Fall CASA Volunteer Training Begins Sept. 8

Fall 2020 Social Media.jpg

Lexington, Ky. (June 17, 2020) — CASA of Lexington will offer a fall pre-service training for prospective volunteers beginning on Sept. 8.

Participants will complete 30 hours of training sessions at CASA of Lexington's office, 3245 Loch Ness Dr. in Lexington. After graduating, they can be assigned to cases of abused and neglected children in the family court systems of Fayette, Bourbon, Scott and Woodford counties.

CASA volunteers develop relationships with their assigned children and interview adults involved in the children's lives, in order to serve as eyes and ears for the judge. They make recommendations based on the best interests of the children.

Cases with an assigned CASA volunteer are closed on average five and a half months sooner, meaning children are returned to permanent, loving homes faster. CASA of Lexington volunteers spoke for more than 620 children in 2019, but there were still hundreds more cases of abuse and neglect that could benefit from a CASA volunteer.

The fall training schedule is:

  • Sept. 8, 5:30-8:30 p.m. — Exploring the Volunteer Role

  • Sept. 15, 5:30-8:30 p.m. — Attachment: The Well-Being of the Child

  • Sept. 19, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. — Trauma, Resilience, and Communication; Mental Health and Poverty

  • Sept. 22, 5:30-8:30 p.m. — Substance Abuse and Cultural Competency

  • Sept. 29, 5:30-8:30 p.m. — Domestic Violence and Diversity

  • Oct. 3, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. — Educational Advocacy, Older Youth and LGBTQ; Working a Case, Court Reporting, Wrap Up

  • Oct. 6, 5:30-8:30 p.m. — Wrap Up & Volunteer Panel

  • Oct. 8, 5:30 p.m. — Swearing In

Volunteers also complete prework activities and four hours of court observation before being assigned to a case. Volunteers must be 21 years old, pass a background check and commit to serving a minimum of two years, in order to ensure they can see their case through (the average case lasts 18 months).

For more information, contact Ben Kleppinger at bkleppinger@casaoflexington.org or (859) 484-6551. To apply to be a CASA volunteer, visit casaoflexington.org/advocates.

CASA of Lexington