Learn About Becoming A CASA Volunteer

A Court Appointed Special Advocate is an ordinary person, perhaps your neighbor, who cares about kids. These volunteers come from different backgrounds, possess various skills and talents, but all believe children who have been abused or neglected should have someone to speak for them within the judicial system.

CASA volunteers are assigned by a judge to just one case at a time. The Advocate reviews the case files, conducts interviews with the child and others involved with the case, and appears in court proceedings to recommend what they believe is best for the child.

The Advocate also may be instrumental in assuring a child or family receives services ordered by the court system - counseling, special educational assistance, etc.

What does it take to be a CASA Volunteer?

It takes commitment - Advocates must commit to one year of service, to assure an individual child is not abandoned again by a system that is supposed to provide assistance.

It takes objectivity - A CASA volunteer’s role is to represent the best interests of the child, and not just what the child wants to have happen. The Advocate must be able to talk to everyone in a case and remain objective in providing recommendations to the court system.

It takes good communication skills - CASA volunteers must be able to communicate with a variety of people, including educators health professionals and court judges.

How do I become a CASA Volunteer?

Comprehensive training is provided locally. The 40-hour course provides understanding of the court process, child abuse and neglect, cultural competency, advocacy and interviewing techniques. Judges, attorneys, social workers and other professionals volunteer as part of the training team.

Following training, a case is assigned to a CASA volunteer. Advocates average 80-100 hours per year of service to a single child’s case.

A CASA volunteer must successfully complete a selection interview, including a criminal backeround check and fingerprinting

Why do we need CASA Volunteers?

In 1999, Mesa County received 1,876 allegations of child abuse and/or neglect. Of these allegations, 274 incidences were confirmed. The more serious of these incidences resulted in the children being removed from the home and Dependency and Neglect Petitions filed in Mesa County District Court. Approximately 400 children were in foster care or some form of out of home placement for the Fiscal Year 98/99.

These child abuse victims can also become victims of an overburdened system: social workers and attorneys are generally assigned to work with many families and children and must divide their time accordingly. The CASA volunteer is assigned to one case at a time and can focus exclusively on the needs of one family. The volunteer assignment continues for one year or until the case is permanently resolved. The CASA volunteer may be the only consistent figure in the cases, since attorneys and social workers may change assignments.

What training does the CASA Volunteer receive?

Before being assigned to a case, a CASA volunteer receives 32 hours of extensive training about the juvenile court and social services systems, child abuse and neglect, child development, cultural awareness, advocacy, communication, and permanency planning. An additional 10 hours of ongoing training per year is required. CASA volunteers receive supervision throughout the CASA volunteer assignment.

Who becomes a CASA Volunteer?

CASA volunteers are community members from many different professional, educational, and ethnic backgrounds. Qualifications include the ability to: make a commitment for a minimum of one year, attend the comprehensive training program, and to listen and communicate effectively. Due to the confidential and sensitive nature of these cases, a CASA volunteer has been carefully screened through three personal reference checks, a Colorado Bureau of Investigation criminal background check, a Central Registry report, and a Motor Vehicle record check.


