CASA on the Go: Continuing Education for CASA Volunteers
43 episodes - English - Latest episode: 23 days ago - ★★★★★ - 23 ratingsThis continuing education podcast connects CASA volunteers with engaging and relevant training designed to help strengthen advocacy for children and families. Each short, dynamic episode features informative discussions with subject matter experts exploring topics connected to child welfare and best practices for CASA advocacy. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker(s) in their personal capacity and are not the official policy or position of Texas CASA.
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Episodes
Asking the Right Questions featuring Cindy Dyar
April 03, 2024 14:00 - 39 minutes - 27.5 MBOne of the CASA guiding principles is respect for the parents we walk alongside, as well as for all parties involved in the case. This episode is brimming with insights from our guest Cindy Dyar, Director of the Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid Family Defense Project, on how we can approach collaboration with parents and their attorneys with an open mind and a commitment to understanding, even when we might not be in agreement. Cindy has practiced family law for more than a decade and shares some ...
Advocacy for Health and Healing featuring Elizabeth Wendell
February 26, 2024 22:00 - 40 minutes - 27.6 MBHow can CASA advocacy be more deeply informed by what we know about lifelong health outcomes for youth involved with the CPS system? Research has revealed profound inequalities in adulthood related to the type of care experienced by youth in the foster care system. Joining us to put this important research into conversation with CASA advocacy is global change-maker Elizabeth Wendell, an innovator in public health and family well-being and co-founder of Pale Blue. Support the show
Illuminating the CASA Difference with Joan Ulsher
January 30, 2024 22:00 - 31 minutes - 21.9 MBIn this episode we're delighted to be joined by author, speaker, and CASA advocate Joan Ulsher, a powerful voice for the mission and impact of CASA. Joan shares insights from her work as a deeply devoted advocate as well as from her memoir "Misplaced Childhood: A True Story of Resiliency and Child Advocacy," which touches on her own experience with foster care. You can read more about Joan's work here. Support the show
Cultivating Resilience and Compassionate Presence with Christa Mayfield
December 29, 2023 17:00 - 34 minutes - 23.4 MBWhat are some tangible ways CASA advocates can cultivate resilience and keep our compassion game strong when engaged in advocacy work that can sometimes weigh heavily on our hearts and minds? The wonderful and wise Christa Mayfield of Good Sustained shines a light on strategies for mitigating burnout and building resilience within ourselves so that our advocacy work can continue to feel meaningful and rooted in authentic compassion, and so that we can continually bring our best selves into o...
Hope-Focused Advocacy with Cortney Jones
November 30, 2023 20:00 - 37 minutes - 25.6 MBIn this episode, we're thrilled to be in conversation with Cortney Jones, founder of Change 1, an organization that aims to support young adults with foster care experience in realizing their full potential. Cortney draws on examples from the work she leads at the intersection of restorative justice and child welfare practice to explore how CASA volunteers can work to proactively affirm human dignity in our advocacy as we seek to support authentic justice, empowerment, and healing for famili...
Collaborative Child Advocacy: Partnering with Attorney Ad Litems Featuring Lori Duke
November 01, 2023 16:00 - 31 minutes - 21.6 MBOur guiding principles emphasize collaboration with and respect for all parties involved in the case. What can CASA advocates do to build effective working relationships and increase collaboration with attorney ad litems? For this conversation, we're honored to be joined by the deeply insightful Lori Duke, Clinical Professor and Co-Director of the Children’s Rights Clinic at the University of Texas School of Law. Lori shares strategies and best practices for collaborative child advocacy gath...
Strengthening a Web of Supports for Teens and Young Adults in Foster Care
September 28, 2023 15:00 - 30 minutes - 21 MBIn this episode, we’re delighted to be in conversation with Laura Villarreal, the Neurodevelopmental Program Specialist with the Texas Workforce Commission Vocational Rehabilitation Services. Laura shines a light on the web of services and supports that the Texas Workforce Commission offers for teens and young adults in foster care to help expand their access to economic opportunities and supportive mentoring relationships with a goal of establishing life-giving stability as they transition ...
Bridging the Gap: Advocacy for Educational Wellbeing with Chantal Hinds
August 17, 2023 19:00 - 47 minutes - 32.7 MBAs the families we walk alongside embark on a new school year, let's pause to reflect on how CASA advocates can have a powerful impact on increasing educational stability and success for youth in foster care. In this episode, we're joined by the brilliant Chantal Hinds, an attorney, policy entrepreneur, and an advocate for the well-being of students involved in the foster system. Chantal shares valuable insights from her research into improving educational wellbeing for youth in care, as wel...
