Pre-Service Training

Before becoming a CASA, you will also complete the required application and screening process, including background checks.

Your trainer will guide you through the remaining requirements and help you prepare for your role.

Your 30-hour training is divided into five sessions. Each session includes online learning activities, videos, readings, and assignments that introduce you to the CASA role and the child welfare system.

Topics include:

• The role of a CASA volunteer
• Abuse, neglect, and trauma
• The child welfare and court systems
• Courtroom expectations and terminology
• Advocacy and communication
• Domestic violence and mental health
• Confidentiality and documentation
• Working with children, families, and professionals
• Permanency and the child's best interests

Each session includes a live meeting with your trainer. These meetings give you the opportunity to ask questions, discuss what you are learning, and work through real-world scenarios.

Your trainer is there to help you throughout the training process. You are not expected to know everything when you begin.

Your 30-hour pre-service training concludes with court observation, giving you the opportunity to see the court process in action and connect what you've learned to the work you will do as a CASA volunteer.

Once you successfully complete training and are sworn in as a CASA volunteer, you will have a dedicated CASA staff member with you every step of the way.

You will receive ongoing guidance and support as you begin your first case and throughout your time as a volunteer. You are never expected to navigate a case alone.

Your CASA staff member can help you understand your case, connect with resources, prepare for court, and answer questions as they arise.

Our goal is to prepare you to enter your first case feeling informed, confident, and supported.