Domestic 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

How 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 using a trauma-informed lens in advocating for youth with disabilities and share a wealth of resources for support and continued learning.

Support the show

In 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 disproportionately devastating impact on communities of color in Texas. 

Support the show

According 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, non-adversarial approach to working with parents involved with the child welfare system who are struggling with substance use disorder. Tune in and learn more about what CASA advocates can do to effectively support children and families in healing from substance abuse.

Support the show

Studies 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 how to advocate for children and families to be surrounded by a dedicated support system that is meant to last long after CPS involvement ends.

Support the show

As 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 podcast for a discussion of how CASA volunteers can advocate for greater normalcy for children and youth in foster care. In this episode we're thrilled to feature advocacy tips and insights from Texas CASA's Senior Public Policy Associate and normalcy expert Sarah Crockett. 

Support the show

The 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

The 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

According 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 about healthy relationship dynamics, support the prevention of unplanned teen pregnancies and successfully advocate for the unique needs of pregnant and parenting youth in care. Other resources mentioned in this episode include sample scripts for talking with youth from When You Decide: A Judge's Guide to Pregnancy Prevention Among Foster Youth, loveisrespect and Jane's Due Process. 

Support the show

Join 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