Katie Thompson, Director, Office of Drug Prevention and Recovery in Pulaski County
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A CASA is a local volunteer who is appointed, by a Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Judge, to advocate for a child who is involved with the Department of Social Services and the court system due to a founded case of abuse and/or neglect. CASA advocates for the best interests of the child, to help them get services they may need and ensure they find a safe, stable, loving, and permanent home.
A trained CASA spends time with the child in their case and gathers information to be shared with the court. The CASA makes fact-based recommendations to the judge based on the best interests of the child – what the child needs to be safe as well as what the child needs to find a stable, nurturing, and permanent home.
In gathering information, the CASA typically also meets with other adults who are involved with the child’s case. This may include (but is not limited to) the biological parents or other relatives, the foster parents, the child’s Guardian ad Litem, and other service providers.
Being a CASA is a role that usually occupies about 10 to 15 hours of your time per month, depending on the specifics of the case you are involved with. This time may include visiting with the child, participating in case-related meetings, and preparing for and attending court hearings.
Some case-related activities require availability during traditional work-week hours. This includes court hearings – although these are typically scheduled weeks or months in advance, which helps with planning.
Ideally, a CASA remains involved until the child’s case is closed. One of the big benefits for a child with a CASA is having a consistent adult presence in their life, so our goal is to keep the same CASA on a case from start to finish! While some cases resolve quite quickly, a year (or, in some instances, more) is not uncommon.
Generally, CASAs would have no more than two cases at a time. You may, however, choose to only have one case at a time.
Please note that a case can involve more than one child from the same family (e.g., sibling groups).
No. CASAs are valuable because they come from all walks of life and can therefore draw from a variety of professional and personal experiences in their advocacy work. What is important is that a CASA is a responsible, caring adult who exhibits good judgement, the ability to be objective, and has a commitment to being helpful.
While you may have little legal expertise at the beginning, you’ll learn a lot about the legal process and the court system through your CASA training and experience.
The first step is to contact a member of our program’s staff, to discuss eligibility. Minimum requirements are that you must be at least 21-years-old, have at least a high school diploma (or the equivalent), and live within our program’s service area (the counties of Floyd, Giles, Montgomery, and Pulaski, as well as the City of Radford).
Eligible individuals must then complete an application. If your application is accepted, you must complete the required pre-service training course. This course meets weekly for eight weeks, typically in person at our main office in Christiansburg. Participants are required to attend all classes, as well as complete some assignments outside of class.
In addition, all applicants must be able to pass a series of background checks.
Once all pre-service requirements are successfully completed, there is a swearing-in ceremony with a Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Judge where you become a full-fledged CASA and a sworn officer of the court!
To start this process, please email Leah@nrvcares.org or call 540-381-8312.
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