Volunteer

Volunteer

Take the first step to becoming a CASA advocate:

VOLUNTEER!

In order for Advocates to retain their certification, they have to complete a total of 12 hours of continuing education (a.k.a. CASA College) every year.  If you are an active advocate, please talk to your CASA Supervisor about your current CASA College requirement.

Below are some opportunities to earn CASA College credit.  You are also welcome to find your own resources, classes, seminars, etc, that relate to child advocacy.

To receive credit, make sure to fill out and submit the CASA College Form.

The Poverty Learning Center is a tool from National CASA to support you in exploring the relationship between poverty and child abuse and neglect, and the resources available to the children and families we serve. Poverty-Learning-Center-Resources-on-Poverty

Diversity, Equity, and inclusion Resources

Advocate DEI Training
DEI training with Brittney Wardlaw is available on YouTube with an unlisted link: https://youtu.be/7ktA3G6g6jE

This training will address themes of diversity, implicit bias, and equity. Whether this material is new to you or you have been through other related trainings, EVERYONE will gain a deeper understanding of these issues. Advocates will benefit from insights and knowledge they can build on to be the best advocates they can for the children and families they serve! Because this training is important for our organization and to encourage EVERYONE to attend, all advocates attending the training will get 1.5 hours of credit for the 1 hour workshop.

Podcasts
(linked here to web, but can be found on your fave podcast app)
Books
Film 
  • When They See Us (Netflix)
  • 13th   (Netflix)
  • Dear White People (Netflix)
  • Just Mercy
  • Selma
  • 42
  • Malcom X
  • The Long Walk Home
  • Hidden Figures
  • The Hate U Give

bOOKS (AVAILABLE AT THE CASA OFFICE)

* Note if you decide to purchase one of these books through Amazon, make sure to sign in using Amazon Smile and select “CASA of McLennan County” as the charity you are supporting! *

Book credit hours: 4 hours per book unless significantly short or long/technical, then discuss with your CASA Supervisor.

A Chance in the World by S. Pemberton
Another Place at the Table by K. Harrison
Etched In Sand by R. Calcaterra
In a Heartbeat by L. and S. Tuohy
POPULAR ~ Listen: Stories We Carry with Us from House to House
My Orange Duffel Bag by S. Bracken
One Kid at a Time by J. Dekker
Rage: True Stories by Teens About Anger by L. Longhine
Reframing Foster Care by J. Johnson
Scared Selfless by M. Stevens
Somebody’s Someone: A Memoir by R. Louise
POPULAR ~ The Connected Child by Purvis, Cross, & Sunshine
The Mystery of Risk: Drugs, Alcohol, Pregnancy and the Vulnerable Child by I. Chasnoff
POPULAR ~ The Whole-Brain Child by D. Siegel
POPULAR ~ Three Little Words: A Memoir by A. Rhodes-Courter
POPULAR ~ Three More Words by A. Rhodes-Courter
To the End of June: The Intimate Life of American Foster Care by C. Beam
Torn by R. Lewis
We Are Called to Rise by L. McBride
A Framework for Understanding Poverty by R. Payne (4th edition available only at CASA office)

Other suggested book titles (not available from casa)

The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog by B. Perry
The Locust Effect by G. Haugen
The Body Keeps The Score – Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Dr. B. van der Kolk
Trauma Stewardship – An Everyday Guide to Caring For Self While Caring For Others by L. van Dernoot Lipsky

DVD’S & DOCUMENTARIES (AVAILABLE AT THE CASA OFFICE)

