Become a Court Appointed Special Advocate

Interested in becoming a Court Appointed Special Advocate?

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CASA of Menominee/Marinette Volunteer Job Description

 

Position: Court Appointed Special Advocate / CASA Volunteer.

Reporting Relationship: Reports to Advocate Supervisor.

Time Commitment: 30 hours pre-service training; 12 hours of annual in-service training; other flexible hours as necessary for the assigned case (minimum of 10 hours per month).

Position Purpose: A CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) is a trained citizen volunteer appointed by the Juvenile Court to ensure that the needs and interests of abused or neglected children are being met. CASAs are assigned to dependent children who are under the Juvenile Court’s jurisdiction and are assigned at the discretion of the Judge of the Juvenile Court.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Obtain firsthand a clear understanding of the needs and situation of the child by reviewing all relevant documents and records and interviewing the child, parents, social workers, teachers and other persons to determine the facts and circumstances of the child’s situation.

• Identify and advocate for the best interest of the child.

• Seek cooperative solutions by acting as a facilitator among parties.

• Provide at every hearing a report which include findings and recommendations.

• Appear at all hearings to advocate for the child’s best interests and provide testimony when necessary.

• Have regular and sufficient in-person contact with the child to ensure in-depth knowledge of the case and make fact-based recommendations to the court. The CASA volunteer shall meet in-person with the child once every thirty days at a minimum. An exception may be granted at the discretion of program staff; however, the justification and reasons for a decision to permit less frequent-in person contact must be documented.

• Make recommendations for specific appropriate services for the child and, when appropriate, the child’s family.

• Determine if a permanent plan has been created for a child.

• Monitor implementation of service plans and court orders assuring that court ordered services are implemented in a timely manner and that review hearings are held in accordance with the law.

• Inform the court promptly of important developments in the case through appropriate means as determined by court rules or statute.

• Advocate for the child’s best interests in the community by interfacing with mental health, educational and other community systems to assure that the child’s needs in these areas are met.

• Participate in all scheduled case conferences with supervisory staff.

• Participate in all in-service training.

• Maintain complete records about the case, including appointments, interviews and information gathered about the child and the child’s life circumstances.

• Maintain monthly contact with the Advocate Supervisor.

• Return case files to the program after the case is closed.

Qualifications

• Must be at least 21 years of age.

• Must successfully pass a thorough screening/background check.

• Successful completion of pre-service training program.

• Attend a minimum of 12 hours’ in-service hours annually.

• Able to respect and relate to individuals from various backgrounds and cultures in a caring and sensitive manner.

• Good oral/written communication skills.

• Understands and is willing to commit to a minimum of a one-year volunteer position serving on a minimum of one assigned case.

• Willing to accept supervision, training, and evaluation from the professional staff.

• Able to provide their own transportation.

• Must be a dedicated child advocate, willing to learn the best possible means to ensure that the needs of the children in the Menominee or Marinette County juvenile justice system are being met.