Texas CASA

HHSC Request for Reimbursement
2026-06-10 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-07-10 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-08-10 08:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago)

Weekly New ED Call
2026-06-10 09:00 - 10:00, 2026-06-17 09:00 - 10:00, 2026-06-24 09:00 - 10:00, 2026-07-01 09:00 - 10:00, 2026-07-08 09:00 - 10:00, 2026-07-15 09:00 - 10:00, 2026-07-22 09:00 - 10:00, 2026-07-29 09:00 - 10:00 and 1 more date

Program Director - Spill the Tea (In Person)
2026-06-11 08:00 - 2026-06-12 17:00 | Texas CASA Office, 1501 W Anderson Ln. B2, Austin, Texas, 78757, United States

Spill the TEA: Train, Engage and Get Assistance
2026-06-11 09:00 - 15:30
Texas CASA warmly invites Program Directors from across the state to gather for our next in-person PD meeting in Austin on June 11th from 9a to 3:30p. Please join us to connect with colleagues, expand our leadership toolbox and continue to learn from one another about best practices for navigating the PD role.

Register here

VOCA Request for Reimbursement
2026-06-15 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-07-15 08:00 - 17:00

Keep Calm and CASA On! Recruitment Zoom Chats
2026-06-17 13:15 - 14:15, 2026-07-15 13:15 - 14:15
Join the Texas CASA recruitment team and your fellow recruiters on the third Wednesday of each month for the Keep Calm and CASA On! recruitment Zoom calls. The calls will all be around general recruitment, but each one will have a different topic of focus. You’ll hear updates from Texas CASA, learn from guest speakers, and have plenty of time to chat with other recruiters about what they are doing in the world of recruitment.

You don’t need to pre-register for the Zoom call. Just sign on when it’s time. All calls will start at 1:15 p.m. CST. Below is the Zoom link to join or or call in at 1-346-248-7799

Meeting ID: 890 4179 0555

CFE Community Call
2026-06-18 14:00 - 15:30
Join us for a learning and networking opportunity for those involved in CFE to come together and share ideas, strategies, and learnings- strengthening our statewide CFE community.

CFE Community Call
2026-06-18 14:00 - 15:30
Adolescence can be one of the most challenging and transformative seasons of development, especially for youth involved in the child welfare system. Join our Collaborative Family Engagement (CFE) team on June 18 from 2pm – 3:30pm for a Community Call where we explore the relational and attachment needs of adolescents. This session will focus on how child welfare staff and volunteers can support teens as they navigate identity, independence, trust, and connection while forming new attachments and relationships. Participants will gain practical insight into building meaningful connections with youth, strengthening relational safety, and supporting healthy development during the adolescent years.

Guest speaker: Scott Watters, MS, LPC

Scott Watters is the Trauma Wise Consultant for MHMR of Tarrant County. He came to the agency almost two years ago with 16 years of Trauma Wise experience in residential care using Trust Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®). He has been a TBRI® Practitioner for 16 years, a TBRI® Mentor for 11 years, and has been a practicing therapist for 9 years.

In his spare time, Scott loves to teach and travel. He is an adjunct professor for the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development at TCU during the fall and spring. This summer, Scott and his family are traveling to Glacier National Park to escape the Texas heat. When the rare chance hits, he combines these passions by facilitating training sessions across the country.

Date: June 18, 2026

Time: 2pm – 3:30pm

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81990541079?pwd=[REDACTED]

Juneteenth
2026-06-19 00:00 - 23:59

HHSC Quarterly Performance Measures
2026-06-22 08:00 - 17:00

STAR Monthly Zoom
2026-06-29 12:00 - 13:30
Join us for our STAR Zoom featuring Kacie Brooks, Director of Kinship, as she walks us through the new kinship licensing guidelines and what they mean for the families we serve. Kacie will cover the importance of licensing, including the support and resources it unlocks for families, and share real-life examples of why starting the licensing process early is so critical to ensuring continued financial support for kinship families. She’ll also address courtesy kinship support for children placed out of region and provide clarity on some of the areas still being defined under the new law. This is a timely and relevant topic you won’t want to miss!