[.75 hour] ABC Primetime: Family Secrets- Breaking the Cycle of Abuse
[1.50 hours] ABC Primetime:
Rosie’s Story: For the Sake of the Children
[.50 hour] ABC 20/20: 
Overmedication in Foster Care
POPULAR ~ [2 hours]
Instant Family
[1 hour]
Generation Like (from PBS and Frontline)
[1 hour]
Growing Up Online
[1 hour] 
Healing Neen
[1.25 hours] 
Off and Running
[1.50 hours] 
Gender Revolution: A Journey with Katie Couric
[2 hours] World’s Most Dangerous Drug
TBRI: The Healing Families Video Series (online videos also available)
[.5 hour] Meth: Shadow Across America – https://www.pbs.org/video/meth-shadow-across-america/

podcasts

Credit available is actual time per episode

CASA on the Go: Continuing Education for CASA Volunteers – This continuing education podcast connects CASA volunteers with engaging and relevant training designed to help strengthen advocacy for children and families. Each short, dynamic episode features informative discussions with subject matter experts exploring topics connected to child welfare and best practices for CASA advocacy. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker(s) in their personal capacity and are not the official policy or position of Texas CASA.
Foster Parenting Podcast – “Join foster parents T and W as they discuss foster care.”
Add Water and Stir Podcast“Add Water and Stir will focus on promoting adoption within communities of color, especially within the African American community.”
The Forgotten Podcast“Whether you are a part of the foster care community, passionate about serving or simply interested in learning more, we are here for you!”
Mandy and the F-Bomb – Join us as we talk about the hope and havoc of foster care. The truth is, sometimes the things that wreck us the most profoundly, stitch us back together into the best, purpose-filled versions of ourselves. This podcast seeks to shed light on those stories and invites you to find your place and purpose in the world of foster care.

ONLINE VIDEOS

[.25 hour] Removed – Part 1
[.5 hourRemoved – Part 2
[2 hours Foster  (HBO documentary – HBO subscription required)
[.25 hour]
Knowing Who You Are: Race Matters (Texas DFPS)
[.25/.50 hour variations] Conversations with CASA
[1.25 hour] Brené Brown: The Call to Courage  (Netflix subscription required) (WARNING: Language Content)
[.25 hour] Beyond the Cliff Laura van Dernoot Lipsky
[.25 hour] Breaking the Silence about Childhood Trauma  Dani Bostick
[.25 hour] Adverse Childhood Experiences Can Be Connectors to Joy  Martha Londagin
[.25 hour] What Trauma Taught Me About Resilience  Charles Hunt
[.25 hour] How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across a Lifetime  Nadine Burke Harris
[.25 hour] Cultural Humility Juliana Mosley, Ph.D.
[.25 hour] No. You Cannot Touch My Hair! Meno Fombo – TEDx
[.25 hour] The Trauma of Being Black In Foster Care Kizzy Lopez – TEDx
[.5 hour] Building Cultural Competency MCPSTV
[1.5 hour] Introduction to LGBTQ Cultural Competency All Children, All Families

[1 hour]
Introduction to TBRI (Trust-Based Relational Intervention®) Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development

(Series available to view by registering in CASA College through Texas CASA! DVD’s available at CASA office.)
[.75 hour] “TBRI: An Overview” TBRI: The Healing Families Video Series
[2.5 hours] “Attachment: Why It Matters”
[1.5 hours] “Children from Hard Places and the Brain”
[.5 hour] “Playful Interaction”
[.75 hour] “Healthy Touch”
[1 hour] “A Sensory World”
[.5 hour] “Trust-Based Parenting”
[2.5 hours] “Advocacy for Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC) Course” https://texascasa.org/csec/

articles

[1 hour for article & quiz] Take The ACE Quiz — And Learn What It Does And Doesn’t Mean  We Can Prevent ACES Video
[.50 hour] Knowing the Protective Factors
[1 hour per module/8 available] CSSP’s Strengthening Families Curriculum 
[.50 hour] How to Talk About Human Trafficking with Children and Adolescents
[2 hours] Out of the Shadows: Supporting LGBTQ Youth in Child Welfare through Cross-System Collaboration
[2 hours] Fostering Healthy Lives: Strategies to Prevent Teen Pregnancy in Foster Care and Support Teen Parents in Foster Care
[.50 hour] The Healing Power of “Giving Voice”  Purvis & Cross
[.50 hour per article/15 available] Child Welfare Information Gateway: Series Briefs
[.25 hour] How To Support College Students Who Experienced Foster Care During School Breaks
Disproportionality Resources