Mission:

The Floyd County CASA program focuses on avoiding further victimization of children, educating the community about the needs of abused and neglected children and helping the legal system to be more child focused.

Training and supervision is provided to volunteers.  These volunteers advocate on behalf of abused and neglected children who are under the jurisdiction of the Floyd County Juvenile Court.

Established in March of 1999, the program is now under the auspices of Harbor House, The Northwest Georgia Child Advocacy Center.  The CASA program is an organization of professional staff and trained volunteers who care deeply about the welfare of abused and neglected children.

CASA Volunteer Duties:

A CASA volunteer is a trained community volunteer who is appointed by a judge to advocate for abused or neglected child in juvenile court deprivation proceedings.  The CASA provides factual information to the court for services which focus on meeting the needs of each child.  The CASA also advocates for the each child to be placed in a safe, permanent home.

Activities:

• Visit the child.
• Gather independent factual information about the child (emotional, physical, medical, etc.)
• Interview the parents, guardians, caregivers to assess the child's needs.
• Interview the social worker or other service providers and review records related to the family/case.
• Seek cooperative solutions with other participants in the child's case.
• Prepare written reports of findings for court hearings.
• Attend and participate in court hearing and other related meetings.
• Ensure appropriate risk assessment is conducted for each court hearing.
• Testify, if needed, to inform the court of changes in the child's needs/situation.
• Identify potential resources within the family and community to meet the child's needs.
• Monitor provisions of service plans and court orders.
• Explain the role of the CASA to every child, age appropriately, and keep the child informed of all aspects of the court proceedings.
• Consult with the Program Director for support and guidance.
• Advocate for the child's needs (emotional, physical, medical, social, intellectual, etc.) in the community.
• Maintain focus of the child until permanency is achieved.
• Ensure the child's emotional and physical needs are known to the court.

The CASA volunteer respects the right to privacy by keeping information that would identify parties involved in CASA cases confidential.  The volunteer also abides by the National CASA Association's Code of Ethics.

Qualifications:

The main qualification is a sincere concern for children.  The volunteer must be a mature adult with good verbal and written skills.  A CASA volunteer must be able to attend all court hearings and panel reviews.  The volunteer must be able to commit to the program for at least one year or, preferably, until permanency is achieved.  Essential qualities include the ability to be objective and non-judgmental.  Every volunteer must complete a comprehensive 40 hour training.

Requirements:

The process of becoming a CASA volunteer requires written application including four personal/professional references, criminal records check, and a federal fingerprint check.  The minimum age is 21 years.  A personal interview will be conducted by the Program Director.  The volunteer must complete 40 hours of training, which may include court observation.  The fully trained and screened volunteer will be sworn-in by the juvenile court judge prior to the assignment of his/her first case.  A CASA's appointments lasts until a case reaches permanency or is relived of duties by the judge.

Training:

The pre-service training program developed by National CASA and adopted by Georgia CASA is offered through the local CASA office.  Volunteers are also provided with on-going training as required by the Program Director.  CASA volunteers are supervised by the CASA Program Director.