Now Launching our New Hybrid Training Program

We are excited to announce the launch of our new hybrid online training program designed to better accommodate the schedules of our community volunteers. This new training option will combine the flexibility of online learning with the interactive and personal touch of in-person tasks such as our in-person graduation, observation of a hearing in the courthouse, and a debrief of the observed hearing.

• Flexibility: Online chapters allow volunteers to complete coursework at their own pace, which means it can fit into anyone’s schedule. The learning will be self-paced but also monitored by our advocate supervisors to assure that proper time and thought is being put into the questions that go alongside the chapters.
• Accessibility: Our online training program can be easily accessed from home through the advocate portal. So, our volunteers will only have to come into the courthouse for the few in-person tasks that we ask them to complete.
• Preparation: The role of a CASA volunteer closely parallels the blend of independent work and guided assistance that our new hybrid training program will offer. This similarity will help prepare you for what it will be like to step into your CASA volunteer role right after graduation.

What to Expect

The hybrid training program consists of a series of online chapters and questions that will be paired with a few in-person tasks. Here’s what a volunteer going through our hybrid training program can expect:

1. Online Chapters: The online chapters will cover the core content required for CASA certification. They can be completed at your own pace over a 4-to-6-week period. This training also includes submitting a sample court report towards the end to prepare you for the court reports you will be writing in a CASA volunteer role.
2. In-Person Tasks: There are a few insistences in which you will be required to come into the CASA office before you can graduate from the training program. Some of these insistences include picking up materials from the office, completing a hearing observation at the courthouse, a debrief, and our in-person graduation.
3. Background Clearances and Mandated Reporter Training: The background clearances and Mandated Reporter training are the same for both hybrid and in-person classes. These will need to be completed in order to graduate.
4. Support and Resources: Throughout the training our Advocate Supervisors and Program Director will be available for any questions or concerns that you may have. They can be easily reached over email or phone.
5. Graduation and Swearing-In: After the online training is complete it will be followed by our CASA graduation where you will be sworn in by a judge. After this, you will be ready to take your first case!

We are thrilled to offer this option moving forward and look forward to welcoming new dedicated CASA volunteers who will help change the lives of children here in Westmoreland County.

For more information and to apply, visit our website or contact us directly. Together, we can make a difference!