Topic: Pre‑service and in‑service training

21 May 2003

This FYI addresses Ohio minimum Standards issues.

Pre‑service training

Ohio CASA/GAL Association minimum Standards of practice require volunteers to complete at least 30 hours of pre‑service training prior to being appointed to a case. Pre-service training should consist primarily of classroom training, but must include courtroom observation (no more than two of the required 30 hours). If applicable, programs may also count one hour of the 30‑hour total for the volunteer swearing‑in ceremony. Mentoring and homework assignments do not count toward pre‑service training hours.

Occasionally, volunteers may need to miss a training session (work conflicts, etc.). Should this occur, the program has a couple options: if there is access to videotaping and viewing equipment, it may provide the volunteer with a videotape of the missed session; or the session may be made up by reading and/or viewing the materials covered during the missed session. Many programs also require the volunteer to meet with program staff to more fully go over the missed material. If a program determines that volunteers may not miss any pre‑service training, it must be in the form of a written policy provided to all volunteers prior to the beginning of the pre‑service training.

In rare instances, volunteers may enter the program training with prior CASA or related experience (i.e., pre‑service with another CASA/GAL program, legal training, etc.) and may wish to skip some of the program training due to this background. Whether or not this experience or training is accepted in lieu of a portion or all of the pre‑service training is a local program decision; however, the Association strongly recommends that it not be permitted. Pre‑service training is more than just training it is also a component of the screening process and helps the program staff and the volunteers get to know each other. It is also an excellent opportunity for program staff to see individual volunteer strengths, and begin determining which types of cases a volunteer may be best suited to take.

Curriculum

Minimum Standards require programs to use the 2001 National CASA Association (NCASAA) Training Curriculum in its entirety or as a core component of the pre‑service training. The NCASAA Curriculum can and should be modified to include state and local laws and practices. The full use of the curriculum takes close to 40 hours to present, which for most programs means that all of the material cannot be completed in the required 30 hours. Therefore, the program may choose to modify all or some of the exercises or make other deletions or substitutions in the curriculum. However, incorporating the exercises and using a variety of media (video, mock exercises,

In‑service training

Finally, minimum Standards require volunteers to complete 12 hours of annual in‑service training. To be in compliance with this Standard, a program must:

•  have a written policy stating what activities (CASA/GAL provided/sponsored training, volunteer meetings, training provided by other organizations, reading appropriate materials, etc.) can fulfill the in‑service training requirement;

             •  track annual volunteer training hours; and

             •  provide notification to volunteers of training hours completed/needed.

Some programs send postcards to volunteers to notify them of their completed/needed training hours, while others have a section on the volunteer's monthly report where the program can insert the number of hours it has on record for the volunteer prior to sending the report to the volunteer.