Each Court Appointed Special Advocate is required to complete a minimum of 12 hours of in-service activities per year. At least one of those trainings must be related to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Belonging (DEIAB). At your request, we are making the opportunities for our volunteers to earn their hours more frequent and more flexible.
Click here for a listing of upcoming events and In-Service Trainings.
In addition to in-service trainings hosted by our program, the Maryland CASA Association and National CASA Association both offer a variety of excellent trainings to which our volunteers have access.
When you have completed an in-service training, please enter it into the volunteer activities database or email staff@pgcasa.org or your Case Supervisor with proof of completion.
Self-Directed In-Service Opportunities
On-Demand Training offered by Maryland CASA -Maryland CASA’s on-demand training platform greatly enhances the availability of training for CASA volunteers and staff across the state. Certificates are automatically awarded upon completion of the course and a post-course assessment.
There are now eight (8) courses available – Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s), LGBTQ Youth in Foster Care, Pursuing Higher Education for Youth in Foster Care, Human Trafficking, PTSD and Foster Youth, The Impact of Parental Opioid Abuse on Children, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), and Foster Youth in the Juvenile Justice System (i.e. crossover youth). Maryland CASA will be adding a new course every other month, which will be announced via email.
Click here for step-by-step instructions on how to use the training platform.
Getting to Know the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) – 2 Hours
This exercise will help familiarize CASA volunteers with COMAR. Volunteers must print out the pdf, fill in all of the answers and either fax the form to the CASA office at 301-209-0492, or scan and email the form to staff@pgcasa.org
Webinar on Supporting Permanency for LGBTQ Youth in Foster Care– 1.5 Hours
The webinar discusses serving both LGBTQ youth in care and prospective LGBT foster and adoptive families. Presenters share ways to achieve permanency and promote a sense of community and connectedness for youth who identify as LGBTQ. The webinar focuses on what agencies, front-line staff, and families can do to welcome, understand, accept, and better support the needs of these youth. After watching the webinar, enter the hours on your Volunteer Activities Form and submit it to the office.
Dating Matters: Understanding Teen Dating Violence Prevention – 2 Hours DATING MATTERS is a free, online course available to educators, school personnel, youth leaders, and others working to improve the health of teens. It features interviews with leading experts, dynamic graphics and interactive exercises, and compelling storytelling to describe what teen dating violence is and how to prevent it. In order to receive credit, volunteers should fax the form to the CASA office at 301-209-0492, or scan and email the Volunteer Activities Form to staff@pgcasa.org.
Read a Book – 3.5 hours
Volunteers who read a book from this list (or another approved book related to foster care and child welfare) and write a report about it will receive 3.5 in-service credit hours*. These books relate to foster care and other life circumstances experienced by many young people in foster care.
I Beat the Odds: From Homeless to the Blind Side and Beyond by Michael Oher
Three Little Words by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
Finding Fish by Antwone Fisher
The Lost Boy; A Child Called It OR The Privilege of Youth by Dave Pelzer
The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore Book Club and Independent Reading Guide
Push by Sapphire
* In order to receive credit, volunteers should fax the Volunteer Activity Form to the CASA office at 301-209-0492, or scan and email it to staff@pgcasa.org. Most books are available through the Prince George’s County Public Library System.
