A message from the CASA of Los Angeles Board of Directors
Dear CASA volunteers,
Thank you for your tireless advocacy on behalf of children and youth in Los Angeles County. We know this past year has not been easy and we deeply appreciate your dedication to the young people who need the most support.
We are also incredibly grateful for Wende Julien and all the love and energy she put into CASA of Los Angeles during her tenure as CEO. We are proud of her as she moves to a dream job as Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Probation Oversight Commission. We want to assure you that the CASA/LA board of directors and the CASA/LA staff are continuing to work hard to further the mission of CASA/LA and support you in your advocacy during this transition.
The board of directors has partnered with Morris & Berger, an executive search firm, to help identify our next CEO and we are currently soliciting candidates for this important role. Please share the job description with any amazing folks in your network.
If you have any questions during this transition, please feel free to reach out to the following CASA/LA staff members for support:
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General Operations & Programs: Maegan Mattock, Chief Program Officer
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Fundraising & Partnerships: Celina Santiago, Chief Development and Partnerships Officer
Warm regards,
Harriet Zaretsky
Board Chair CASA/LA
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Meet Tamara Bingham!
Tamara joined CASA in April 2020 and loves it! Tamara has a Bachelor’s Degree in Child and Adolescent Development from Cal State Northridge and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Phoenix. Tamara comes with a wealth of knowledge of working with at-risk youth. She has over 15 years of working with youth from the juvenile justice field and also the mentoring field. Tamara has a heart for at-risk youth and enjoys partnering with other individuals who also have the goal of seeing youth be successful. Tamara is so grateful to be provided the opportunity to work with CASA/LA in advocating for our youth’s well-being.
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Meet Melisa Montano-Ochoa!
Melisa joined CASA/LA in September 2020 as an Advocate Supervisor. She holds a B.A. and an M.A. in Spanish Literature and Linguistics from California State University, Fullerton. Go, Titans! She originally wanted to become a Spanish college professor, but life had other plans in store for her. Melisa found her true passion, working with at-risk youth and foster youth. She began her career within child welfare when she served as an Education Advocate and Trainer for the Education Program within the Alliance for Children’s Rights. From there she went on to become the Program Coordinator, and subsequently the Program Manager, for the Opportunity Youth Collaborative, an initiative within the Alliance for Children’s Rights. Prior to joining CASA/LA, Melisa served as a Family Services Technician for the Orange County Department of Education. She’s excited to be part of the CASA family and be of service to others!
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CASA IN-SERVICE TRAINING
Gangs: myths, reality, and the best way to advocate for youth involved
When: Friday, February 5 at 12-2 PM
Where: online via Zoom
Continuing Education Hours: 2
Court Report Writing
When: Thursday, February 18 at 12-2 PM
Where: online via Zoom
Continuing Education Hours: 2
Reproductive and Sexual Health
When: Tuesday, February 23 at 12-2 PM
Where: online via Zoom
Continuing Education Hours: 2
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If you are interested in watching a recorded video of a past training that you missed, reach out to Betsy Ann Mudd (bmudd@casala.org). We may have what you are looking for!
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BOOK CLUBS
Coastline Book Group
Where: Online
When: Tuesday, March 9 at 1:30-3 PM
We're Reading: "Lila" by Marilynne Robinson
San Fernando Valley Book Group
Where: Online
When: Tuesday, March 9 at 7 PM
We're Reading: "The Undocumented Americans" by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
Want to host a book club?
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FREE Film Screening and Q&A with Career Fair to Follow
Kids In The Spotlight is a non-profit that uses filmmaking as art therapy to help youth in foster care overcome their trauma and develop the tools needed to become stable members of their communities.
In honor of Black History Month, they are hosting a free virtual event on February 18th called “A Celebration of Black Youth Storytellers.” The virtual event is a screening and Q&A session moderated by Malcolm-Jamal Warner [The Cosby Show]. Mr. Warner will lead foster youth filmmakers in an authentic conversation about the social issues they raised in their films, such as race, prejudice, and barriers to success for Black and Indigenous People of Color. The event was created to inspire youth in foster care to dream beyond their limitations, while also highlighting a positive story that relates to the foster care system. This virtual event starts at 5pm PST, is open to the general public, and ends at roughly 6:30pm.
At 6:30pm PST, current or former foster youth between the age of 17 and 25 are invited to their Virtual Career Mixer for Foster Youth. This is a private mixer where they will meet high-level creative executives from NBCUniversal to learn about careers in production, writing, development, marketing, acting, and directing.
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Need a special gift for your CASA youth? We've got you covered.
Does your CASA youth have a birthday coming up? Maybe you'd like to give your youth something special to say "Great job!" or to celebrate " Random Acts of Kindness Day" (Feb 17). Thanks to a successful holiday gift drive and generous donors, CASA/LA has leftover toys, clothes, and gift cards available. If you'd like to see about picking up something for your CASA youth, please reach out to your advocate supervisor to make an appointment. |
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Meet other CASA volunteers virtually for monthly discussions and support. Connections are organized by age group of youth served. Sign up here. |
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You can visit our website for the most up to date version of our court report writing handbook and templates for your court report. In-service trainings on this topic are held quarterly. |
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CASA/LA cares about the well-being of our advocates. As a volunteer, you have access to our EAP program for anonymous telephonic counseling. Company code: CASAOFLA
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Join the CASA resource forum in Muut to search/share resources, communicate with other CASAs, ask questions, and get updates. Read the following instructions to begin. |
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Visit Litmos to access webinars on transitional age youth, early childhood, etc.
Look in your advocate email for an invitation from CASA/LA or contact your supervisor.
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Read our volunteer handbook for any CASA/LA policies regarding anything from conflict of interest, mandatory reporting, boundaries, or posting on social media. |
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