Virginia Administrative Code › Title 6 - CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND CORRECTIONS › Agency 20 - DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SERVICES › Chapter 160 - REGULATIONS RELATING TO THE COURT-APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATE PROGRAM (CASA) › Part V - Training Guidelines for Volunteers › Section 6VAC20-160-120 - Training

Current through Register Vol. 40, No. 24, July 15, 2024
A. To ensure that
				  volunteers are fully prepared to perform their role as a CASA volunteer and to
				  assume the accompanying responsibilities, each volunteer shall participate in a
				  minimum of 30 hours of training prior to being accepted as a CASA volunteer and
				  assigned cases. Credit may be given towards the 30 hours of training for any
				  previous training obtained by a volunteer prior to application to a local CASA
				  program if that program uses the NCASAA Training Curriculum and documentation
				  of completion of the training is provided.
B. The initial training curriculum for a CASA
				  volunteer should, at a minimum, include:
1.
				  The delineation of the roles and responsibilities of a CASA volunteer focusing
				  on the rationale for family preservation/permanency planning, discussion of the
				  basic principles of advocacy, distinction between the appropriate and
				  inappropriate activities for a CASA volunteer, level of commitment required of
				  a CASA volunteer involved in a case and the performance expectations, review of
				  the case assignment process and procedures, differentiation between the role of
				  the CASA volunteer and other child welfare system personnel, and a
				  comprehensive list of resources available and when and how to utilize these
				  resources;
2. The obligation of
				  confidentiality in CASA-related matters, proper recordkeeping techniques, and
				  the scope of state and federal statutes on the confidentiality of
				  records;
3. The dynamics of
				  cultural diversity and the development of cultural sensitivity by the CASA
				  volunteer;
4. The nature of child
				  abuse and neglect, the impact of drugs and alcohol on the incidence of abuse,
				  identification of the family conditions and patterns which lead to and
				  perpetuate abuse and neglect, and instruction on how local departments of
				  social services respond to and assess reports of abuse and neglect;
5. The general principles and concepts of
				  child and family development;
6.
				  Concepts of separation and loss, the role of foster care and permanency
				  planning in the context of state law with consideration of the state's position
				  on family preservation, family reunification and alternative permanent plans
				  for a child who cannot be returned to the home;
7. Basic communication and interview skills,
				  with guidelines for dealing with sensitive issues and the interaction between
				  the CASA volunteer and parties to a case, and practice in conducting interviews
				  and writing reports;
8. The
				  juvenile court process which should include an outline of the various types of
				  court proceedings, what transpires at each proceeding, the CASA volunteer's
				  role, who to contact when there is a question about the court process, a
				  glossary of legal terminology, how to prepare for a hearing, and how to prepare
				  a report for the court;
9. The
				  development of advocacy skills, such as negotiation and conflict management,
				  and how they may be used by the CASA volunteer to improve the conditions for a
				  child; and
10. The development of a
				  general understanding of the codes of ethics of other professionals with whom
				  the CASA volunteer will be working.