Continuing Education
In-Service Training Opportunities
To maintain eligibility to work on a case as a CASA Volunteer, you must complete a minimum of 12 in-service hours of ongoing training per calendar year.
Below you will find a list of past training videos, as well as book and docu-series recommendations that you may utilize for Continued Education/In-Service credit.
Please remember to enter your training hours into Optima.
CASA Book Club: Man Made Monsters by Andrea L. Rogers
Youth Heartline
Description:
Man Made Monsters by Andrea L. Rogers is a collection of 18 illustrated horror short stories that follow one Cherokee family across two centuries, blending supernatural creatures like werewolves and vampires with the real-world horrors of colonialism, violence, and displacement. The book, featuring illustrations by Cherokee artist Jeff Edwards, explores intergenerational trauma and identity through a unique lens, connecting classic horror tropes with the historical and ongoing struggles of the Cherokee people, from the Trail of Tears to the present day.
In-person Book Club Meeting: Monday, July 27th 12:00 pm- 1:00 pm. Location TBA
New Mexico Kids Matter
Description:
The death of a parent is a profound loss that can bring deep grief and sadness. Children and youth in foster care may also experience significant grief even when no death has occurred. This is often referred to as ambiguous loss—the loss of family, home, relationships, routines, and the life they once knew. In many ways, their whole world has changed.
As CASAs and community partners, we need to recognize the signs of grief, whether the loss is due to death or ambiguous loss. Too often, the grief experienced by children and youth in foster care is overlooked, and their behaviors or symptoms of loss are mistaken for behavioral issues rather than understood as expressions of grief.
Please join us for our next community training: Understanding and Supporting Grief and Ambiguous Loss in Children in Foster Care, presented by Barbara Cotton, CASA.
If you have any questions or topics you would like to see addressed in the training, please contact Donna Gomez: dgomez@nmkidsmatter.org.
Training Dates:
Virtual July 30, 2026 11:00 am to 12:00pm
Center of Innovation
Description:
The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) was signed and becomes federal law November 8, 1978. This year we honor the anniversary of this monumental achievement. When child welfare professionals and others connect Native American children with tribal culture, we nourish minds and souls and promote resilience and purpose in life. We celebrate the strengths and unique perspectives of our Nations, Pueblos, and Tribes. We support the revitalization and preservation of cultural and unique tribal practices and traditions. The Summit is your opportunity to build skills, increase knowledge and re-commit to ICWA values we embrace as child welfare professionals.
“Let us put our minds together and see what kind of life we can build for our children.”
-Sitting Bull, Hunkpapa Sioux
In-person Training Dates:
Monday, November 9, 2026: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Isleta Resort & Casino, Albuquerque, NM
Youth Heartline will reimburse cost & fees of the conference. Please reach out to CASA Supervisor for more information.
A View from the Bench: Improving Communication and Partnerships with the Court, Child Welfare, and the Bar.
National CASA/GAL Association
A View from the Bench: Advocating for Older Youth
National CASA/GAL Association
Law and Mental Health
UNM Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Description:
Consultation with criminal justice stakeholders in New Mexico--as well as with New Mexico's Behavioral Health Services Division--have consistently revealed concerns regarding the quality of forensic mental health evaluations in both criminal and civil cases. This maps onto nationwide concerns regarding the same issue, particularly as regards public sector forensic mental health evaluations.
Training Dates: Self-paced
Webinar materials:
188 videos on various topics regarding Law & Mental Health.
A View from the Bench: Parents Struggling with Mental Health Issues
National CASA/GAL Association
Description:
Parents struggling with mental health issues are significantly more likely to become involved with the child welfare system, often facing a higher risk of having their children removed from their home due to concerns about their ability to adequately care for them. In addition to providing support to these children and youth, CASA/GAL volunteers can provide information to the court about the potential impact of a parent’s mental illness on parenting capabilities, and resources that are necessary to support parents, including support from relatives and fictive kin.
Webinar materials:
Online Introduction to ICWA Course
National Indian Child Welfare Association
Training Description:
Introduction to ICWA, an online course covering the Indian Child Welfare Act, is one of the most accessible ways to train child welfare staff working with Native youth and families in ICWA.
In less than five hours, individuals can become certified in the basics of ICWA and be prepared to advocate for this important law, which protects Native children and preserves culture. The course can be completed on a timeline customizable to the learner and to the group.
This course will take you through the opening steps from the moment you realize you are working with a youth who may be Native. Being proficient in ICWA will ensure you can follow what a coalition of 18 national child advocacy organizations has labeled the gold standard in child welfare practice.
Training Dates: Self-Paced
Use code NMkidsICWA
Inclusive, Trauma-Informed Practices with Immigrants
The Center of Immigration and Child Welfare
Training Description:
This is a 5-module online asynchronous, self-paced course that explores how service organizations and practitioners can implement policies and practices to increase inclusivity of immigrant families, and how trauma-informed practice can be tailored to address the unique experiences of immigrant families. It also includes discussion of a model for implementing immigrant specialist navigators within organizations. This course is intended for leaders, frontline practitioners, and other professionals in organizations that serve immigrant families across a variety of community settings. It is available in English and in Spanish.
Training Dates: Self-paced
The Modules:
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Module 1: Migration & Trauma
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Module 2: Historical & Political Contexts
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Module 3: Trauma-Informed Practices & Interventions with Immigrants
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Module 4: Immigrant-Inclusive Organizational Policies & Practices
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Module 5: Secondary Trauma Among Practitioners Working with Immigrant Populations
Judge's Perspective: Preparing to Verbally Answer Questions in Court
National CASA/GAL Association
Judge's Perspective: Writing An Effective Court Report
National CASA/GAL Association
A View from the Bench: The Importance of Best Interest Advocacy
National CASA/GAL Association