Menu
Come learn with us! The National CASA/GAL Association requires each CASA volunteer to complete 12 hours of continuing education annually after the first year of pre-service training.
Participating in ongoing training will maintain and improve your knowledge and skills about issues relevant to child advocacy. To get credit for continuing education, report it to your program manager to be entered in Optima as a training log.
Kids Matter CASA often offers continuing education credit for attendance at relevant community events. Community events and one-time online training opportunities are advertised through our newsletter.
Kids Matter Book Club (2 hours for each book read and 2 hours for each meeting attended)
If you’d like to join the discussion, email Kids Matter to become a member. Please have “Book Club” in the subject line and include your name, preferred email address, and let us know if you’re a CASA volunteer in the body of the email. Book Club members get to vote on the next book!
The Attachment Effect: Exploring the Powerful Ways Our Earliest Bond Shapes Our Relationships and Lives by Peter Lovenheim
Date: Monday, February 1, 2021 from 6:00pm-8:00pm
Location: Zoom
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
Date: Monday, April 19, 2021 from 6:00pm-8:00pm
Location: Zoom
June Book TBD
Childhood Disrupted: How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology, and How You Can Heal by Donna Jackson Nakazawa
Date: Monday, February 1, 2020 from 6:00pm-8:00pm
Location: Kids Matter Office
Runaway Girl by Carissa Phelps
Date: Monday, April 20, 2020 from 6:00pm-8:00pm
Location: Zoom Meeting
Somebody Else’s Children: The Courts, the Kids, and the Struggle to Save America’s Troubled Families by John Hubner and Jill Wolfson
Date: Monday, June 15, 2020 from 6:00pm-8:00pm
Location: Zoom Meeting
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
Date: Monday, August 10, 2020 from 6:00pm-8:00pm
Location: Zoom Meeting
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond
Date: Monday, October 26 from 6:00pm-8:00pm
Location: Zoom Meeting
Power of Attorney for Health Care Training (1.5 hours)
Kids Matter Inc., in collaboration with DCF, will provide a training on the importance of young adults executing a Power of Attorney for Health Care as part of their emancipation plan. Come learn the basics of this important tool and tips for how you can empower young adults to execute one. View flyer here.
Date: Tuesday, February 2, 2021 from 12:00-1:30pm
Location: Zoom; Register here by January 28
Optima– Case Management System Training (3 hours)
Optima is the CASA case management system for Kids Matter CASA and most CASA programs in the country. Optima is web, but not cloud-based allowing for a secure connection and access to case information anywhere you have Internet access, including on mobile devices.
Date: Ongoing, by appointment
Location: Kids Matter CASA Office; Zoom
CASA Volunteer Social featuring Pardeep Kaleka (2 hours)
Hear guest speaker Pardeep Kaleka’s story of trauma and healing through empathy and forgiveness. Pardeep is the co-founder of Serve2United and the Executive Director of Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee. He is also the author of The Gift of Our Wounds: A Sikh and a Former White Supremacist Find Forgiveness After Hate.
In August of 2012 Pardeep’s father was one of the victims in a mass shooting at the Sikh temple in Oak Creek by a self-proclaimed white supremacist. Since then Pardeep has been on a journey of forgiveness and understanding, and has spoken out against hate crime and violence all over the U.S.
Date: Wednesday, January 22, 2020 from 5:30pm-7:30pm
Location: Kids Matter Office
CASA Discussion of Coded Bias
Since we can’t gather at the theater, the CASA team is hosting a discussion on the Milwaukee Film Festival movie Coded Bias over Zoom. Watch the movie beforehand, grab a cup of tea and then join Kirsten and Chloe for some conversation.
Date: Tuesday, October 27 from 7:30-8:30pm
Location: Zoom Meeting
Milwaukee Film Festival (hours vary depending on movie and post-film discussion)
Kids Matter will select movies relevant to child and youth advocacy which will qualify for continuing education credit. We will provide free tickets to selected movies for both Kids Matter CASA volunteers and age-appropriate youth to watch at home.
National CASA/GAL Conference
The conference is an opportunity to reconnect with peers and reignite passion for service. This year’s conference will feature prominent speakers, dynamic learning sessions, institutes and more, with the goal of helping attendees prepare for a new tomorrow.
Wisconsin Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Conference
Come learn about how to ensure all Wisconsin infants and young children reach their fullest potential through nurturing and consistent relationships within the context of family, community, and culture. The Wisconsin Alliance for Infant Mental Health’s efforts focus on weaving relationship-based infant mental health practices and principles into the everyday activities of all individuals who touch the lives of infants, young children, and their families.
