1. [local program] CASA
Information Meeting

2. Share your name and how you heard about CASA
Introductions
[Your Name}
[Local Program] CASA Program Coordinator
Share your name and how you heard about CASA
Welcome & Introduce self
Introduce CASA volunteers present
All of you are here today because…
Thank for attending and for taking the time to care about abused and neglected children
So we are more familiar with who is in the room, please share name & how you heard about CASA

3. What is a CASA volunteer?
Today’s Meeting
What is a CASA volunteer?
What does it take to serve as a CASA volunteer?
Is serving as a CASA volunteer right for you?
Steps to become a CASA volunteer
Your questions
What is this meeting all about…
Want you to take away a few things from this meeting…
Show “Everyday Heroes” this slide.

4. 1977, Judge David Soukup, Seattle, WA.
History of CASa
1977, Judge David Soukup, Seattle, WA.
Appointed by a judge
Given access to all records & resources
Spends more time with child
In 1977, a Seattle juvenile court judge concerned about making drastic decisions with insufficient information conceived the idea of citizen volunteers speaking up for the best interests of abused and neglected children in the courtroom. From that first program has grown a network of more than 946 CASA and guardian ad litem programs that are recruiting, training and supporting volunteers in 49 states.
CASA is now a national organization that recruits, screens, and trains every day citizens to watch over and advocate for abused and neglected children, to make sure they do not get lost in the overburdened legal and social service system or languish in inappropriate group or foster homes. Goal = permanent & safe home for the child. Children who have a CASA are…
More likely to…be placed in a permanent & safe home, spend less time in long-term foster care, pass all courses, receive more services available
Less likely to…reenter care, bounce around between foster & group homes, be expelled
This is all because someone is there who cares only for them…who looks out for THEIR interest…who has no other agenda than to advocate for THEIR best interest…because someone sat in an information meeting and became a CASA volunteer.
2013 National CASA Association Annual Report

5. Alaska CASA History 1987, Alaska CASA began Tribal State
AK CASA is administered through OPA (the Office of Public Advocacy, Department of Administration, State of Alaska)
Kenai Peninsula CASA is a partnership between Kenaitze Indian Tribe and Office of Public Advocacy

6. What does a casa volunteer do?
Research
Get a clear picture of the case
Facilitate
Ensure progression towards permanency
Advocate
Report to the court
Speak to the best interest of the child
Monitor
Ensure child’s needs are met
Research/Investigate: CASA volunteers thoroughly research the background of the case by reading all relevant records and talking to everyone involved, such as teachers and service providers. The CASA volunteer also gets to know the child so as to determine the child’s unique needs.
Facilitate: CASA volunteers work with the other parties involved to ensure that the child’s case is progressing through the system and recommendations and court orders are being followed.
Advocate: CASA volunteers make reports to the court and recommend what they believe is best for the child, providing the judge with information that will help the court make an informed decision about the 2 child's future. CASA volunteers can be instrumental in assuring that a child or family receives needed services that the court has ordered --things such as substance abuse counseling or special education testing.
Monitor: During the life of a case, a CASA volunteer monitors the child's situation to make sure the child's needs are being addressed and that a permanent plan is developed and implemented. A CASA volunteer may be the only consistent adult the child knows as the case moves through the labyrinth of the child welfare system.
CASAs typically…
Assigned a case
Get a picture of what’s going on
Meet with the child 2 times per month (majority of time spent w/an individual on a case should be with the child)…not foster parent/parent, counselor, teachers, etc…with the child you are advocating for. Other relationships should be so that you get a clear picture so you can advocate for the child.
Stay with case until it closes.

7. What a casa volunteer is not
A best friend or “Big Brother/Big Sister”
A babysitter
A parent advocate
An attorney (representing what the child wants)
A social worker/ICWA worker (representing the position of OCS or the Tribe)
Responsible for providing transportation to family contact appointments
Responsible for supervising family contact between parents and child
Required to take the child on outings
Each of these require a certain amount of knowledge and all 4 require you to know the child and spend time with the child. Some of these responsibilities can be confused with other roles in the child’s life. Let’s clarify a little…
The role of a CASA volunteer with each child will be different based on the age of the child, circumstances, and the length of time you are a CASA volunteer for that child. For instance, if you are an advocate for a young baby, your visits with the child will not include play and your relationship will be different once the child is able to interact.
We often try to place our role in the context that we know – CASA is different from roles you may be familiar with – CASA volunteers are not investigator, social workers, attorneys, mentors (although they can be seen as this based on child’s age & length of relationship), possible foster family/adoptive parent, etc. We will talk about appropriate boundaries and confidentiality later during this presentation.

