Presents the Court Appointed Special Advocates For Children (CASA) volunteer manual setting forth the role of the volunteer and providing information on legal issues, cultural considerations, understanding children and family dynamics, effective communication, documenting, monitoring, and reporting. Also includes a glossary and additional web resources. Activity-based learning and case-study exploration improve understanding of child abuse issues and laws and of the effects of family and cultural influences on child rearing. Volunteers learn to recognize and develop family strengths, maintain unbiased cultural ideologies, understand the effects of stress on children and families, and see the influence of mental illness in child abuse and neglect scenarios. After training, volunteers can effectively gather information for assigned cases, organize the information to comply with state and federal child abuse regulation, and appropriately guide and assist children and families toward healthier, safer, and happier relations. (IP)
