What Is CASA?
CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. The CASA of the Permian Basin Area, Inc. is a local, non-profit organization. The CASA Advocate is a volunteer who is appointed by the Judge to represent the best interest of a child(ren) in the foster care system. Each CASA Advocate has an Advocacy Coordinator, or a CASA employee, there to help the volunteer Advocate and to be another contact person for CASA.
CASA’s History
CASA was started in 1977 in Seattle, Washington by a Judge who felt he needed more information to make decisions about cases with children in foster care. He created a program to train and assign community members to serve as volunteers to research the cases of children who had been removed from their homes and share that information with the Judge. Today, there are over 1,000 CASA programs in the United States. CASA of the Permian Basin Area Inc. serves children in Ector, Crane, Loving, Ward and Winkler counties.
What Do CASA Advocates Do?
CASA Advocates are responsible for taking the time to find out as much as possible about the child(ren). They form trusting relationships with the children they work with and always speak for the child(ren)’s best interest. The Advocate visits the child(ren) in their placement, talks to the child(ren)’s parents and relatives, and they talk to the child(ren)’s caregivers, teachers, doctors, caseworkers or anyone else who has information about the child(ren). The CASA Advocate will be at each court hearing and will give a recommendation to the Judge about what they believe is in the best interest for the child(ren) and what the child(ren) needs.
What Does It Take to be a CASA?
Potential Advocates must be 21-years of age, or older, must pass a CPS background check, a state and federal background check and have their Social Security number verified. CASA Advocates attend a 30-hour training session, spaced out over two weeks. CASA Advocates trainees also observe 4 hours of court to gain an understanding for the court system. CASA Advocates are required to complete 12-hours of Continuing Education throughout the year. Finally, a CASA Advocate is expected to remain with the child(ren)’s CPS case throughout the duration of the case; some cases can finish within a year’s time, while others last longer.
How Much Time Does It Take to be a CASA?
Each CPS case is different; some cases may only have one child, while another case may have 5 children. A good general estimate of time spent on a case per week is 1 to 2 hours per child. A CASA Advocate will visit the child(ren) in their placement, talk to the child(ren)’s parents and relatives, talk to the child(ren)’s caregivers, teachers, doctors, therapist, caseworkers or anyone else who has information about the child(ren). They might also visit the child(ren)’s school, or email the child(ren’s) teachers, and attend meetings about the child(ren) at the school or at CPS. CASA Advocates also get to review records about the child(ren’s) from schools and doctors and from CPS.
CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. The CASA of the Permian Basin Area, Inc. is a local, non-profit organization. The CASA Advocate is a volunteer who is appointed by the Judge to represent the best interest of a child(ren) in the foster care system. Each CASA Advocate has an Advocacy Coordinator, or a CASA employee, there to help the volunteer Advocate and to be another contact person for CASA.
CASA’s History
CASA was started in 1977 in Seattle, Washington by a Judge who felt he needed more information to make decisions about cases with children in foster care. He created a program to train and assign community members to serve as volunteers to research the cases of children who had been removed from their homes and share that information with the Judge. Today, there are over 1,000 CASA programs in the United States. CASA of the Permian Basin Area Inc. serves children in Ector, Crane, Loving, Ward and Winkler counties.
What Do CASA Advocates Do?
CASA Advocates are responsible for taking the time to find out as much as possible about the child(ren). They form trusting relationships with the children they work with and always speak for the child(ren)’s best interest. The Advocate visits the child(ren) in their placement, talks to the child(ren)’s parents and relatives, and they talk to the child(ren)’s caregivers, teachers, doctors, caseworkers or anyone else who has information about the child(ren). The CASA Advocate will be at each court hearing and will give a recommendation to the Judge about what they believe is in the best interest for the child(ren) and what the child(ren) needs.
What Does It Take to be a CASA?
Potential Advocates must be 21-years of age, or older, must pass a CPS background check, a state and federal background check and have their Social Security number verified. CASA Advocates attend a 30-hour training session, spaced out over two weeks. CASA Advocates trainees also observe 4 hours of court to gain an understanding for the court system. CASA Advocates are required to complete 12-hours of Continuing Education throughout the year. Finally, a CASA Advocate is expected to remain with the child(ren)’s CPS case throughout the duration of the case; some cases can finish within a year’s time, while others last longer.
How Much Time Does It Take to be a CASA?
Each CPS case is different; some cases may only have one child, while another case may have 5 children. A good general estimate of time spent on a case per week is 1 to 2 hours per child. A CASA Advocate will visit the child(ren) in their placement, talk to the child(ren)’s parents and relatives, talk to the child(ren)’s caregivers, teachers, doctors, therapist, caseworkers or anyone else who has information about the child(ren). They might also visit the child(ren)’s school, or email the child(ren’s) teachers, and attend meetings about the child(ren) at the school or at CPS. CASA Advocates also get to review records about the child(ren’s) from schools and doctors and from CPS.
UPCOMING VOLUNTEER TRAINING:
August 2021
Have you ever wanted to speak up for a child? Do you want to make a difference? Become a CASA volunteer! Be the their voice in court and help shape their future.
If you are interested in becoming a CASA Volunteer please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Casey Hallmark at (432) 248-4900. We would love to speak with you about becoming a Volunteer Advocate for children of the Permian Basin Area.
Don't miss out on our next training class.
Our kids needs someone like you to stand up and be their voice in court. Its a great way to give back and make a difference.
| volunteer_application.doc |
How can I become a CASA?
We at CASA of the Permian Basin Area appreciate you taking the time to learn more about our agency and volunteers. A CASA Volunteer must be 21 years of age, be able to pass an extensive criminal and Child Protective Services history background check, participate in an in-depth training program and be willing to commit at least one year of service.
The first step is to download the volunteer application, fill it out, and return it to our office. Download the application by clicking on the file below.
We at CASA of the Permian Basin Area appreciate you taking the time to learn more about our agency and volunteers. A CASA Volunteer must be 21 years of age, be able to pass an extensive criminal and Child Protective Services history background check, participate in an in-depth training program and be willing to commit at least one year of service.
The first step is to download the volunteer application, fill it out, and return it to our office. Download the application by clicking on the file below.
If you have trouble downloading the application or have any questions about becoming a CASA Volunteer, please feel free to contact our us at (432) 498-4174.
Completed applications can be emailed to our Volunteer Coordinator at casey@casapba.org, mailed to or dropped off at our office. We look forward to hearing from you!
CASA of the Permian Basin Area, Inc.
300 N Grant, Suite 100
Odessa, TX 79761
Phone: (432) 498-4174
Completed applications can be emailed to our Volunteer Coordinator at casey@casapba.org, mailed to or dropped off at our office. We look forward to hearing from you!
CASA of the Permian Basin Area, Inc.
300 N Grant, Suite 100
Odessa, TX 79761
Phone: (432) 498-4174
- I still have questions. Where can I find more information?
- There are some excellent resources under FAQ on the Texas CASA Website (click here). You can also learn more about volunteering on the National CASA website (click here). If these websites still don't help answer your questions, feel free to contact us.