CASA of Travis County Volunteer Advocate
Training Requirements
CASA Advocate Requirements
Thank you so much for your selection of CASA of Travis County as your volunteer work
organization. We are grateful for your commitment to the children of Travis County. The entire
staff is dedicated to providing you with the best preparation to do this work as possible.
The following pages contain important information about the training requirements to become
a volunteer advocate. Please read them carefully and begin working on them as soon as you
are able. If you need any clarification, please do not hesitate to contact me. You may also ask
your instructor during class, just please be aware of the limited amount of time available in the
classroom and be patient if your questions are addressed outside of class time.
Once again, thank you, and welcome to the next key chapter of your life!
Sonia Kotecha, Director of Volunteers
Phone (512) 539-2668
Email – Sonia.kotecha@casatravis.org
CASA Staff
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Laura Wolf, Executive Director
laura.wolf@casatravis.org
Key Richardson, Program Director
key.richardson@casatravis.org
Lydia Garcia, Director of Training
lydia.garcia@casatravis.org
Wendy Morse, Training & Recruitment Specialist
Wendy.morse@casatravis.org
Bree Taylor, Volunteer Data Specialist
Bree.taylor@casatravis.org
Mary Nicosia, Volunteer Retention Specialist
mary.nicosia@casatravis.org
Child Advocacy Specialists
firstname.lastname@casatravis.org
CASA of Travis County Volunteer Advocate Training Requirements
Revised 10-30-13
Page 2 of 9
Classroom Requirements

Twelve (12) Sessions total – 3 hours each
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CASA 101 must be taken first, the remaining eleven (11) can be taken in any order.

No need to RSVP – Simply show up & be sure to sign in by initialing in the box under
your name.
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Late arrival policy – Training classes are very important and the trainers have a lot of
information that needs to be explained. If you know or will know that you will be later
than 15 minutes to class, please be courteous to the trainers and attend a different
training session. Within a 15 minute time frame there is plenty of need to know
information, and it will be hard for the trainers to catch you up during a 5 minute break
period.

Participate in a mid-training check-in.
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Submit a Case Limitations form once you have completed ten (10) of the twelve (12)
classroom sessions. The information on this form will be used to assist the Director of
Training and Training and Recruitment Specialist in presenting you with a case that most
closely matches your abilities and limitations. You can pick up a form in the training
room.

It is our expectation that you would be available to accept a case within two months from
the date of successfully completing training and background check requirements.

At the end of training you will be invited to give us feedback on the entire training. You
will receive an e-mail with a link to a survey. The process is completely anonymous.
CASA of Travis County Volunteer Advocate Training Requirements
Revised 10-30-13
Page 3 of 9
Court Observation
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3 hours total – can be accumulated in any number of trips of any length. For example:
1 trip of 3 hours, 2 trips of 1.5 hours each, or 3 trips of 1 hour each.
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After each visit, send Bree Taylor (bree.taylor@casatravis.org) an email with the date,
the duration of each visit, and the name of the judge you observed for your training
records.

You may absolutely observe for more than 3 hours.

Please dress professionally for court. No sneakers, shorts, tank tops, t-shirts, denim
jeans, snacks or gum. Cell phones must be turned off when you enter the courtrooms.
There is to be no talking while the judge is on the bench and when the judge steps out,
it should not get loud. Questions can be answered during those breaks or when you
return to class.

