CASA - Court Appointed Special Advocates

Center for Community Alternatives (CCA) sponsors the Onondaga Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program. Its mission is to speak for the best interests of abused and neglected children in court. Through a collaborative approach, the Onondaga CASA program promotes and supports quality volunteer representation for children in the courts and advocates for a network of resources to provide each child with a safe, permanent and nurturing home. Onondaga CASA is one of more than 900 programs with more than 70,000 volunteers nationwide.

The Role of a CASA Advocate
CASA volunteers are assigned to an abuse or neglect case by a judge. They conduct thorough research on the background of the case, reviewing documents, interviewing everyone involved, including the child. They make reports to the court, providing the judge with information that will help him or her make an informed decision. CASA volunteers can be instrumental in assuring that a child or family receives services which the court has ordered - things like substance counseling or special education testing. During the life of a case, a CASA volunteer monitors the child's situation to makes sure she or he remains safe.

Honors
CCA's CASA program received national recognition from the National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association (NCASAA) as an excellent program and a "leader in achieving diversity." "It is a great honor to receive NCSAA's first ever Diversity Leadership Award," says Marsha Weissman, Executive Director of CCA. CCA/CASA's commitment to diversity has taken many forms, including: focus group discussions with community members, the development of a "diversity friendly outreach and recruitment" and, most recently, the preparation of a manual, "Improving Volunteer Diversity."

In 2004 the MONY Life Insurance Company VIP Award recognized CASA's outstanding volunteer programs. The judges noted that CCA's programs offer high levels of training, attract volunteers with diverse backgrounds and skills as well as successfully win long term involvement and commitment from volunteers.

For more information or to volunteer contact:
Barbara Benedict, Coordinator
Onondaga CASA
Center for Community Alternatives
115 East Jefferson Street, Suite 300
Syracuse, New York 13202
315-422-5638
bbenedict@communityalternatives.org

Click here to learn how to contribution financially to CCA's Onondaga CASA program.