National CASA Podcast

In this podcast, Suzanne Greenberg, president/CEO of CAN Council Saginaw County and member of the National CASA Board of Trustees, shares how her passion for the CASA mission inspires her efforts as a board member.

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS)-the most common legal status available to immigrant youth-is an important consideration in a growing number of our network's cases. In this podcast, Susan Schmidt, a consultant for Bridging Refugee Youth and Children's Services, discusses why it is important for our volunteer advocates to be familiar with SIJS and the issues immigrant family members might encounter when adjusting to their new country. This is part two of a two-part podcast.

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS)-the most common lawful status available to immigrant youth-is an important consideration in a growing amount of our network's cases. In this podcast, Susan Schmidt, a consultant for Bridging Refugee Youth and Children's Services, provides an introduction to SIJS. This is part one of a two-part podcast.

Lisa Barsky Firsker, PhD explains how the use of simple materials such as crayons, paper, colored pencils and markers can be a powerful way to communicate with a child. As she says: "Inside every quiet child there is a loud voice trying to get out."

This podcast features National CASA Association Kappa Alpha Theta Program Director of the Year Melissa Protzek of Allegheny County in Pennsylvania.

This is the second story teller from the 2010 National CASA Conference closing general session. It is a live recording of Dee Horn from Fulton County CASA, Georgia. In this podcast Dee shares his story about his volunteer advocacy work.  

At the 2010 National CASA Conference we asked four volunteer advocates from our network to share a story at our closing general session about their volunteer work. This podcast is a live recording of our first story teller Leana Lowery, a volunteer advocate from Fulton County CASA, Georgia.

At our 2010 National CASA Conference, we invited volunteers, staff, supporters and others to share their CASA/GAL stories in a story booth.  In this week's podcast, we present the first edited interview: a conversation between a youth who recently emancipated from the foster care system and a youth currently in state care.

Massachusetts CASA volunteer Jo-Anne Vanin explains how she views her role as a volunteer advocate and why she chooses to do this important work.

National CASA CEO Michael Piraino talks about how new technologies are helping members of our CASA/GAL network improve volunteer advocacy for abused and neglected children.

The option of placing a foster child in a family member’s home is often overlooked. In this podcast Heidi Redlich Epstein from the American Bar Association talks about the importance of kinship care and ways that the Fostering Connections legislation can increase these placements.

This is the second segment of a two-part story. In part one, we heard Michael describe his experiences in foster care. In part two, we hear from two men who helped Michael get where he is today.

As part of National CASA's commemoration of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, we asked volunteers from across the country to share their thoughts about Dr. King's legacy and its relevancy to CASA work.  This podcast is an interview with one of the volunteers who responded.

This is part one of a two-part series. In this half you will hear Michael describe his experiences with the foster care system and Rhode Island CASA and share how he was able to overcome the odds. In part two you will hear from the two men who helped Michael get where he is today.

In this podcast Jacqueline Wilson from Louisiana CASA Association discusses the importance of including the youth in the decision making process in creating their plan.  

National CASA's CEO Michael Piraino shares his thoughts on how our network's advocacy changes the lives of the children we serve, which ultimately changes the world.

Lynn Riemer, expert on drug manufacturing, explains the effects of methamphetamine on the families and children we serve.  Lynn was a presenter at our 2009 National CASA Conference and will be returning to speak at our 2010 National CASA Conference in Atlanta, April 16-19.

Former foster youth Angel Adams tells her story of her racial and ethnic journey while in foster care.  Angel is a member of Facing Foster Care in Alaska, and her artwork has appeared on the cover of National CASA's Connection magazine.

Volunteer advocate Joe Sternberg tells the story of his experience as a CASA volunteer.

Retired Judge Dean Lewis, editor of The Judges' Page newsletter, shares her perspective on the importance of the work of CASA/GAL volunteers in the courtroom.