Observe all three judges if you like, although it is not required. You will not know the
judge you will most frequently be in front of until after you accept a case. So you can
take the time now to observe one or all of the judges.
JUDGES & DAYS
Mondays (Judge Darlene Byrne) & Fridays (Judge James L. Arth)
(Occasionally, another judge will be substituting on the bench if Judge Byrne or Judge Arth is
away. Just be sure you are observing CPS cases instead of juvenile detention or divorce
proceedings. If Monday is a government holiday, the docket will take place on Tuesday of that
week)
Time: Court begins at 8:30am. Please try to arrive early to allow ample time to locate parking
and find the courtroom. The judge often takes a break for lunch, and the docket usually
resumes at 1:00pm.
Location: Travis County Courthouse, 1000 Guadalupe Street, 4th Floor – 126th District
Courtroom
Seating: CASA volunteers can observe court proceedings from the jury box. If you arrive or
leave while the docket is underway only enter/exit in between hearings. You will be able to
tell as all the people seated at the tables in front of her bench will leave. In the meantime, you
can sit with the general public. There is always one staff person in the jury box taking notes in
case you have any questions.
CASA of Travis County Volunteer Advocate Training Requirements
Revised 10-30-13
Page 4 of 9
Parking: Centralized parking meters are located throughout the downtown area and take coins,
Mastercard and Visa. Most are 3 hours; however, there are a few 5 hour meters 2 blocks
behind the courthouse near Nueces and 8th. There is a parking lot located at 9th and San
Antonio. See map below.
Directions from Mopac: Exit Enfield Road. Go east. Take a right on Guadalupe.
The Courthouse is four blocks down on the right.
Directions from IH-35: Exit 15th Street. Go west. Take a left on Guadalupe.
The Courthouse is four blocks down on the right.
Wednesdays -Judge John Hathaway
(Occasionally, another judge will be substituting on the bench if Judge Hathaway is away. Just
be sure you are observing CPS cases instead of juvenile detention or divorce proceedings)
Time: Court begins at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesdays. Please try to arrive early to allow ample time
to locate parking and find the courtroom. The judge often takes a break for lunch, and the
docket usually resumes around 1pm. NOTE: The Wednesday dockets vary in the length and
types of cases heard, so if you plan to observe on Wednesdays please contact us to confirm
the times of the hearings.
CASA of Travis County Volunteer Advocate Training Requirements
Revised 10-30-13
Page 5 of 9
Location: Gardner Betts Juvenile Justice Center, 2515 S. Congress, Austin, TX 78704 (S.
Congress & Oltorf), 1st Floor. When you arrive you will go through a metal detector, then
immediately to your right you will see an Information Desk. Sign in at this Information Desk,
and get a badge. The person at the Information Desk will be able to tell you in which
courtroom CPS cases are being heard. Feel free to sit up close to ensure you can adequately
hear.
Parking: Parking is free! There is a parking lot across Long Street, which runs between Gardner
Betts and the shopping center. You should always be able to find parking in that lot.
Directions from Mopac:
Exit 290 / Ben White. Go east. Exit South Congress. Turn Left.
The Courthouse is 1.1 miles down on the right.
Directions from IH-35:
Exit Oltorf. Go west. Take a left on South Congress.
The Courthouse is .2 miles down on the left.
CASA of Travis County Volunteer Advocate Training Requirements
Revised 10-30-13
Page 6 of 9
Background Clearance
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Your signed application included authorization for CASA to perform a national clearance
check. There is nothing further you need to do.
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Your signed “Central Registry and DPS Criminal History Check” authorizes CASA to
request a state criminal and central registry report from Texas Department of Family
Protective Services. There is nothing further you need to do.
If you did not sign one of these forms during your pre-training interview, please obtain
one from the instructor, complete it now and return it to the instructor.
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Should any questions arise from any of these background clearances, you will be
contacted by Bree Taylor. It can take over two weeks for us to secure the results of your
background checks.
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All information provided to CASA for these purposes is kept confidential and discussed
with the fewest possible number of staff members.
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If you have any questions about the status of your background clearance, please contact
Bree Taylor at bree.taylor@casatravis.org.
Personal References
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CASA requires three (3) personal references.
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Your application requested five (5) names and contact information for personal
references. The purpose of requesting five (5) references is simply to ensure we receive
the minimum of three (3) by the time you have completed your classroom work.
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The references are requested to complete a standardized form that CASA either emails
or mails through the US Postal office depending on the contact information you
provided.
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If you have any questions about the status of your references, please contact Bree
Taylor at bree.taylor@casatravis.org.
CASA of Travis County Volunteer Advocate Training Requirements
Revised 10-30-13
Page 7 of 9
Driver’s License & Proof of Auto Insurance
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An up-to-date copy of your driver’s license and auto insurance are required to be kept
on file with CASA at all times during which you are an active volunteer.
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If no one has made a copy of these two documents, please ask that they do so at the
next class that you attend.
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Once you are finished with training, please remember to send in a copy of each of these
documents once they are renewed.
Volunteer Statistics
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Track your hours and miles using the form on the Volunteer Area of our website (see
below).
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Begin recording all of your time/miles during training.
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When you select your first case, your Child Advocacy Specialist will train you on the
process for entering your monthly statistics using your training data as practice.
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Include driving time, study time, preparation time, etc. No increment of time is too
small.
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Monthly statistics are essential to CASA’s funding.
Volunteer Emails & Webpage
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Once you’ve completed training and started a case you will be given access to the
Volunteer Area of our website and you will be added to the list for your CASA Volunteer
Updates email.
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These resources will let you know about upcoming events, continuing education
opportunities, activities and resources for kids and other special announcements for
volunteers.
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The webpage also features forms for you to submit your statistics (as mentioned above),
your continuing education hours and any updates to your contact information.
CASA of Travis County Volunteer Advocate Training Requirements
Revised 10-30-13
Page 8 of 9
Swearing-In Ceremony
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All CASA volunteers must be sworn in by a Travis County judge.
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You may be assigned a case before you are sworn in, as long as all other training
requirements, background checks, and references have been completed. Attendance at
a Swearing-In Ceremony is a requirement under Texas and National CASA standards.
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You are eligible to attend a Swearing-In Ceremony once all of your training
requirements are completed.
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Swearing-In Ceremonies are held five times a year. The dates for 2014 are:
February 4th, 2014
April 22nd, 2014
June 17th, 2014
August 12th, 2014
October 14th, 2014
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The ceremonies are held at Gardner Betts Juvenile Justice Center, 2515 S. Congress
Avenue, Austin, TX 78704 at 6:30 pm.
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You are welcome (and encouraged) to bring your family members and friends to attend
this exciting celebration of the important work you will be doing for the children of
Travis County.
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You will receive an invitation to the Swearing-In Ceremony once you are eligible. Please
be sure to RSVP and indicate the number of guests you will bring.
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If you have any questions, please contact Mary Nicosia at mary.nicosia@casatravis.org.
CASA of Travis County Volunteer Advocate Training Requirements
Revised 10-30-13
Page 9 of 9