IMPORTANT UPDATE
The COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on our community — including the children we serve, our volunteers, and our staff — has been of great concern to us at Voices for Children. All CASAs received an email from our President & CEO, Kelly Douglas, on March 12 with details on how to best conduct your role as a CASA during this time. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your advocacy supervisor. For the latest information, advice, and resources for advocating for case youth remotely while complying with stay-at-home restrictions related to COVID-19, please visit our Remote Advocacy Guide.
May 2021
Reminders and Deadlines for CASAs
Continuing Education
IMPORTANT UPDATE
Due to COVID-19 precautions, all scheduled Small Group and Continuing Education sessions will be conducted remotely until further notice.
Open Topic Small Group
Wednesday, May 12
10:00–11:30 a.m.
Please join us for a Small Group meeting to discuss your case with peers and two advocacy supervisors via Zoom. To participate, RSVP to Advocacy Supervisor II Amanda Reynolds at AmandaR@speakupnow.org by Monday, May 10.
Educational Advocacy
Wednesday, May 26
10:30 a.m.–noon
Do you want to be more effective in advocating for your assigned youth's education? Celia Rutherford, an attorney with the San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program (SDVLP), will present a Continuing Education session on individualized education program (IEP) advocacy. She will focus on advocating for a special education assessment, reading and understanding an IEP document, advocating during an IEP meeting, and effectively communicating with schools. Please RSVP to Advocacy Supervisor Tiara Gardner at TiaraG@speakupnow.org by Monday, May 24 to receive the Zoom link.
Juvenile Justice Basic Advocacy Training
Tuesday, June 8
5:30–7:30 p.m.
Are you assigned to a juvenile justice or dual-status case or interested in learning more about the juvenile justice system? This Zoom training will teach you how to navigate the juvenile justice system and advocate for youth on probation. To attend the training, or to learn more about VFC's Juvenile Justice pilot program, email Juvenile Justice Advocacy Supervisor Giselle Acosta at GiselleA@speakupnow.org.
Suicide Prevention Training
Tuesday, June 15th
5:30–7:00 p.m.
The Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR) suicide prevention training is designed to give members of the general public the basic skills necessary to recognize the warning signs that someone may be contemplating suicide. During this training, you will learn to recognize warning signs of suicide, how to offer hope, and how to get help and save a life. This training is funded by the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) and offered on behalf of the San Diego County Suicide Prevention Council. To RSVP, email Senior Advocacy Liaison Kelly Grant at KellyG@speakupnow.org.