Volunteer Opportunities

Court Appointed Special Advocates
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) are trained community volunteers, appointed by a judge, who speak-up for abused and neglected children in court. Volunteers come from every walk of life, with a variety of educational and ethnic backgrounds. There are more than 62,000 CASA volunteers nationally. Aside from their CASA volunteer responsibility, 50 percent are employed in regular full-time jobs.

I'm ready to become a volunteer.

A CASA volunteer provides a judge with carefully researched background of the child to help the court make a more informed decision about that child's future. The CASA volunteer assists in determining if it is in a child's best interest to stay with his or her parents or guardians, be placed in foster care, be placed with other relatives, or be freed for permanent adoption.

To prepare a recommendation, the CASA volunteer talks with the child, parents, family members, social workers, school officials, health providers and others who are knowledgeable about the child's history. The CASA volunteer also reviews all records pertaining to the child -- school, medical, service providers and caseworker reports, and any other documents relevant to the case.

The CASA volunteer does not provide legal representation or direct services. That is the role of the attorney. However, the CASA volunteer does provide crucial background information that assists attorneys in presenting their cases.

The number of cases each volunteer assumes varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but an average caseload is one or two, and each case is different. A CASA volunteer usually spends about 20 hours doing research and conducting interviews prior to the first court appearance. More complicated cases take longer. Once initiated into the system, volunteers work about 10-15 hours a month.

Tell me more.

Committee Membership

CASA of the Southern Tier, Inc. would like to thank previous board members for generously giving their time and support to CASA.

Board of Directors:
• The Board consists of up to twenty Directors from a variety of backgrounds.

The current board members are:

Board Acceptance:
• Potential Board members are required to fill out a Board Packet. The packet is then referred to the Nominating Committee and presented to the Board. The Board meets 10 times per year (summers off), and normally meets from 6:00 to 7:30 pm at the CASA office in Corning.
Board Terms:
• Terms run in three-year intervals and each member may run for two full intervals.
Meetings:
• The Board meets ten times a year. (Summers off) Standard time is 4:30pm to 6:00pm at BOCES on Philo Rd. in Horseheads.
• After three consecutive misses/ five misses through out the year will result in removal from the Board.

Commitment and Responsibilities of a Board Member:
* To establish my attendance as a high priority at all meetings of the board and committees on which I serve.
* To be prepared to discuss the issues and business addressed at scheduled meetings, having read the agenda and all background material relevant to the topics at hand.
* To work with and respect the opinions of my peers who serve this board and to leave my personal prejudices out of all board discussions.
* To always act for the good of the community and organization.
* To represent this organization in a positive and supportive manner at all times in all places.
* To observe the parliamentary procedures and display courteous conduct in all board and committee meetings.
* To refrain from intruding on administrative issues that are the responsibility of management, except to monitor the results and prohibit methods that conflict with board policy.
* To avoid conflicts of interest between my position as a Board Member and my personal life. If such a conflict does arise, I will declare that conflict before the Board and refrain from voting on matters in which I have a conflict.
* To support in a positive manner all actions taken by the Board of Directors.
* To agree to serve on at least one committee, attend all meetings and participate in the accomplishment of its objectives. If I chair the Board or a committee, I will
      o call meetings as necessary until objectives are met,
      o ensure that the agenda and support materials are received by all members,
      o conduct the meetings in an orderly, fair, open and efficient manner,
      o make committee progress reports to the Board at scheduled meetings.

To participate in:
* Annual strategic planning
* Board self-evaluation efforts
* Board development workshops that enhance skills as a Board Member
* Fund-raising efforts
* The Annual Leadership Give or Get Program, by making a personal financial contribution or finding a contribution within the community of $500