8. Perseverance and dedication Good communication skills
What does it take?
Commitment
Objectivity
Perseverance and dedication
Good communication skills
Ability to adhere to strict confidentiality
Commitment – see list…in addition, you don’t want to just be another person in and out of child’s life…consistency is key. As you think about becoming a CASA, question your commitment level. Are there foreseeable life changes w/in the next 2 years? Will you be around to meet with your child 2x p/m?
Objectivity – what is in your life that might influence what you see? Can you talk with a parent and remain objective?
Perseverance and dedication – If a child’s case remains open for a long period of time, what is your dedication level to not just be another person in that child’s life? Will you preserver if your recommendations are not followed in the time you think they should be?
Good communication skills – you will be communicating with a variety of people, from the child to the judge. It is important you be someone that will help the case move forward and communication is key.
Ability to adhere to strict confidentiality – because of your level of access to sensitive information involving a child, confidentiality is a MUST! You know yourself, can you keep things confidential? Here is what I mean by that…

9. Confidentiality & conflicts of interest
CASA volunteers may not share case information with anyone outside the case (e.g. family, friends, work colleagues)
CASA volunteers may not introduce their CASA child to spouses, family members, friends, etc
Conflict of Interest
CASA volunteers may not be closely related to the child or the family
CASA volunteers may not know the child or the family well (either personally or professionally)
Due to the confidential nature of being a CASA volunteer, you will want to explore how you will process emotionally what you learn about your case, how things are going, etc. We want to resource our volunteers and make sure they are engaged in self-care – talk with me, talk with a professional (we can connect you), this will be something we work through together. Also, confidentiality when you see your CASA child outside of your normal visits…if you see them at the grocery store, not revealing that the child is a victim of abuse.
If you know someone connected to the case, you must disclose that. We will determine if you need to be reassigned.

10. Essential Advocate expectations
Twice a month contact with child
Communicate monthly with staff
Participate in court hearings and other case meetings
Complete monthly reporting requirements
Remain an active advocate until case closure

11. How do CASA Children “enter the system”?
STATE COURT
Report of suspected child abuse/neglect by someone in the community
Investigation – by Office of Children’s Services (OCS)
Court intervention – CINA case opens
GAL assigned to the case through Office of Public Advocacy (OPA)
CASA volunteer assigned when available
OCS is the agency in Alaska responsible for receiving, investigating and responding to reports of suspected child abuse and neglect.
Whenever a CINA case is filed in court, Alaska law mandates that OPA is appointed as the GAL

12. Why are casa volunteers needed?
High rates of child abuse/neglect in Alaska
CASA volunteers are assigned to less than 15% of all children in custody
CASA volunteers improve case outcomes – luxury of focus
CASA may have special skill set/GAL out of area
Every child/youth deserves to have someone who is there ONLY for them and to be a consistent person during their time in care.
[Most recent year]: [#] CINA children served by [you community] OPA; just [#] had a CASA volunteer.
Child Abuse/Neglect in [your location]: Disproportionately Native children ( #% of child population/# % in care)

13. Youth may be separated from their culture and communities
Cultural Competence:
Why is it Important?
Work with a wide range of people; their backgrounds may not be similar to ours
Youth may be separated from their culture and communities
CASA volunteers can
Support family connections
Locate cultural groups/activities/ resources
Advocate to preserve culture
All across the nation, children of color are overrepresented in child protection. Recognizing this, Alaska CASA has a responsibility to provide all children with culturally competent advocates. Throughout the screening, training, and case assignment processes, you will see we take this very seriously. Our programs strive to recruit appropriate volunteers who through training and support can become effective advocates for all of the children.

