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.
The Link Between Trauma and Addiction: A Rationale for Dyadic Treatment
Center of Innovation
Description:
In this 3-hour 15 minute FREE virtual seminar, we will discuss the link between trauma and addiction or substance use disorder (SUD) as a rationale for dyadic treatment. Research indicates that many cases of addiction and mental illness begin as compensations and adaptations to developmental and childhood trauma (Cicchetti & Handley, 2019). Integrating these areas is critical to effectively support mothers and fathers during and after pregnancy. Mothers and fathers with multiple ACEs and with substance use disorders (SUD) often show difficulties in understanding the meaning of their young child’s emotions and behavior, and in responding appropriately and sensitively to the child’s cues (Suchman et al., 2011). Both trauma and substance use disorders can disrupt a parent's capacity to offer attuned, responsive care—an essential task in the perinatal period. Yet this period also represents a time of heightened motivation and possibility for change, offering a unique opportunity to support recovery and nurture the parent-infant relationship through Perinatal and Child-Parent Psychotherapy.
This training is for community behavioral health providers, CYFD staff, and other community stakeholders who work with children, youth, and families.
Training Dates:
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Friday, May 8th, 2026: 8:45 am- 12:00 pm
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Friday, June 19th, 2026: 8:45 am- 12:00 pm
Observing Dyadic Play: Social Reciprocity and Noticing without Judgement
Center of Innovation
Description:
This 3-hour 15 minute FREE virtual seminar will explore how to observe back-and-forth interactions during play. Dyadic play is a crucial context for acquiring social-emotional skills. Through play, a child learns language, recognizes social cues, and develops emotional regulation through "serve and return" exchanges with caregivers. Social reciprocity then is a connection between a caregiver and child that is foundational to child development and involves the experience of heartfelt listening and responding.
Noticing without judgment is a practice of observing thoughts, feelings, and situations without immediately labeling them as good or bad, which can lead to greater clarity and acceptance. These concepts work together, as observing others without judgment can improve social reciprocity, and understanding the reciprocity in an interaction can help one notice what is happening without immediately reacting.
This training is for community behavioral health providers, CYFD staff, and other community stakeholders who work with children, youth, and families.
Training Dates:
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Friday, May 12th, 2026: 8:45 am- 12:00 pm
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