Getting Started
What are you looking for?
Additional Links
New Volunteers
Pre-Work
Visit this page for more information about signing up for the E-Learning portion of the training course.
E-Learning
CASA COLLEGE
Already have an account? Login here.
Resources
for More Information
- Texas CASA’s Learning Center Resources for Volunteers archives
- Child Mind Institute – The Child Mind Institute is an independent, national nonprofit dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders.
- Advocacy In Action – this resource from the National CASA Association presents timely and relevant topics thought a series of Issue Briefs focused on improving safety, permanency and well-being.
- Check out our Education Page to meet our Education Board and to find helpful resources.
Resources BY specific topic
Click on a topic below to jump to that section or scroll through to see all available resources.
CFE
- Learn more about CFE – Collaborative Family Engagement is an exciting new initiative at CASA of Galveston County.
Community-Based Care
Cultural Competence
Drug & Alcohol Advocacy Resources
- Opioid Fact Sheet
- Hair Follicle Testing Scale
- Drug Classifications: The 7 Types of Drugs
- Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Centers in Galveston County
- How Addiction Affects The Transgender Community
- Sunshine Behavioral Health
- Hair Drug Testing FAQ
- (CDC) Adverse Childhood Experiences, Overdose, and Suicide
Education
Foster Care, Adoption & Kinship Resources
- CPS Rights of Children and Youth in Foster Care
- Ombudsman Foster Care Facility Flyer
- 28 Ways to Help CPS – Faith Based Unit
- Kinship Manual
- Child Protective Services Handbook
- Minimum Standards for Child Placing Agencies
- Foster and Adoptive Home (FAD) Resource Guide
- Placement Process Resource Guide
- CPS Texas Law Help Toolkit
- SDM Safety and Risk Assessment Manual
- Adoption or PMC
- Foster Family Resource Directory
- How the Texas Child Protective Services System Works: Video
- Home and Community-Based Services Resource Guide
- Toolkit for Attorneys Representing Parents and Children in Child Protection Cases
- Texas Adoption Portal (TAP)
- The Moses Closet
- Texas CASA Normalcy: A Guide to Supporting Children & Youth in Texas Foster Care
- Legal Resources for Advocates
- Texas Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
- Supplemental Security Income Benefits: TexasCASA_SSI_FAQ-V4
Homelessness
- Attorney Resource Letter
- Homeless Youth Handbook
- Local Housing Options
- Star of Hope
- Family Promise
- Island Harbor: Supervised Independent Living Program Brochure | Flow Chart
Human Trafficking/ Child Exploitation
- NetSmartz Internet Safety for kids VIDEOS | RESOURCES
- National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Local Resources
- Children and Youth Services Directory
- UTMB Community Resource Directory
- Teen Health Center
- Victim Assistance Program
- Social Emotional Learning
- On the Road Lending Program – English Brochure, Spanish Brochure
- HHSC’s Medical Transportation Program Information
- All Kids SAFE
- Houston Resources for Youth in Care
- Home and Community-Based Services Resource Guide
- Family Promise
- Island Harbor: Supervised Independent Living Program Brochure | Flow Chart
- CAPGAL
- Santa Fe Resiliency Center
- Baker Ripley Utility Assistance Program
- St. Vincent’s House List of Services: English | Spanish
LGBTQ+ Resources
- LGBTQIA Youth Group
- The Trevor Project
- LGBTQ Resources for Child Welfare Professionals
- LGBT Health Care Terms
- Montrose Grace Place
- CDC LGBT Youth Resources
- TrueChild Gender and Racial Equity
- NAMI LGBTQ+
- UTMB LGBTQIA+ Resoures
- My Gay Houston: Community Resources
- Responding to Harmful Misconceptions About LGBTQ People
Mental Health
- NAMI Resources
- Texas Mental Health Guide
- Mental Health – Innovative Alternatives Brochure English, Spanish
- St. Vincent’s House
- LGBTQ Communities and Mental Health
- Gulf Coast Center
- LGBT National Help Center
- Texas CASA Health Advocacy Guide
- Texas Youth Hotline: Call, Text, or Chat 24/7
- Depelchin Families COUNT Telehealth English | Spanish
- Identifying Trauma-Informed Providers
- Crisis Counseling, Assistance, and Training Programs English | Spanish
- (CDC) Adverse Childhood Experiences, Overdose, and Suicide
- 2-1-1 Texas: Find Help
- WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS | Flyer | Service Industry Recovery – Spanish | Summer Earn and Learn
- Resource Guide (March 2022)
- Santa Fe Resiliency Center |Building Better Relationships Training | Tele Health Counseling
- Child Mind Institute video series Child Mind Institute – YouTube
Parenting & Physical Health
- Helping Through Intervention and Prevention (HIP) Program Brochure
- Healthy Texas Women
- Teen Health Center
- NPR – Why do Children in Foster Care Become Pregnant at a Much Higher Rate?
