Reminders and Deadlines for CASAs
September 2017
August Volunteer Hours
To submit your August volunteer hours, please click here. Remember to include hours spent driving to and from visits, meetings, and other CASA-related destinations when submitting your hours. Thank you!
VFC Office Closures
Monday, September 4 (Labor Day)
Monday, October 9 (Columbus Day)
October Birthday Club Deadline
If you would like to request a $25 gift card for your case child’s October birthday, please click on this link, Birthday Club, to request the gift card no later than Sunday, September 24. Please note that the gift card provider does not accommodate late requests.
Drop-In Small Group
Wednesday, September 13
10:00-11:30 a.m.
VFC Chesapeake Office: Boardroom
Drop in to a Small Group meeting to discuss your case with peers and an advocacy supervisor. No RSVP is required. Please join us.
Community College & Vocational Education
Tuesday, September 19
5:30-7:00 p.m.
VFC Chesapeake Office: Training Room
Representatives from the San Diego Community College District will present information on programs and services available to students planning to attend or already enrolled in community college. This will include information on the application process, financial aid, and scholarships. They will also present information about the various vocational education and career and technology education programs offered at community colleges. Please RSVP to Laurel Nelson at LaurelN@speakupnow.org.
School-Based Advocacy for LGBTQ Foster Youth
Thursday, September 28
9-10 a.m.
Webinar
LGBTQ foster youth experience higher rates of bullying and are more likely to drop out of school than other foster youth, according to the Human Rights Campaign’s All Children All Families (ACAF) project. This free webinar, part of ACAF’s 2017 webinar series, will address the risk factors for LGBTQ foster youth in education settings; explore best practices to help ensure that LGBTQ foster youth have a welcoming and supportive school experience; and discuss school resources, behaviors, and policies that can encourage the healthy development of LGBTQ youth. To register, click here. If you attend this webinar, please remember to contact your advocacy supervisor for Continuing Education credit.
Small Group: Open Topic
Saturday, September 30
10:00 – 11:30 am.
VFC Chesapeake Office: Training Room
Trouble making a Small Group meeting during the week? Join us for a Saturday morning Small Group meeting to discuss your case with peers and an assistant program manager. Please bring questions and ideas to share with the group. RSVP to Megan M. at 858-598-2287 or MeganM@speakupnow.org.
Small Group: How to Navigate Uncomfortable Situations as a CASA
Wednesday, October 4
5:30-7:00 p.m.
VFC Chesapeake Office: Training Room
Have you ever found yourself in an uncomfortable situation while working on your case? Come join us to share with and learn from other CASAs ideas on handling these situations. Advocacy Supervisor Nicole D’Amato will lead this Small Group meeting to address how you can feel more confident serving foster children and staying within your CASA role while navigating these situations. Please bring questions and ideas to share with the group. RSVP to Nicole at 858-598-2260 or NicoleD@speakupnow.org.
Drop-In Small Group
Wednesday, October 11
10:00-11:30 a.m.
VFC Chesapeake Office: Boardroom
Drop in to a Small Group meeting to discuss your case with peers and an advocacy supervisor. No RSVP is required. Please join us.
Suicide Awareness and Prevention
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
10:30 a.m.-Noon
VFC Chesapeake Office: Training Room
North County Lifeline will provide valuable information on suicide awareness and prevention, including warning signs, questions to ask, and what to do if a youth says that they are suicidal. Please RSVP to Kristen B. at KristenB@speakupnow.org or 858-598-2291.
The Role of Advocates in Developing Affirming Families for LGBTQ Youth
Wednesday, October 25
10-11 a.m.
Webinar
You Gotta Believe, an agency in Coney Island, N.Y., will present the strategies behind its innovative model for engaging youth advocates in finding permanent families for adolescents, especially LGBTQ youth. This free webinar is part of the Human Rights Campaign’s All Children All Families project’s 2017 webinar series, To register, click here. If you attend this webinar, please remember to contact your advocacy supervisor for Continuing Education credit.
Working with Transgender and Non-Binary Foster and Adoptive Parents
Thursday, November 16
11 a.m.-Noon
Webinar
In this free webinar, the Human Rights Campaign’s All Children All Families project will preview its new resource guide for child welfare professionals on how to welcome, affirm, recruit, and serve transgender and non-binary foster and adoptive parents. To register, click here. If you attend this webinar, please remember to contact your advocacy supervisor for Continuing Education credit.