Court Appointed Special Advocate Application Form
Thank you for your interest in working as a volunteer with CASA for Kids, Inc. Barry, Eaton & Ingham (CASA). CASA volunteers are trained community volunteers, appointed by a judge, to speak up for abused and neglected children in court. They work alongside attorneys and social workers as appointed officers of the court. When a CASA volunteer is appointed to a case, he or she is responsible for taking the time to find out as much as possible about that child or sibling group. CASA volunteers search for information, review records, interview parents, talk to teachers, neighbors and most importantly- listen to the child.

CASA volunteers are the “eyes and ears of the court."   A CASA’s recommendations occur independently of any agency, being predicated solely upon the child’s best interests. CASA volunteers are assigned to one case at a time, and remain committed to that case until the child/ren are safely reunified with the parents or placed permanently outside the home. It is a CASA’s mandate to provide an independent assessment of all aspects of a child/ren’s life and make written recommendations to the court based on each child’s best interests. The CASA does not provide services, but assembles and provides information that, in the opinion of the CASA volunteer, describes needed services. The case assignment is for the duration of the legal court case, which averages 12-18 months, and the volunteer time commitment averages approximately 10-12 hours per month.

Our volunteers work closely with court employees and paid staff of the CASA program and are an integral part of the program. In every role, volunteers’ function under the same expectations as paid staff in terms of work attendance, dependability, adherence to established work procedures and compliance with professional standards of conduct. In turn, volunteers are assigned meaningful work. Acting as a CASA volunteer is a very rewarding experience.

CASA is an equal opportunity organization. It is CASA’s policy provide equal opportunity to all applicants based on qualifications and abilities without regard to race, color, sex, age, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, religion, disability, national origin, citizenship, veteran status, political affiliation, or membership in any labor organization. CASA seeks to engage individuals who representative of the populations served.

The questions in this application are asked for the purpose of preliminary assessment of your qualifications as a CASA volunteer. Some of the questions are designed to evaluate your qualifications as a volunteer; others address any previous law violations or treatment history. The final decision will be made after a personal interview. While information requested is not an automatic barrier to final acceptance, it will be assessed and discussed with you regarding its relevance to your work as a CASA volunteer. The information is requested to expedite the application process. If you have any questions about completing the application, please contact the Director or Advocate Supervisors of the CASA program.

Which County are you interested in serving in? *
Required
1. Name *
First, middle, last  and maiden (if applicable) name
2. What is your email address? *
3. What is your full address? *
3a. Cell Phone number *
5. Home Phone number? *
6. Are you 21 years old or older? *
What is your gender?
Clear selection
What is your race?
7. In case of an emergency during my volunteer hours, notify: *please include relationship, name and phone number *
8. Have you lived in a state other than Michigan in the past seven (7) years? *
8a. If yes, where did you live prior to Michigan? *
9. High school attended, please list school(s) name: *
9a. Did you receive a high school Diploma or GED? *
9b. If you attended college please list college(s) name and field of study: *
9c. Did you receive a college degree? *
10. What is your primary language? *
10a. What is your secondary language? *
11. Please list up to three employers, most recent first list employer name, job title, and dates employed: *
12. Please list up to three prior volunteer positions (if any) list organization, volunteer position, and dates at organization: *
13. How did you learn about the CASA program? *
14. Have you ever applied to a CASA Program *
14a. If you have applied to be a CASA volunteer prior, where did you apply (city and state)? *
15. Why do you want to volunteer? *
16. Please list any strong interests, knowledge areas, hobbies or special skills that you could offer as a volunteer: *
17.  Do you have any training or experience in any of the following: (please check all that apply) *
Required
18. What experience or knowledge of children and families (i.e. parenting experience, child care experience, education or work experience) do you have to assist you in determining what may be in a child’s best interest? *
19. Have you any experience with social service agencies as a staff person, foster parent, volunteer, or client? If yes, please describe. *
20. Have you had any personal and/or professional experience with the juvenile or family court system? If yes, please describe. *
21. Have you had personal or professional involvement with human services issues such as abuse, neglect, chemical dependency, developmental disabilities, mental health issues, or traumatic physical illness? If yes, please describe. *
22. In your opinion, how could the system do a better job to protect children? *
23. How many total hours a week are you available to volunteer? *
23a. Please check all times you would generally be available to volunteer:
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
AM
PM
EVE
24. As a volunteer you are required to visit the child(ren) at their placement. Would you have the use of a car with the proper insurance? *
25. Have you or are you currently recovering from alcohol/substance abuse or addiction?   *
25a. If you answered "yes" to question 25 please explain: *
26. Have you had personal experience with child abuse/neglect and/or trauma? *
27. Have you ever been accused of abusing or neglecting a child? If yes please explain *
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