- Texas Health Steps Benefits | Texas Health Steps Medical Periodicity Schedule
- Superior Health
- Children at Risk’s Center for Parenting and Family Well-Being
- Parenting Help Dropboxes – Referral Forms & Flyers | Newsletter Archive
- Child Psychiatric Access Network (CPAN)
- Resources for Parents Seeking Reunification
- Caregiver Advocacy Support and Resources
- Kids and Car Safety
- 5 Protective Factors: Supporting Families
- Can My Child Go To School Today? Covid Flow Chart
- Community Health Network
- Texas Health Access Through Telemedicine
- Water Safety for Kids | Video
- For Teen/Young Moms | SRJC | Covenant House | Viola’s House
Stress, Trauma & Adverse Childhood Experiences
- National Child Traumatic Stress Network
- Secondary Traumatic Stress
- Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES)
- How severe, ongoing stress can affect a child’s brain
- The Body Remembers
- Treating Childhood Trauma
- Relational Trauma and Traumawise Care
- 10 Things to say instead of “Stop Crying”
- Trauma Informed Schools for Children in K-12: A Systems Framework
- The Trauma Stewardship Institute
- Child Trauma Academy
- (CDC) Adverse Childhood Experiences, Overdose, and Suicide
- Texas Children’s Commission: Trauma Informed Texas
- Trauma Informed Care Conference:
- Trauma: Why it Influences Behavior | Part 1 | Part 2 |
- The Components in Trauma Informed Care
- Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development
Texas Abuse Hotline
- Call the Texas Abuse Hotline (1-800-252-5400) if your situation is urgent and needs to be investigated within 24 hours.
- Call 911 or your local law enforcement agency if you have an emergency or life-threatening situation that must be dealt with immediately
- Complete forms online ***do not use the website to report urgent or emergency situations – call the hotline or 911***
Veteran Resources
- The VA: Substance Use Treatments for Veterans
- The Montrose Center: LGBT Veterans
- Home – Waves Project
- VOW 22
- VVA CHAPTER #685 | Vietnam Veterans of America
- Texas Veterans Network (combinedarms.us)
- Texas For Heroes
- Our Mission | Team Rubicon (teamrubiconusa.org)
- Veteran Resources | San Jacinto College
- Operation Finally Home
- Home – The Mission Continues | The Mission Continues
- Veteran’s Behavioral Health – Mental Health America of Greater Houston (mhahouston.org)
- Welcome (houstonmarines.org)
- HOME – VMHD (texas.gov)
- Folds of Honor – Scholarships for Military and First Responder Families
- Military/Veterans – Easter Seals Greater Houston (eastersealshouston.org)
- Veterans Center (com.edu)
- Camp SHiEld | Empowering Women Veterans
- C.H.A.M.P. (champ.vet)
- Wounded Veteran Organization | Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes (saluteheroes.org)
- Women Veterans | Grace After Fire | United States
- Helping a Hero | Empowering Wounded Heroes
In-Service Training Opportunities
Calendar
View all scheduled in-services on our events calendar
Upcoming Trainings
CASA College
Explore topics on CASA’s E-Learning
CASA College
OPtima
Remember to document all in-service hours in Optima!
Optima Training
Trainings BY specific topic
Click on a topic below to jump to that section or scroll through to see all available resources.
Books, Movies and more
- Recommended Reading List – view a list of books that we recommend for in-service training hours
- LGBTQ+ Watch and Reading list
- If you read a book or watch a movie, record answers to these questions on Optima to earn credit:
- Who was your favorite character? Why?
- Who was your least favorite character? Why?
- Did you like the ending? Why or why not?
- How does this relate to your work as a CASA advocate?
- What is one thing from this book or movie that you can take with you into your role as an advocate?
- CASA Resources Scavenger Hunt Fill in the Blank– Complete this activity sheet to familiarize yourself with the resource page and get 1 training credit hour
- Fun CASA Zoom Backgrounds!
CFE
- CFE Trainings – Collaborative Family Engagement is an exciting new initiative at CASA of Galveston County
Cultural Competence
- Bias Free Advocacy
- Supporting LGBTQ Youth in Child Welfare
- Serving LGBTQ Youth: Promising Practices in Adoption and Foster Care
- Advocacy for Dual System Youth
- Latin American Children’s Extraordinary Support (LACES)
- All Children All Families Online Learning Archive
- Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Summit
Stress, Trauma & adverse child experiences
- Nadine Burke Harris TED Talk
- Texas Victim Assistance Training (TVAT)
- National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Safety Training
- Building Trauma-Informed Services for Children, Youth, and Parents Impacted by Domestic Violence
- TBRI An Overview: Putting the Pieces Together
- CASA College e-Learning Trauma-Informed Advocacy for Children and Youth in Foster Care
- TBRI for Teachers
- How to Implement Trauma-informed Care to Build Resilience to Childhood Trauma
- Nadine Burke Harris & Toxic Stress