Improving Access to Information, Resources, and Support with Sarah Bryant
June 28, 2023 17:00 - 39 minutes - 27.5 MBAs CASAs, we know how critical it is that parents and family members have access to the information and support needed to successfully navigate what can be a complex and overwhelming child welfare system. In this episode, we're deeply honored to be joined by Sarah Bryant, managing attorney for The Family Helpline. A project of the Texas Legal Services Center, the Helpline exists to stand in the gap for families seeking information and clarity about the CPS legal process. Sarah brings her ex...
Advocacy for Children 0 to 5 Years Old and Their Families Featuring Krystal Vann, Carollyn Thesing, and Anna McDonnell(Part 2)
May 31, 2023 18:00 - 30 minutes - 20.9 MBWith 47% of children in foster care falling into the 0 to 5 age range, it's critical that we're up to date on best practices in advocating for young children and strategies for effectively supporting their families. Powerhouse duo Krystal Vann and Carollyn Thesing from Child Advocates of Fort Bend return for part two of this conversation with a focus on advocating for the educational and developmental needs of four- and five-year-olds, as well as trauma-informed approaches to supporting fami...
Advocacy for Children 0 to 5 Years Old and Their Families Featuring Krystal Vann and Carollyn Thesing (Part 1)
April 27, 2023 17:00 - 34 minutes - 24 MBIn part one of this two-part conversation, we're thrilled to be joined by the seasoned team of Krystal Vann and Carollyn Thesing from Child Advocates of Fort Bend to draw on their experience leading a trailblazing advocacy program for children five and younger and their families. We’ll be talking about best practices in advocating for the developmentally-specific needs of children in this age group and how CASA advocates can work to support and partner with their parents and families. Supp...
Building Trust-Based Relationships with Youth featuring Jordan Bartlett
March 31, 2023 03:00 - 32 minutes - 22.5 MBHow can we support the youth we walk alongside in cultivating resilience across the essential, interconnected domains of life? In this episode, we're joined by powerhouse CASA advocate and social entrepreneur Jordan Bartlett for a conversation about showing up, building rapport, and creating authentic relationships with youth. Jordan draws on his experience as co-founder of Doing Good Works, a Texas-based company focused on creating sustainable solutions and helping individuals achieve their...
The Bedrock Importance of the MSL with Leslie Cocke
February 24, 2023 14:00 - 22 minutes - 15.2 MBThe minimum sufficient level of care or MSL is a critical polestar for CASA advocacy. How can advocates ensure that we are fully embracing the MSL in our decision-making and our recommendations to the court? Drawing on her legal background as an attorney and mediator as well as her decade+ tenure with CASA, the brilliant Leslie Cocke joins us to unpack ways in which the MSL can be an important safeguard in our advocacy and to explore how CASA volunteers can strengthen their MSL lens. Click h...
The bedrock importance of the MSL with Leslie Cocke
February 24, 2023 14:00 - 22 minutes - 15.2 MBThe minimum sufficient level of care or MSL is a critical polestar for CASA advocacy. How can advocates ensure that we are fully embracing the MSL in our decision-making and our recommendations to the court? Drawing on her legal background as an attorney and mediator as well as her decade+ tenure with CASA, the brilliant Leslie Cocke joins us to unpack ways in which the MSL can be an important safeguard in our advocacy and to explore how CASA volunteers can strengthen their MSL lens. Click h...
Understanding and Preventing Child Trafficking with Rhonda Kuykendall
January 25, 2023 16:00 - 19 minutes - 13.3 MBJanuary is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and Texas CASA is deeply honored to have Rhonda Kuykendall discussing what advocates should know and can do when it comes to preventing child trafficking and supporting youth who have experienced the trauma of trafficking. Some trainings and resources mentioned in the episode include Innovations in Advocacy to Combat Child Sex Trafficking; Advocacy for Commercially Sexually Exploited Children; and How to Talk About Human Trafficking with...
Fostering Collaboration with Naomi Sawyer: the Power of Partnering with Foster Caregivers
August 15, 2022 16:00 - 24 minutes - 17.2 MBFoster and kinship caregivers play an incredibly important role in caring for the children and youth we walk alongside. How can CASA advocates ensure that these caregivers have the support they need while engaging them as valuable team members in our advocacy for children and families? Joining us for this conversation is the phenomenal Naomi Sawyer, Advocate Supervisor and CFE Lead at CASA of Hill County. Naomi draws on her years of leadership in advocacy for youth and families in addition t...
