Volunteer: Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) provide a voice in the court for a child involved with the Dane County child welfare system for a case of abuse, neglect, or other situation impacting the child's safety, permanency, or well-being. This is a crucial role for some of Dane County's most vulnerable children! CASAs are appointed by and act as the eyes and ears for the juvenile court judge. Advocates make weekly visits to their assigned child (either in their parental home, foster home, residential treatment facility, at school or in the community), as well as correspond with caregivers, teachers and other service providers to get a complete picture of the child's history and current circumstances. CASAs, with the support of Dane County CASA staff, provide written reports to judges and parties to the case, helping them to make more informed decisions that ensure the child reaches a safe and permanent home as soon as possible. CASAs also work cooperatively with social workers, attorneys and other professionals involved in the case to recommend and coordinate services that support the best interests of the child. QUALIFICATIONS: There are no professional or education requirements to be a CASA in Dane County, but we do require that advocates be at least 21 years of age to serve on a case and commit to serve a minimum of 1 year with our program. Advocates must be willing to serve approximately 2 hours per week, and up to 10-15 hours per month. TRAINING: Advocates are required to complete an initial training that covers topics such as the court system child protective services, strength-based approaches, diversity, and cultural sensitivity. The training format is a combination of "in-class" time and "home study", for an estimated total of 30 hours. The in-class portion usually takes place in two-hour sessions (5:30 - 7:30 pm), one evening per week for a stretch of six weeks.
Apply at https://canopycenter.org/volunteeremployee.html
Please note that while everyone is invited to apply, this is an in-demand volunteer position, meaning we are unable to take on all applicants as CASAs. Due to Dane County CASA's strong volunteer retention rate and the interest of new volunteers outweighing the case demand, applicants should expect to wait a year or more before they are able to receive training. As we are able, we will send out updates regarding training sessions to applicants. Nonprofit: Dane County CASA Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) provide a voice in the court for a child involved with the Dane County child welfare system for a case of abuse, neglect, or other situation impacting the child's safety, permanency, or well-being. This is a crucial role for some of Dane County's most vulnerable children! CASAs are appointed by and act as the eyes and ears for the juvenile court judge. Advocates make weekly visits to their assigned child (either in their parental home, foster home, residential treatment facility, at school or in the community), as well as correspond with caregivers, teachers and other service providers to get a complete picture of the child's history and current circumstances. CASAs, with the support of Dane County CASA staff, provide written reports to judges and parties to the case, helping them to make more informed decisions that ensure the child reaches a safe and permanent home as soon as possible. CASAs also work cooperatively with social workers, attorneys and other professionals involved in the case to recommend and coordinate services that support the best interests of the child. QUALIFICATIONS: There are no professional or education requirements to be a CASA in Dane County, but we do require that advocates be at least 21 years of age to serve on a case and commit to serve a minimum of 1 year with our program. Advocates must be willing to serve approximately 2 hours per week, and up to 10-15 hours per month. TRAINING: Advocates are required to complete an initial training that covers topics such as the court system child protective services, strength-based approaches, diversity, and cultural sensitivity. The training format is a combination of "in-class" time and "home study", for an estimated total of 30 hours. The in-class portion usually takes place in two-hour sessions (5:30 - 7:30 pm), one evening per week for a stretch of six weeks.
Apply at https://canopycenter.org/volunteeremployee.html
Please note that while everyone is invited to apply, this is an in-demand volunteer position, meaning we are unable to take on all applicants as CASAs. Due to Dane County CASA's strong volunteer retention rate and the interest of new volunteers outweighing the case demand, applicants should expect to wait a year or more before they are able to receive training. As we are able, we will send out updates regarding training sessions to applicants. Nonprofit: Dane County CASA Opportunity Type: Volunteer Date: Is Ongoing Zip Code: 53704 Allow Groups: No |