National CASA/GAL Webinars
National CASA/GAL Association offers webinars on demand! Choose from webinars on a variety of child welfare topics.
Prevent Human Trafficking Webinars from National CASA/GAL
Did you know about one in four trafficking victims are children and the average age is 14? National CASA/GAL provides online training resources for CASA volunteers to help recognize and advocate for human trafficking and child exploitation victims:
Local Trainings on Mental Health in Milwaukee
Community Advocates Public Policy Institute offers free virtual training opportunities on mental health. Training dates and times are generally announced a month in advance—check the newsletter for updates. Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) trainings are also available through National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Southeast Wisconsin and Prevent Suicide Greater Milwaukee.
Darkness to Light Trainings (1 hour)
Child sexual abuse prevention organization, Darkness To Light, offers two online trainings for free: Protecting Children During a Crisis (30 minutes) and Talking to Kids About Safety from Sexual Abuse (30 minutes). CASA Program Manager Lance Jones is a facilitator for Darkness to Light trainings for KIDS MATTER CASA.
Trauma Basics for Youth Workers (2 hours)
Trauma-informed care has gained significant support in recent years, particularly in regard to youth support and development. This course presents the basic, introductory tenants for how practice and implement trauma-informed care in youth settings. This is a 2-hour/credit course that overviews trauma-informed care; what trauma is, how it impacts learning and the brain, and the core aspect of trauma-informed care every youth worker should know: how to foster interpersonal safety.
Understanding Trauma Bonds Between Traffickers and Their Victims (2.5 hours)
Trauma bonding is a counter-intuitive phenomenon in which a victim bonds and develops strong positive feelings toward his or her abuser. These bonds are common among sex trafficking victims and affect their ability to identify their own victimization, cooperate with law enforcement investigations, and refrain from going back into the life once they have left. This webinar from the National Criminal Justice Training Center will examine the formation of these bonds between traffickers and their victims through case examples, videos, and discussion. Strategies for breaking these bonds and helping victims psychologically separate from their abusers will also be discussed.
Engaging Families in Affirming Trauma-Informed Care for LGBTQ Children and Youth
Research shows that LGBTQ youth who have family support have better outcomes through their youth and into adulthood. This is especially relevant for LGBTQ youth who have experienced trauma and may face ongoing safety concerns related to their identities. This webinar will outline techniques for engaging families in affirming treatment and care of their LGBTQ youth. Practitioners will examine ways to engage in cultural humility and understanding when engaging families and youth in trauma treatment.
This is a free webinar from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN). You will need to create a free account. NCTSN has many great trainings to choose from!
Safety Planning for Victims of Child Abuse (1 hour)
This webinar from the National Criminal Justice Training Center will enhance and build knowledge regarding the use of and development of safety plans for victims of child abuse including physical, emotional and sexual abuse as well as neglect. Identify the key elements to consider when contemplating or developing a safety plan. Recognize what it means to make a safety plan, who can make a safety plan, be a part of the safety plan, and what, if any, documentation do you need when putting a safety plan in place.
Drug Endangered Children: Postnatal Risks – How You Can Make a Difference
This course describes how postnatal exposure to an environment where there is substance use and drug activity affects Drug Endangered Children (DEC) throughout their childhood and entire life.
Engaging Kinship Caregivers: Managing Risk Factors in Kinship Care (1 hour)
Video series from the Annie E. Casey Foundation featuring Dr. Joseph Crumbley, DSW, MSW comprises 5 videos of 20 minutes each. We offer credit for Modules 1, 2 and 3.
The Child’s Voice: How Parental Addiction Affects Young Children (1 hour)
Parental addiction affects the well-being of young children—children you may encounter in your work. You have the opportunity to support children and families affected by addiction, in big and small ways. In this webinar from Sesame Street in Communities, Sis Wenger, President and CEO of the National Association for Children of Addiction (NACoA), describes the ways parental addiction affects young children. She paints an eye-opening picture of what so many young children experience daily, and offers ways any individual can offer support and care.
Strategies for Supporting Resilience and Healing in Victims of Child Maltreatment (1 hour)
Child maltreatment has a wide range of effects on the individual, family, and community. Professionals implementing trauma-informed practices can help to mitigate these effects and promote resilience and healing. Complete this self-paced NCJTC module to gather strategies to address the mental health needs of victims, including tips for coordinating care among agencies investigating and prosecuting child maltreatment.
New resources are always emerging and most of these will qualify for continuing education credits. If you have questions or want to share ideas for continuing education opportunities, reach out to your CASA supervisor.
