Monday, Oct. 24 - Safety and Situational Awareness in CASA Advocacy
CASA volunteers can encounter a variety of unexpected scenarios in the course of volunteer advocacy. Drawing on experts in the fields of situational awareness and home visiting, this session will increase volunteers’ understanding of basic elements of situational awareness and safety. This understanding will be applied to common scenarios encountered in CASA advocacy, including home visits, hopefully contributing to an increased sense of confidence and safety when performing CASA duties.
PLEASE NOTE: This session will be partially recorded, but not in its entirety. Those who wish to view the whole session should participate live.
Presenters: Major David Fegett (Deputy Chief, Elizabethtown Police Department), Tamara Brown, MS, MSSW, CSW (HANDS Program Director, Family & Children's Place)
Moderator: Melissa Paris, MSSW (Director of Training & Impact, KCN)
Suggested Audience: Local program volunteers; staff, directors, and board members are also welcome to attend.
Tuesday, Oct. 25 - Building Strong Relationships Between CASA Volunteers and DCBS Workers
CASA volunteers and DCBS workers are vital partners on abuse, neglect, and dependency cases. However, each has a different role to play and expectations of the partnership between the two may differ. DCBS workers can be challenged by heavy caseloads and staffing shortages within their offices, while CASA volunteers often work one case at a time, allowing for specialized attention to each case. How can CASA volunteers and DCBS workers find middle ground between their roles and enhance their partnership to its fullest potential? During this session, Kentucky CASA Network staff will share tips and strategies, and invite seasoned DCBS workers to share their perspectives on optimal CASA-DCBS partnerships.
This session will be recorded.
Presenters: Karen Wilder (Director of Quality Assurance, KCN), Melissa Paris, MSSW (Director of Training & Impact, KCN)
Special Guests: Kayleigh Graves (Family Services Office Supervisor, Christian County), David A. Crawford, BASW (Social Service Clinician II, Bourbon County)
Suggested Audience: Local program volunteers; staff, directors, and board members are also welcome to attend.
Wednesday, Oct. 26
The VC Role: How to Be an Outstanding Supervisor (AM)
This session will engage staff who manage, recruit, and supervise volunteers on how to be outstanding in their role in coaching, motivating, and engaging with CASA volunteers. What are the core competencies it takes to do this job well to ensure that volunteers feel supported and appreciated, avoid burnout, and are well-trained to do this most important volunteer work? This session will involve a deep dive into “volunteer as coach” and will examine what motivates people to do this work, and how to give feedback and develop a positive culture in the relationships staff build with the volunteers they supervise. Staff will leave this session having examined the “human equation” to be successful in this role.
The ED Role: How to Be a Strategic Servant Leader & Change Agent (PM)
This session will teach CASA executive directors how to become strong servant leaders in their CASA programs. We will examine the dual concepts of being a strategic leader and a strategic change maker and dive into the differences between leading and managing staff. Directors will come away from this session with the tools to create an individual development plan that will guide them on how to stay motivated, avoid burnout, and be the leader their program needs them to be.
Presenter: Dr. Marilyn Stocker (Senior Lecturer, Loyola University Chicago)
Audience: Limited local program staff only (AM) and directors only (PM)
Thursday, Oct. 27 - Maximizing Your Impact: Becoming a More Effective CASA Board
CASA programs in Kentucky cannot exist without dedicated, skilled, and committed community members who are both the ambassador and the governing backbone of the local program. With the legal requirements for local CASA boards and National CASA/GAL Standards around board governance for nonprofits, a CASA volunteer cannot perform their statutory duties without the support of an effective CASA board. This virtual session will consist of a brief overview of the role and importance of a CASA board member and will provide information about an exciting new project the KCN will be launching in 2023. This session will be recorded.
Presenters: Andrea Bruns (State Director/CEO, KCN), Terry Manuel (Director of Strategy & Board Relations, KCN), Norma Thomas (Grants Specialist, KCN)
Suggested Audience: Local program board members; directors are also welcome to attend.
Friday, Oct. 28 - Virtual Awards of Excellence & CASA Celebration
The KCN will be presenting awards for Volunteer of the Year, Program of the Year, Program Director of the Year, Board Member of the Year, and Judge of the Year. We will also use this time to recognize and celebrate all CASA volunteers for their continued dedication to providing best interest advocacy for children in the Commonwealth. This session will be recorded.
Audience: Local program volunteers, staff, directors, and board members