		Become a CASA Volunteer Who are CASA Volunteers? A Court Appointed Special Advocate is an ordinary person, perhaps your neighbor, who cares about kids. These volunteers come from different backgrounds, possess various skills and talents, but all believe children who have been abused or neglected should have someone to speak for them within the judicial system. CASA volunteers are assigned by a judge to just one case at a time. The Advocate reviews the case files, conducts interviews with the child and others involved with the case, and appears in court proceedings to recommend what they believe is best for the child. The Advocate also may be instrumental in assuring a child or family receives services ordered by the court system - counseling, special educational assistance, etc. What does it take to be a CASA Volunteer? *It takes commitment* - Advocates must commit to one year of service, to assure an individual child is not abandoned again by a system that is supposed to provide assistance. *It takes objectivity* - A CASA volunteer’s role is to represent the best interests of the child, and not just what the child wants to have happen. The Advocate must be able to talk to everyone in a case and remain objective in providing recommendations to the court system. *It takes good communication skills* - CASA volunteers must be able to communicate with a variety of people, including educators health professionals and court judges. How do I become a CASA Volunteer? Comprehensive training is provided locally. The 40-hour course provides understanding of the court process, child abuse and neglect, cultural competency, advocacy and interviewing techniques. Judges, attorneys, social workers and other professionals volunteer as part of the training team. Following training, a case is assigned to a CASA volunteer. Advocates average 80-100 hours per year of service to a single child’s case. A CASA volunteer must successfully complete a selection interview, including a criminal backeround check and fingerprinting Why do we need CASA Volunteers? In 1999, Mesa County received 1,876 allegations of child abuse and/or neglect. Of these allegations, 274 incidences were confirmed. The more serious of these incidences resulted in the children being removed from the home and Dependency and Neglect Petitions filed in Mesa County District Court. Approximately 400 children were in foster care or some form of out of home placement for the Fiscal Year 98/99. These child abuse victims can also become victims of an overburdened system: social workers and attorneys are generally assigned to work with many families and children and must divide their time accordingly. The CASA volunteer is assigned to one case at a time and can focus exclusively on the needs of one family. The volunteer assignment continues for one year or until the case is permanently resolved. The CASA volunteer may be the only consistent figure in the cases, since attorneys and social workers may change assignments. What training does the CASA Volunteer receive? Before being assigned to a case, a CASA volunteer receives 32 hours of extensive training about the juvenile court and social services systems, child abuse and neglect, child development, cultural awareness, advocacy, communication, and permanency planning. An additional 10 hours of ongoing training per year is required. CASA volunteers receive supervision throughout the CASA volunteer assignment. Who becomes a CASA Volunteer? CASA volunteers are community members from many different professional, educational, and ethnic backgrounds. Qualifications include the ability to: make a commitment for a minimum of one year, attend the comprehensive training program, and to listen and communicate effectively. Due to the confidential and sensitive nature of these cases, a CASA volunteer has been carefully screened through three personal reference checks, a Colorado Bureau of Investigation criminal background check, a Central Registry report, and a Motor Vehicle record check.		Late last year, eight new members were appointed to CASA's ranks. The special event highlighted each individual's achievements and responsibilities. left to right, Judge Buss, Beverly Clark, Terry Richardson, Rachel Brown, Lynne Digrazia, Kelly Herbert, Sarah DeBrueque, BreeAnn Butler, Connie Miracle and Shirley Rowe. To contact Mesa County CASA: Shirley Rowe, Director. P. O. Box 4123, 600 White Avenue, Grand Junction, CO 81502. Phone 970-242-4191 Fax: 970-242-4201 E-mail: casamc@wic.net *************** CASA Changes One Life at a Time By Ruth S. Anderson Special thanks to The Beacon newspaper for re-print rights CASA helped Kelly Herbert when she was a child, and now she volunteers for CASA. It would be wonderful if every abused and neglected child could have an ice cream lady like Kelly Herbert had. This lady made a dramatic difference in Kelly's life as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA). CASA, created in 1977, has over 900 member agencies nationwide. CASA trains volunteers to speak to the courts on behalf of children under the age of 18 who need help. Mesa County CASA, created in 1998, generally works with children six years old and younger. Its director, Shirley Rowe, reacted strongly when Kelly Herbert searched out the CASA office to be a volunteer. Kelly said, Shirley was excited because she had never known anyone who had grown up in the CASA program. Kelly, 24, graduated from Westmont College in California in 2001. She met her husband, Saul, in college. They moved to Colorado where he was born and raised in Carbondale. Kelly looked for a CASA group everywhere she went. I knew for years and years and years that this was what I wanted to do. I want to be involved with CASA. I want to do the same thing for some other kid that was done for me. Kelly wanted to give hope to children who have no hope, no family. Why did Kelly Herbert feel so dedicated to helping children through CASA? Enter the ice cream lady. When Kelly was a child, her grandmother learned about CASA and turned to them for help. Kelly¹s mother abused her and didn't protect her from other abuses in her life, mental, physical, and sexual. On the first visit from a CASA volunteer, Kelly, a second grader, opened the front door. The volunteer asked, Do you like ice cream? Kelly said at that moment she was hooked. Every week the volunteer bought her ice cream and took her to the park. The ice cream lady became the one stable person in Kelly's life. After that first meeting, CASA arranged for Kelly to live in foster homes, group homes, with her mother, with her grandmother, with a guardian, everywhere, said Kelly. She never attended one school long enough to make friends that she could hang on to. She counted 15 or 16 places she had lived before she started college. In sixth grade Kelly said she didn¹t wish to move any more. She didn't, however, want to live with her mother. CASA tries to unite parents with their children if at all possible. She asked to live with the ice cream lady. Kelly lived in a group home while waiting for the ice cream lady to become her legal guardian. She then lived with her through middle school and high school, seven years in all. When it was time for her to start college, the ice cream lady let Kelly go. She chose to push me out in the world so I could start my life, said Kelly. Even the ice cream lady's friends didn¹t understand why she made such an abrupt end to her relationship. So a new life in college began. Kelly had nothing. Her search for financial aid began, lasting through all four years of college. Scholarships exist for one who has been in foster care and doesn¹t live with a parent. She researched that possibility and every other possible source for funds. Still in debt today, she did finish her college classes, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies, her first proud achievement. Marrying her husband, Saul, is another achievement. After college, determined to volunteer for CASA, Kelly kept searching for the group in Colorado. A pamphlet for United Way that said they supported CASA was her first glimpse of CASA in Grand Junction. She called Shirley Rowe and immediately became involved. CASA volunteers commit four hours a week to work with one child until a solution is reached on where the child should live. Kelly is now a mentor for a young boy. She has become an investigator. She meets all the players in a child's life: parents, grandparents, foster parents, day care workers, school personnel, everyone who affects this child's life. Once a month the volunteer reports to Mesa County Magistrate, Jane Westbrook, about information discovered. Kelly said Westbrook has an incredible memory, remembering every face, every circumstance, every child. Kelly said the hardest part of investigating is to keep an open mind, to not point fingers at the people you are investigating. The court must assign blame, not the investigator. When Kelly went away to college she lost touch with her much appreciated ice cream lady. Kelly's regular job with a bank keeps her busy 40 hours a week. She has to search for the time to make a difference in a child's life, a child who has been referred to CASA because of an unstable living environment where neglect and abuse have occurred. She makes a lot of telephone calls after work, lunch break visits, or gets up at the crack of dawn for a contact. Kelly's husband is a stable person who supports the time she puts into CASA, although he may wish that she had more time at home. She said, He understands where my heart is. The CASA work helps her to go forward. I feel so much that these kids need hope, hope that they can make it, that they're not going to be a statistic, that they¹re not going to end up on the street. The Department of Human Services, the Court, and CASA work together to solve children¹s problems in Mesa County. Kelly Herbert dedicates herself to make a difference in a child¹s life as someone did in her life. You, too, could become an ice cream lady or an ice cream man if you choose to be a CASA volunteer. Please call 242-4191. ***************** Susan Capps Beacon Newspaper PO Box 3895 Grand Junction, CO 81502 (970)243-8829 Beacon@bresnan.net