Good Communication Skills. CASA volunteers must be able to talk to a wide variety of people from healthcare professionals to school officials to an angry parent. CASA volunteers present written reports to the court, sometimes speaking in the courtroom on behalf of the child's best interests. CASA programs provide in-depth training on issues of the court process, child development, abuse and neglect, cultural competency, advocacy and interviewing techniques, HIV and other public health topics, etc. You will hear from judges,attorneys, social workers and other professionals in the field.
Programs also offer in-service training on many subjects.
In York County, the training takes approximately 20 hours, Hilyard said. About 15 of those hours are 15 spent in a classroom setting and the rest consists of observing court and having a personal interview. Hilyard offers a flexible schedule for volunteer training. A new training session is expected to begin in April. They devote all of their time and energy to the one child.