Advocate

Children who receive an advocate are less likely to reenter the foster care system and are more likely to do well in school. Advocates provide the chance for our children to be successful.

Court-Appointed Special Advocates®

A CASA, or Court-Appointed Special Advocate, is a volunteer advocating for children who have experienced abuse or neglect and are under the Court’s jurisdiction. Becoming a CASA can change the trajectory of your life and the life of a child in need forever. Advocates provide our program with the necessary fuel to accomplish our mission and vision. Without advocates, the children in our community lose the voice they desperately need and cannot be heard throughout court proceedings.

Because of the type of work volunteers will be doing, there are standards and training requirements that we must adhere to. This allows our program to deliver best practice advocacy to the children we serve. The volunteer application process varies depending on the pace that background checks are returned and the availability of training services. Additional information is listed below.

Requirments & Responsibilities

  1. You must be 21 years of age or older
  2. Complete volunteer applications with three (3) references.
  3. Consent and pass all required background checks.
    • criminal history, sex offender registry check, child abuse registry check, driving record check, and SSN verification
  4. Provide a copy of your driver’s license.
  5. Participate in a personal interview before training.
  6. Complete Pre-Service training and Court observations.
  7. Sign all program acknowledgments, including the confidentiality and conflict of interest forms.
  8. Complete twelve (12) hours of continuing education annually.

Volunteers must complete 30 hours of training and observe 2 hours of juvenile court proceedings. We have the following training options available:

  1. Flex Training:
    • 6-week program
    • 2-3 hours of in-person or Zoom instruction once per week
    • Remaining coursework is completed online
  2. Guided Learning (If Flex Training is unavailable)
  1. Read and review all records about a case.
  2. Maintain contact with all parents, foster parents, child(ren), case manager, attorneys, and other parties involved regularly.
  3. Maintain regular contact with the child(ren), with minimum contact being once a month while that case is active.
  4. Encourage permanency planning and monitor compliance with court orders set.
  5. Attend all court hearings, case planning conferences, and other scheduled staffing about the child(ren) or ensure an appropriate substitute attends.
  6. Keep accurate and complete documentation of all contacts and interviews and keep and submit other records as required by the CASA Program.
  7. Always advocate for the best interest of the child(ren), evaluating possible services for the family or child.
  8. Maintain confidentiality and respect the privacy of the child and the family.
  9. Communicate effectively and have an understanding of diverse populations.
  10. Comply with all the CASA program rules and policies for volunteers.

Apply Today!

ONLINE APPLICATION
PRINTABLE APPLICATION