May 28, 2021
Pictured: Courtney, Ramona, and Stephanie along with Judge Tim Irwin.
CASA of East Tennessee proudly gathered for the swearing-in of three new advocates. These volunteers began training in April and participated in a hybrid class comprised of online and in-person attendees.
“This group was engaged, excited, and so much fun to teach. They asked great questions and took advantage of everything offered to them. Whether it was critically thinking through case studies, connecting with their volunteer mentors, or just coming to each class with an open mind, each of these new volunteers made the most of every opportunity to learn.
I know this group of volunteers will make terrific advocates.”
These volunteers participated in 30 hours of training over the course of 5 weeks. We asked Ramona to share her thoughts on CASA training and she had this to say:
“Going into applying for CASA, I was well-aware of the mission and had a strong commitment to being a part of it. But my one drawback was that I felt I was not personally equipped, trained or had relevant experience to handle the calling. The CASA leaders immediately set my mind at ease, as they want volunteers who are ready and willing and then they’ll provide all the necessary training, support and resources! I was amazed at how thorough the training was.
Even before training began, all of the prospective volunteers and I identified questions we had and gaps we wanted to fill in our knowledge. By the end of training we returned to those questions and realized we had not only answered all of them, but had corresponding resources to address any future questions.
Throughout training, I have consistently told those around me that the training I was receiving was incredible and I wish everyone could partake in it. We covered domestic violence, mental illness, poverty, cycles of attachment, foster care laws, stages of growth and many more areas that I feel it would do well for everyone to understand. We were also given multiple additional short videos, books, podcasts, movies and articles to supplement our in-class training. We were able to ask questions and dialogue as a group and connect with board members and our CASA supervisors, which assuaged my worries of being isolated in this endeavor. All in all, I could not praise this training enough and stand by the fact that I feel everyone should learn what we have learned even if they do not want to become a CASA. ”
CASA looks forward to seeing each of these volunteers flourish as advocates for Knox county children.