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The basic
training
requirement for becomming a CASA is completion of a 35-hour course
conducted in the CASA
office conference room. This course is based upon a training
manual which is
periodically revised to keep pace with changes in all aspects of the
child welfare world. Topics include, among others, the needs and
development of children, specific problems leading to removal of
children from parents (including physical and emotional abuse to the
child and parental domestic violence and their abuse of drugs and
alcohol), family culture and dynamics, treatment and support services
available to children and families, and your participation in the
court system. You'll be asked to cover the written material
largely on your own with class time being devoted to emphasizing and
clarifying critical areas while reserving the remainder of the time for
presentations by guests from the community you'll be working
with. These will typically include a social work
supervisor, a representative from the local mental health agency, and
others including the principal Juvenile Court Judge. Each is
experienced not only in their own field but also in working with CASAs.
No new CASA can be expected to absorb all the training manual has to
offer, but a thorough review of the material will help you understand
the complexities of the world you'll be working in while providing
specific information you can refer to later on as the need
arises. Because there's so much that can be learned, when the
course is over and it's time to be sworn in as a new CASA we've all
felt overwhelmed and wonder how we'll ever perform to
expectations. The answer is, we just go out there and do it. Trust what you know
about yourself. If you've "qualified" yourself by reading the
section in this website entitled "Would
I make a good CASA," you'll have all the confidence you need to
take on your first case.
One of the unique features of being a CASA is the fact that you'll be
working very independently in a social service world populated by folks
who work within organizations with layers of supervision and policy
limitations. You'll need to understand how the system works,
become familiar with the participants and build appropriate
relationships with them, and gain confidence in your own judgement
as your experience widens. This is a continuing process, and your
program supervisor, Sadie Emmons, as well as fellow CASAs will be
available to help you along the way. In time you'll be passing
along your insights to less experienced CASAs.
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