14. Limited Alaska Native foster homes
Cultural Competence:
Why is it Important?
Overrepresentation
High percentage of Alaska Native children and youth in custody
Limited Alaska Native foster homes
Youth lose cultural identity
Indian Child Welfare Act
Of the approximately 2000 children involved in Alaska’s child protection system each year, 62% of those children are Alaska Native while they only make up about 22% of the state’s overall population. As mentioned, Alaska isn’t the only state where this disproportionality occurs.
Culturally competent advocates can ensure that cultural norms of Alaska Native and Indian families are not misunderstood and incorrectly viewed as child maltreatment. Culturally competent advocates recognize the importance of cultural identity and work hard to ensure children remain connected to their heritage.
ICWA sets standards for working with AN/AI families and requires that cultural norms are considered in decision-making

15. Is the CASA program right for me?
Do I have the time?
Can I be objective?
Is this the way I want to help abused and neglected children?
How will I handle the information that I learn about my CASA child?
Am I willing to invest my time, energy, and emotions when I might never know the impact I have made?
Utilize staff during this time…I’m here for the ENTIRE process! Talk about any issues you might have, if you want to process, etc. As part of your interview we will talk about some of these issues to ensure this is the best volunteer opportunity for you. Think about the lasting effect you want to have as a CASA volunteer. Think about your intent with becoming a CASA volunteer. Be honest with yourself through the process…
Also, ask yourself if you are ok not knowing…or having to take your personal expectations out of the equation…not all cases will settle the way you want them to, not all of your recommendations will be put into court orders, some youth will still make bad decisions…the reason needs to flow out of knowing that it’s better to be there and be consistent than it is for you not to be there or to be inconsistent…don’t just be another person in and out of the life of a child…be their CASA volunteer…the one who is there for them, the one that doesn’t leave, the one that speaks up for them, the one who doesn’t give up!

16. How do I become a CASA volunteer?
Screening Process
Attend an information meeting
Submit a written application
Participate in a personal interview
Undergo a background check
Personal references
Criminal records, including sex offender registry
Child protection records
Social Security number verification
Complete CASA core training (30+ hours)
Attend at least one court observation
Sworn in by a judge
Core training is a continuation of the screening process

17. CORE Training – Flex Learning
Flex Learning option
Blended learning: part completed online, part in-person
About 3 hours of online work prior to each 3 hour in-person session
Scheduled 5 weeks in a row
Must attend all sessions and complete all assigned work
Court observation still required
Flex Learning is the format being used for the next core training. Additional core training sessions may be held later in the year. These may use traditional classroom format.
Although the self-guided online components are done outside of the formal classroom, they are not optional.
Flex Learning FAQs / Volunteer Assessment handout available

18. permanency
CASA volunteers work to ensure that a child’s time frame is in the forefront as we work to achieve one of the following:
Reunification with parent
Adoption
Guardianship
Another permanent planned living arrangement
Preference is for permanency with relatives or kin if unable to reunify with parent.

19. CASA volunteer says goodbye File returned Case closed!!
Ending A Case
Permanency achieved
CASA volunteer says goodbye
File returned
Case closed!!
CASA volunteer matched with a new case…
Want you to be aware of this process…you might not get the chance to continue having a relationship with the child. If emancipated/aged out, you have that opportunity to continue a relationship, if the child wants to continue the relationship. Can you handle not knowing? We do live in a “small” state so there is always a possibility you will see them around town or at an event. Be friendly but let the child determine the relationship.

20. FOSTERING FUTURES ALASKA
Fostering Futures Alaska is an initiative launched by Alaska CASA in 2014, supported by a grant from the National CASA Association.
The goal is to train and equip CASA volunteers from around the state to work alongside older foster youth to improve outcomes as the youth transition into adulthood.
Fostering Futures volunteers serve as a mentor in addition to an advocate.
If you are interested in working with older youth and would like to take on a mentoring role in addition to the advocate role, Fostering Futures may be a good option.
Fostering Futures is a supplemental curriculum (not a stand-alone curriculum). It is designed to be used by CASA volunteers who have already completed the core training and have been sworn into service by a judge.
Volunteers are not required to complete the Fostering Futures Alaska training before working with older youth. However, information and tools from the training will benefit the work that volunteers do with older youth.

21. HOW DO I BECOME A FOSTERING FUTURES VOLUNTEER?
Complete the screening and training process required to be sworn in as a CASA volunteer.
Fill out the one page supplemental application form for Fostering Futures Alaska.
Successfully complete the Fostering Futures training course.
Get matched with a foster youth (age 14 – 21).

22. WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE?
Visit the Fostering Futures page on our website:

23. Questions? www.alaskacasa.org
Visit our website. You can sign up to receive our e-newsletter, link to our Facebook and Twitter pages, download application form and more.