Fostering Collaboration with Naomi Sawyer: the Power of Partnering with Foster Caregivers
August 15, 2022 16:00 - 24 minutes - 17.2 MBFoster and kinship caregivers play an incredibly important role in caring for the children and youth we walk alongside. How can CASA advocates ensure that these caregivers have the support they need while engaging them as valuable team members in our advocacy for children and families? Joining us for this conversation is the phenomenal Naomi Sawyer, Advocate Supervisor and CFE Lead at CASA of Hill County. Naomi draws on her years of leadership in advocacy for youth and families in addition t...
Learning from Lived Expertise with Renequa Burch
April 25, 2022 16:00 - 1 hour - 43.3 MBAt Texas CASA, we believe in learning from the stories and leadership of those who have experienced our systems firsthand. In this episode, we’re joined by Renequa Burch, a mother whose family has been impacted by the Texas foster care system in a deeply agonizing way. Renequa’s experiences offer crucial insights about the importance of engaging meaningfully with parents and family members from the very beginning of appointment, the power of effective communication and collaboration, the ne...
The Power of Compassionate Advocacy with Maria McCord
March 02, 2022 00:00 - 22 minutes - 15.6 MBHow can we learn from the stories of those who experienced our foster care system firsthand, and move towards more compassionate and holistic advocacy for youth and families? Join us for an inspirational conversation with Collaborative Family Engagement Coach Maria McCord about the importance of empathy in our work with children and families, and the lifesaving power of connection. Support the show
Authentic Youth Engagement in Family Meetings and Beyond (Part 2) with Lisa Merkel-Holguin and Anita Horner
January 05, 2022 15:00 - 23 minutes - 16 MBOur guest Lisa Merkel-Holguin has written that "children and youth, in systems that are designed to serve them, often experience their needs and opinions as being overlooked in the context of planning for them." Join us for part two of this episode featuring Anita Horner and Lisa Merkel-Holguin to learn more about creative and meaningful ways young people’s needs and interests could be better centered within case planning meetings and decision-making processes. Support the show
Authentic Youth Engagement in Family Meetings and Beyond (Part 1) with Lisa Merkel-Holguin and Anita Horner
November 22, 2021 17:00 - 20 minutes - 13.9 MBToo often, child welfare professionals' good intentions of protecting children or youth from difficult conversations can have the unintended result of excluding the young person from decision-making that profoundly impacts them. Texas CASA is deeply honored to welcome the powerhouse duo Lisa Merkel-Holguin and Anita Horner from The Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect for this two-part episode to talk about how CASA advocates can empower youth to participa...
Lifting Youth Voices in CASA Advocacy with Prince Hayward and Josue Rodriguez
November 01, 2021 16:00 - 24 minutes - 16.9 MBUnderstanding the desires of the child or youth is central to best interest advocacy. How can CASA advocates partner with youth to ensure their voices are heard and their perspectives are valued? In this episode we're joined by two wonderful guests from Texas Network of Youth Services (TNOYS), Prince Hayward and Josue Rodriguez, sharing their expertise about how advocates can work to meaningfully include youth voices and input in our advocacy. Now streaming on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcas...
Evidence-Based Family Engagement with Dr. Natalie Beck Aguilera
August 04, 2021 16:00 - 33 minutes - 22.8 MBThe CASA guiding principles stress that strengthening families, through recommendations for services, supports, visitation and communications, is in the child’s best interests to achieve stability and/or reunification. In this episode, we reflect on how CASA advocates can help bend the arc of child welfare practice to become more fully strengths-based and family-centered. The wonderful Dr. Natalie Beck Aguilera shares evidence-based strategies for engaging with families and explores why col...
The Urgency of Placing Kids with Relatives featuring the Honorable Leonard Edwards
June 28, 2021 17:00 - 20 minutes - 13.8 MBThe CASA guiding principles emphasize that if a child is removed from their family of origin, the child should be placed with a relative whenever safely possible and in the child’s best interests. This week we're thrilled to share a conversation with The Honorable Leonard Edwards, who joins us to talk about his recent article on the urgency of placing children with relatives. A retired judge now working as a consultant and educator on judicial best practices, Judge Edwards served as a Superi...
Supporting Youth in Accessing Higher Education with Jessica Aleman
May 04, 2021 16:00 - 15 minutes - 10.7 MBResearch shows that youth in foster care are at high risk of dropping out of school and are less likely to attend or graduate from college than peers who did not experience foster care. CASA volunteers can play a powerful role when it comes to supporting these youth in meeting their educational goals, including access to higher education. In this episode of CASA on the Go, we're joined by Jessica Aleman, LCSW, to talk about Island Harbor, a wraparound program here in Texas that exists to emp...
