CASA on the Go: Continuing Education for CASA Volunteers
This continuing education podcast connects CASA volunteers with engaging and relevant training designed to help strengthen advocacy for children and families. Each short, dynamic episode features informative discussions with subject matter experts exploring topics connected to child welfare and best practices for CASA advocacy. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker(s) in their personal capacity and are not the official policy or position of Texas CASA.
Episodes
42 episodes
Leveraging Systems-Level Advocacy featuring Sarah Crocket and Stephanie Battaglia
In this episode, we sit down with two incredible advocates, Sarah Crocket and Stephanie Battaglia, to dive into Texas CASA's legislative priorities for the 89th legislative session kicking off on January 14th, 2025. Sarah and Stephanie walk us ...
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42:20
Empowering Families Through Collaboration with Heather Cantamessa
In this episode, we're thrilled to welcome the wonderful Heather Cantamessa, Director of Family Impact at Akin. Heather draws on her work with the transformative Parents for Parents program, a model of peer...
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41:21
Best Practices in Supporting Longterm Kinship Placements with Dr. Heather Fox and Dr. Cady Landa
In this episode, we're delighted to dive into an impactful study co-led by Dr. Heather Fox, Dr. Cady Landa and a team of colleagues exploring kinship guardianship for children and youth in foster care. This research offers insights on the benef...
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54:23
Facilitating Access to Childcare with Gabrielle Cloudy
Access to adequate, affordable childcare can be a major challenge for working families across Texas. Joining us today is the wonderful Gabrielle Cloudy, Daycare Coordinator at the Department of Family and Protective Services, to shine a light o...
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28:36
Supporting Positive Youth Development with Dr. Heather Taussig
In this episode, we’re thrilled to be in conversation with Dr. Heather Taussig, the developer and director of the Fostering Healthy Futures (FHF) program. Dr. Taussig gives us an insightful...
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35:12
Advocating for Youth Experiencing Cultural Dislocation with Dr. Robin LaSota and Dr. Heather Fox
In this episode, we're honored to be conversation with Dr. Heather Fox and Dr. Robin LaSota discussing their research on supporting youth in cross-racial out of home placements. Their work seeks to shine light on the challenges that Black youth...
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30:09
Asking the Right Questions featuring Cindy Dyar
One of the CASA guiding principles is respect for the parents we walk alongside, as well as for all parties involved in the case. This episode is brimming with insights from our guest Cindy Dyar, Director of the
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39:55
Advocacy for Health and Healing featuring Elizabeth Wendell
How can CASA advocacy be more deeply informed by what we know about lifelong health outcomes for youth involved with the CPS system? Research has reve...
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40:09
Illuminating the CASA Difference with Joan Ulsher
In this episode we're delighted to be joined by author, speaker, and CASA advocate Joan Ulsher, a powerful voice for the mission and impact of CASA. Joan shares insights from her work as a deeply devoted advocate as well as from her memoir "
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31:43
Cultivating Resilience and Compassionate Presence with Christa Mayfield
What are some tangible ways CASA advocates can cultivate resilience and keep our compassion game strong when engaged in advocacy work that can sometimes weigh heavily on our hearts and minds? The wonderful and wise Christa Mayfield of
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34:02
Hope-Focused Advocacy with Cortney Jones
In this episode, we're thrilled to be in conversation with Cortney Jones, founder of Change 1, an organization that aims to support young adults with foster care experience in realizing their full potential. C...
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37:16
Collaborative Child Advocacy: Partnering with Attorney Ad Litems Featuring Lori Duke
Our guiding principles emphasize collaboration with and respect for all parties involved in the case. What can CASA advocates do to build effective working relationships and increase collaboration with attorney ad litems? For this conversation,...
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31:21
Strengthening a Web of Supports for Teens and Young Adults in Foster Care
In this episode, we’re delighted to be in conversation with Laura Villarreal, the Neurodevelopmental Program Specialist with the Texas Workforce Commission Vocational Rehabilitation Services. Laura shines a light on the web of services and supp...
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30:23
Bridging the Gap: Advocacy for Educational Wellbeing with Chantal Hinds
As the families we walk alongside embark on a new school year, let's pause to reflect on how CASA advocates can have a powerful impact on increasing educational stability and success for youth in foster care. In this episode, we're joined by th...
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47:30
Improving Access to Information, Resources, and Support with Sarah Bryant
As CASAs, we know how critical it is that parents and family members have access to the information and support needed to successfully navigate what can be a complex and overwhelming child welfare system. In this episode, we're deeply hon...
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39:53
Advocacy for Children 0 to 5 Years Old and Their Families Featuring Krystal Vann, Carollyn Thesing, and Anna McDonnell(Part 2)
With 47% of children in foster care falling into the 0 to 5 age range, it's critical that we're up to date on best practices in advocating for young children and strategies for effectively supporting their families. Powerhouse duo Krystal Vann ...
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30:17
Advocacy for Children 0 to 5 Years Old and Their Families Featuring Krystal Vann and Carollyn Thesing (Part 1)
In part one of this two-part conversation, we're thrilled to be joined by the seasoned team of Krystal Vann and Carollyn Thesing from Child Advocates of Fort Bend to draw on their experience leading a trailblazing advocacy program for children ...
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34:54
Building Trust-Based Relationships with Youth featuring Jordan Bartlett
How can we support the youth we walk alongside in cultivating resilience across the essential, interconnected domains of life? In this episode, we're joined by powerhouse CASA advocate and social entrepreneur Jordan Bartlett for a conversation ...
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32:36
The Bedrock Importance of the MSL with Leslie Cocke
The minimum sufficient level of care or MSL is a critical polestar for CASA advocacy. How can advocates ensure that we are fully embracing the MSL in our decision-making and our recommendations to the court? Drawing on her legal background as a...
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22:02
Understanding and Preventing Child Trafficking with Rhonda Kuykendall
January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and Texas CASA is deeply honored to have Rhonda Kuykendall discussing what advocates should know and can do when it comes to preventing child trafficking and supporting youth who have exper...
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19:13
Fostering Collaboration with Naomi Sawyer: the Power of Partnering with Foster Caregivers
Foster and kinship caregivers play an incredibly important role in caring for the children and youth we walk alongside. How can CASA advocates ensure that these caregivers have the support they need while engaging them as valuable team members ...
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24:54
Learning from Lived Expertise with Renequa Burch
At Texas CASA, we believe in learning from the stories and leadership of those who have experienced our systems firsthand. In this episode, we’re joined by Renequa Burch, a mother whose family has been impacted by the Texas foster care system i...
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1:03:01
The Power of Compassionate Advocacy with Maria McCord
How can we learn from the stories of those who experienced our foster care system firsthand, and move towards more compassionate and holistic advocacy for youth and families? Join us for an inspirational conversation with Collaborative Family E...
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22:38
Authentic Youth Engagement in Family Meetings and Beyond (Part 2) with Lisa Merkel-Holguin and Anita Horner
Our guest Lisa Merkel-Holguin has written that "children and youth, in systems that are designed to serve them, often experience their needs and opinions as being overlooked in the context of planning for them." Join us for part two of this epi...
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23:16
Authentic Youth Engagement in Family Meetings and Beyond (Part 1) with Lisa Merkel-Holguin and Anita Horner
Too often, child welfare professionals' good intentions of protecting children or youth from difficult conversations can have the unintended result of excluding the young person from decision-making that profoundly impacts them. Texas CASA is d...
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20:10