Training
Qualifications and Training to be a CASA Volunteer
You don't need a law degree or social work background to be a CASA Volunteer. You don't have to have all the time in the world. The qualifications needed are, a commitment to see children grow up in a safe and nurturing environment and some practical experience with children.
To be an effective child advocate you must be 21 years old and able to:
- Communicate effectively with a variety of individuals from various walks of life
- Cope with the stressful issues and difficult situations children have experienced
- Reach objective conclusions after considering all the facts
- Maintain confidentiality
- Work respectfully with people who have different values and life situations
- Devote at least 8 to 10 hours each month for one year to work on a case
Becoming a CASA requires completion of 35 hours of pre-service training provided by CASA. This training is comprised of a full day (Saturday) of training, and six (6) evening trainings, usually Tuesdays and Thursdays. Training is conducted four times a year (January, April, July, October) and begins on the second Saturday of the month. Topics covered during training include an overview of the juvenile court system in South Dakota, sessions on report writing and information gathering, understanding the effects of child abuse, understanding cultural differences, and the roles of various professionals involved with abuse and neglect cases. To receive a more detailed schedule of training, please email to loribaldwin@casaofrapidcity.org
Active volunteers are also asked to complete 12 hours of in-service training per year.
OUR NEXT VOLUNTEER BASIC TRAININGS ARE SCHEDULED TO BEGIN ON THE BELOW LISTED DATES:
*right click the links below and save to download .doc files