Special Episode Featuring Kevin Campbell and Vicki Spriggs
March 30, 2021 17:00 - 14 minutes - 9.95 MBThis special episode of CASA on the Go comes from our Distinguished Speaker Series, where we had the amazing opportunity to host conversations with trailblazers in equity and child welfare. In this episode, Kevin Campbell, developer of the Family Finding model, and Texas CASA CEO Vicki Spriggs discuss the role of compassion in child welfare work, and how CASA volunteers can influence the quality of justice experienced by families involved in the child welfare system. View Kevin’s inspiration...
Special Episode Featuring Riki Wilchins and Vicki Spriggs
February 22, 2021 06:00 - 16 minutes - 11.1 MBThis special episode of CASA on the Go comes from our Distinguished Speaker Series, where we had the amazing opportunity to host conversations with trailblazers in equity and child welfare. This episode features Texas CASA CEO Vicki Spriggs and Riki Wilchins, Executive Director of TrueChild, discussing gender norms and the connections between gender, race, and ethnicity, and the ways these norms affect children. To watch Riki's powerful 30-minute talk, visit our Distinguished Speaker Series ...
The Impact of Gender Norms with Riki Wilchins
February 22, 2021 06:00 - 16 minutes - 11.1 MBThis special episode of CASA on the Go comes from our Distinguished Speaker Series, where we had the amazing opportunity to host conversations with trailblazers in equity and child welfare. This episode features Texas CASA CEO Vicki Spriggs and Riki Wilchins, Executive Director of TrueChild, discussing gender norms and the connections between gender, race, and ethnicity, and the ways these norms affect children. To watch Riki's powerful 30-minute talk, visit our Distinguished Speaker Series ...
Special Episode Featuring Dr. Jessica Pryce and Vicki Spriggs
January 26, 2021 19:00 - 17 minutes - 12.1 MBThis special episode of CASA on the Go comes from our Distinguished Speaker Series, where we had the amazing opportunity to host conversations with trailblazers in equity and child welfare. This episode features Texas CASA CEO Vicki Spriggs and Dr. Jessica Pryce, Executive Director of the Florida Institute for Child Welfare, discussing how we can more effectively address inequity in our child welfare system. To watch Dr. Pryce's powerful 30-minute talk, visit our Distinguished Speaker Series...
Special Episode Featuring Dr. Jessica Pryce and Vicki Spriggs
January 26, 2021 19:00 - 17 minutes - 12.1 MBThis special episode of CASA on the Go comes from our Distinguished Speaker Series, where we had the amazing opportunity to host conversations with trailblazers in equity and child welfare. This episode features Texas CASA CEO Vicki Spriggs and Dr. Jessica Pryce, Executive Director of the Florida Institute for Child Welfare, discussing how we can more effectively address inequity in our child welfare system. To watch Dr. Pryce's powerful 30-minute talk, visit our Distinguished Speaker Series...
Best Practices in Addressing Domestic Violence with Claire Sudolsky
January 04, 2021 17:00 - 29 minutes - 20.6 MBDomestic violence impacts many families involved in the child welfare system, and this is an area where CASA volunteers can make a powerful impact through informed recommendations about appropriate services and supports. In this episode, we're joined by Claire Sudolsky of the Texas Council on Family Violence as she shares her expertise about how volunteers can best advocate for families healing from domestic violence. Support the show
Advocating for Youth with Disabilities Featuring Heidi Lersch and Rashid Amrani-Khaldi
September 01, 2020 20:00 - 34 minutes - 23.9 MBHow can CASA volunteers skillfully advocate for youth with disabilities? On this episode of CASA on the Go we're joined by Heidi Lersch, Educator and Training Coordinator with SAFE’s Disability Services, and Rashid Amrani-Khaldi, Community Engagement Specialist with SAFE Disability Services, sharing strategies for how CASA volunteers can work to identify and promote protective factors that can help ensure youth with disabilities thrive in safety. Our guests also discuss the importance of usi...
Advocating for Equity with Alejandro Victoria
July 21, 2020 17:00 - 18 minutes - 12.6 MBIn this episode, we talk with Alejandro Victoria, Director of Volunteer Admissions at CASA of Travis County, about the connections between CASA advocacy and the nation-wide calls for racial equity that have come to the forefront this summer. Tune in for a discussion of how CASA volunteers can proactively support youth in processing current events, as well as ways in which advocates can bring an equity lens to their work with children and families as COVID-19 continues to have a disproportion...
Advocating for Equity with Alejandro Victoria
July 21, 2020 17:00 - 18 minutes - 12.6 MBIn this episode, we talk with Alejandro Victoria, Director of Volunteer Admissions at CASA of Travis County, about the connections between CASA advocacy and the nation-wide calls for racial equity that have come to the forefront this summer. Tune in for a discussion of how CASA volunteers can proactively support youth in processing current events, as well as ways in which advocates can bring an equity lens to their work with children and families as COVID-19 continues to have a disproportion...
