Spring 2014 - In This Issue:
Volunteer Appreciation Event staff photo
CASA Staff L-R: John Anyosa, Tara Beckman, Gillian Clarke, Tina Mahle, Carol Trotter, Jaime Dadej, Maria Mann-Gagn� , Martha Cardenas, Ginni Ring

I am for the Child Breakfast Event Keynote Speaker, Anthony C.
Youth Speak! Ambassadors
Leadership Opportunities for  Foster Youth
CASA Speaks is a part of our Ambassador Group comprised of former foster youth or transitioning young adults who want to share their experience with prospective volunteers and other supporters of the CASA program. Youth who can commit to speaking at least two times every six months receive a stipend for being trained and for each speaking engagement.

 

Youth must be at least 18 years old. It is highly desirable for our youth speakers to have had direct experience being assigned to a CASA volunteer; however, this is not a requirement for participation. Our next training takes place Saturday, July 12th  at the CASA office from 10-4. Youth must submit an application before being enrolled in the training.

 

The Ambassador training for CASA advocates will take place Tuesday, July 8th from 6-9pm at the CASA office.

 

Please contact John Anyosa at [email protected] or (408) 679-9041 to get further information, including the application, and feel free to share this info with your CASA youth.

Mission Statement

Alameda County Court Appointed Special Advocates promotes and supports quality volunteer advocates to speak for the best interests of abused and neglected children in the dependency court system.

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www.casaofalamedacounty.org  

Volunteer Tax Deductions

Please consult with your CPA or Tax Preparer for verification: 

 

Charitable expenses can be deducted on a individual's tax return on Schedule A (the individual needs to itemize their deductions, not report a standard deduction).

 

All chartable expenses (such as tolls, supplies, postage, printing, etc.) that a volunteer incurs in order to conduct a charitable activity can be deducted. The donated time cannot be deducted.

 

Charitable miles driven can also be deducted on Schedule A. A volunteer should have a mile log where s/he indicates dates and amount of charitable miles driven and then the IRS's mile rate should be applied to calculate the deduction for the charitable miles.
Executive Director's Highlights
Excuse our Dust and other Exciting Updates!
Dear CASA Volunteers, Colleagues and Friends,

 

I am pleased to present our Spring Newsletter and share some of our most recent projects and initiatives which provide over 230 foster children and young adults in our courts system quality, caring support and advocacy during their critical time in foster care.

 

First and foremost, thank you to our volunteers who give much more than they could ever be adequately acknowledged. I appreciate your dedication, passion and oftentimes downright hard work. You are the reason the CASA program makes a positive impact on our most vulnerable children's lives.

 

Alameda County CASA moved to our new home this week just a short distance to a beautiful newly remodeled suite on the 1st floor of our current address. We now have state of art training facilities and room for expansion. We appreciate your patience as we unpack and get settled. Stay tuned for an open house announcement coming soon this summer.   

 

With gratitude and well-wishes,in April we said goodbye to 10-year CASA staff veteran, Tara Beckman, who you can read more about in this e-news below. With her transition, we welcome Ernesto"Ernie" Tabasa coming to us from nine years service as a Case Supervisor in the Silicon Valley Child Advocates agency in Milpitas,CA. 

 

In April we successfully hosted our 3rd annual I am for the child fundraising breakfast, with over 170 people attending, giving over $47,000 in sponsorship support and individual contributions. We launched our new marketing video with powerful stories of our very own youth, volunteers and professionals. Thank you staff, advocates, volunteers, and donors! You are amazing.

 

We recently completed our volunteer program survey and will be incorporating your suggestions into our planning. Your ideas and recommendations have been shared with our Friends of Alameda County CASA and inter-agency advisory boards to further seek improvements. This summer, look for announcements about the CASA program's upcoming strategic planning process. We want your input!

 

The CASA program continues to strive to improve our data tracking systems and we are looking at how volunteers influence a positive outcome for foster youth.   Our peer coordinator team has bravely been beta testing and improving our online monthly logs system for the past several months. In the near future, we hope to introduce to all advocates the opportunity to make online monthly logs submissions at the click of a mouse. In that same vein on the road to greater efficiency Alameda County CASA has joined California CASA Association and five other CASA agencies in the state to identify advocate goals and track activities and progress with the Youth Outcomes Pilot Project. In line with best practices in the field, the CASA movement will be able to show data to support recruitment goals and funding support from our stakeholders. All of California and the National CASA Association are working on impact measurement and all programs will be on board in the coming months. Thank you for your efforts to more attentively track your efforts with your youth. 

 

Please don't hesitate to ask any of my CASA program staff or peer coordinators more about the exciting work we are all doing to make life in foster care and the future for foster youth brighter, better and more hopeful than ever before.

 

In gratitude,

 

Executive Director 

If you aren't already using the CASA Program website... You Should! 

We have been working hard to make our website more accessible and useful for you. As a reminder, advocates are required to complete 12 hours of continuing education per year (from date of case assignment). Whether you want to attend a class with ACCASA staff, visit a community organization's training, read a book, watch a movie, or listen to a podcast, our website has resources for you!

 

Be sure to check out:

 

ACCASA Lending Library   

ACCASA has a lending library of CE materials. Topics of books include: Child abuse & trauma, emotional issues, education, child development, anger, stories written by foster children, transition-age youth and emancipation, etc. We also have some DVDs that can be checked out.

 

CASA In-Service Trainings  

Please visit the Continuing Education and Events Calendar to review the many trainings being offered in the next weeks and months. Advocates will also be signed up to receive email invitations to each of the classes that are offered internally.

Partner agencies' trainings and CASA-facilitated trainings are shown in the Continuing Education and Events Calendar.

 

We have not included every training offered, so please visit the partner websites listed in the Resources by Topic section under  

Community Partner Trainings. Read More.

 

Thank You, Tara

 For Ten Years of CASA Advocacy!

Tara Beckman, a child welfare warrior and long time foster care advocate joined Alameda County CASA in March 2004. While working in Alameda's juvenile dependency system, Tara was a CASA volunteer assigned to four youth, an educational rights holder, and a dedicated and talented member of the CASA team.

 

During her early years at CASA, Tara was responsible for coordinating the Group Homes Program. This was the first CASA program in the network to assign CASAs directly within group homes and with the ability to assign advocates to any youth in a group home without receiving an outside referral. Tara authored multiple CASA protocols and policies, coordinated projects, and functioned as an expert trainer for advocates, new child welfare workers, and the dependency community. In July 2010, Tara published the "Guide to Independent Living for Transitional Age and Emancipated Foster Youth," a resource book for youth exiting from the foster care system.

 

Alameda County CASA would like to say thank you to Tara Beckman for her commitment and unwavering support in making a difference in a foster child's life. Her spirit and zeal will be remembered; she has made a significant and lasting impact on this program and those who had the pleasure of working with her.


Alameda County Court Appointed Special Advocates Program

Alameda County Health Care Services Agency  

1000 San Leandro Blvd.  Ste. 100 

San Leandro, CA 94577
510-618-1950
www.casaofalamedacounty.org  
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