Court Appointed Special Advocate
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) are in cities all over the United States. Advocates receive training on the laws of child abuse and neglect. They learn how to interview children and how to work with children with special needs. All advocates are trained to evaluate a family's situation. The typical training is about 30 hours spent in workshops and 10 hours spent in observing court cases and procedures. They also receive 12 hours of in-service training each year. Each CASA location has a volunteer coordinator. Together with a location's overseer (manager) they give help and advice to the advocates.