The Honorable Aurora Martinez Jones on Advocacy and Substance Abuse
June 01, 2020 21:00 - 32 minutes - 22.2 MBAccording to a report from Texans Care for Children, DFPS data from 2017 indicate that parental substance use is a contributing factor in 68 percent of child removals in Texas. On this episode of CASA on the Go, the Honorable Aurora Martinez Jones shares her expertise on trauma-informed advocacy strategies for working with families impacted by substance use disorder. Judge Martinez Jones leads the Travis County Family Drug Treatment Court, a specialty court that uses an empowerment-based, no...
Connection-Informed Advocacy with Candice Dosman
May 01, 2020 16:00 - 18 minutes - 12.9 MBStudies have found that one of the strongest indicators for child well-being is the number of committed adults in a child’s life. How can CASA volunteers use a connection-informed advocacy lens to actively and skillfully engage the children and youth we work with as well as their family and community? This episode features Candice Dosman, Director of Collaborative Family Engagement at Texas CASA and our resident expert on connection-informed care, sharing strategies for CASA volunteers on ho...
Advocating for Normalcy for Youth in Care with Sarah Crockett
March 26, 2020 22:00 - 21 minutes - 14.7 MBAs the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact our communities here in Texas, many of us are experiencing a radical disruption in our normal everyday routines. What can these experiences of sudden discontinuity and increased social isolation teach us about the experiences of youth and children who are removed from their families, and the jarring loss of normalcy a child endures when they are placed into foster care? Listen to the latest episode of our CASA On the Go continuing education pod...
Understanding and Undoing Disproportionality with Tanya Rollins, Part 2
March 04, 2020 17:00 - 18 minutes - 13 MBThe CASA guiding principles emphasize the importance of understanding the impact of of disproportionality on children and families involved in the CPS system. In part two of this episode we talk with Tanya Rollins, CPS Disproportionality Manager with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, about how CASA volunteers can practice culturally responsive advocacy for children and families. Support the show
Understanding and Undoing Disproportionality with Tanya Rollins, Part 1
March 03, 2020 20:00 - 21 minutes - 14.5 MBThe CASA guiding principles emphasize the importance of understanding the impact of of disproportionality on children and families involved in the CPS system. In this two-part episode we talk with Tanya Rollins, CPS Disproportionality Manager with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Tune in as Tanya shares her expertise around disproportionality in the Texas child welfare system and discusses what CASA advocates can do to eliminate it. Support the show
Advocating for Healthy Relationships with Kate Murphy
December 10, 2019 20:00 - 22 minutes - 15.4 MBAccording to a Texans Care for Children report citing data from 2015, teen girls in Texas foster care were almost five times more likely to become pregnant than their non-foster care peers. In this episode of CASA on the Go we're thrilled to host Kate Murphy, Senior Child Welfare Policy Associate with Texans Care for Children, sharing her expertise on the complex issues around teen pregnancy prevention for youth in foster care. Learn what CASA advocates can do to connect youth with education...
Advocating for Healthy Relationships with Kate Murphy
December 10, 2019 20:00 - 22 minutes - 15.4 MBAccording to a Texans Care for Children report citing data from 2015, teen girls in Texas foster care were almost five times more likely to become pregnant than their non-foster care peers. In this episode of CASA on the Go we're thrilled to host Kate Murphy, Senior Child Welfare Policy Associate with Texans Care for Children, sharing her expertise on the complex issues around teen pregnancy prevention for youth in foster care. Learn what CASA advocates can do to connect youth with education...
Educational Advocacy with Jamie Bernstein
September 03, 2019 20:00 - 20 minutes - 13.9 MBJoin us for an engaging discussion on the importance of strong educational advocacy within the classroom and beyond! This episode features guest Jamie Bernstein, Assistant Director of the Supreme Court of Texas Children’s Commission, sharing expert tips on the nuts and bolts of how CASA volunteers can advocate for a child's academic success. Support the show (https://texascasa.org/how-to-help/give/)
Educational Advocacy with Jamie Bernstein
September 03, 2019 20:00 - 20 minutes - 13.9 MBJoin us for an engaging discussion on the importance of strong educational advocacy within the classroom and beyond! This episode features guest Jamie Bernstein, Assistant Director of the Supreme Court of Texas Children’s Commission, sharing expert tips on the nuts and bolts of how CASA volunteers can advocate for a child's academic success. Support the show