.
- Confidentiality, boundaries, and ethics — protecting a child’s privacy, maintaining appropriate boundaries, and understanding the responsibilities that come with being a CASA.
- Self-care and resilience — recognizing the emotional challenges of advocacy and learning how to care for yourself while remaining a consistent support for the child.
And then you see it in action.
Training is accompanied by 10 hours of court observation, giving you the opportunity to see the court process firsthand and connect what you’ve learned in training to real-world practice.
You won’t be expected to know everything on day one. CASA training is designed to prepare you, and once you’re assigned to a case, our staff will continue to support you along the way.
Our training course takes place throughout the year, with both in-person and online training options available. Our team is supportive and encouraging throughout the onboarding process, as we want competent, capable, and confident volunteers ready to serve the children of our community. Our training coordinator would love to speak with you about upcoming training dates and availability. You can email Heather at heatherrichardscasa@gmail.com.
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