Hope to see you there!

If you are not registered for the STAR Monthly Zoom Series, please register below.

register here

Questions contact Amanda Melancon at amelancon@texascasa.org

Annual Grants Webinar
2026-06-30 10:00 - 11:30
You’re invited to join the Texas CASA Grants Department Annual Webinar on:

📅 Date: Tuesday, June 30, 2026

🕙 Time: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM

💻 Location: Online via Zoom

🔗 Click here to register

This annual session will include updates and funding overview information for both the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grants, along with guidance on the following key topics:

Topics Include:

Updates and Funding Overview

VOCA Application Timeline

VOCA Match

HHSC Application Timeline

Allocation Policies and Personnel Timesheets

Budgeting and Standardized Language

Due Dates and Timelines

Redistributions

Direct Grants

Whether you’re new to the grants process or a seasoned pro, this webinar will provide important updates and helpful guidance for your team.

We look forward to seeing you there! If you have any questions in the meantime, please feel free to reach out.

Sharpening Skills Webinar: Rooted
2026-07-08 12:00 - 13:00
🌳 CASA Webinar Series: Rooted

🖥️ Register in CASA College: https://casacollege.myabsorb.com/#/instructor-led-courses/e1b355c1-aa0a-4ba7-9c3f-000be54c7ba2

Theme: Rooted – Being steady, thoughtful, and grounded in the midst of a chaotic system.

This year-long webinar series is designed to support CASA volunteers in staying centered and effective as they navigate the complexities of child advocacy. Each quarter, we’ll explore a different way to stay rooted — in the case, the child, yourself and your instincts.

Q3: Rooted in Yourself – Preserving Mental Health and Energy in CASA Work

April 8, 2026

Your well-being is essential to your advocacy.

This webinar is a space for CASA volunteers and child advocates to reflect, recharge, and reconnect with their purpose. The work is meaningful—but it can also be emotionally demanding. Let’s talk about how to sustain your energy and mental health while showing up fully for the children you serve.

In this session, we’ll explore:

How to recognize signs of secondary trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout.

Practical tools for setting boundaries, saying no, and checking in with yourself.

When and how to reach out for support from your supervisor or team.

You’ll leave with strategies to help you stay grounded, resilient, and rooted in your own well-being—because caring for yourself is part of caring for others.

———————

Q4: Rooted in Curiosity – Digging Deeper When Something Feels Off

July 8, 2026

Sometimes, it’s not what’s said—but what’s missing—that matters most.

This webinar is designed to help CASA volunteers and child advocates sharpen their instincts and investigative skills when something in a case doesn’t sit right. Learn how to follow your curiosity with care, clarity, and confidence.

In this session, we’ll cover:

How to recognize gaps, inconsistencies, or red flags in case information.

What to document and how to raise concerns constructively—without making accusations.

How to use patterns, subtle clues, and thoughtful questions to strengthen your advocacy.

You’ll leave with tools to help you dig deeper, ask better questions, and advocate more effectively—while staying grounded in curiosity and compassion.

All webinars are free, virtual, and open to CASA volunteers and staff. All webinars located in registration link through CASA College.

🖥️ Registration in CASA College: https://casacollege.myabsorb.com/#/instructor-led-courses/e1b355c1-aa0a-4ba7-9c3f-000be54c7ba2

📌 CEUs available upon completion

Stay grounded. Stay curious. Stay rooted.

CSE-IT Training
2026-07-09 09:30 - 12:30
This training will introduce and train CASA staff on the CSE-IT screening tool, which is designed to improve the early identification of youth who are experiencing or at risk for experiencing human trafficking. This training includes some introductory foundational information about human trafficking, an orientation to the tool, a description of CSE-IT indicators, scoring instructions, and next steps. Understanding the CSE-IT tool is a critical part of ACT advocacy. This training is only available to CASA Staff.

For more information, contact Torey Tipton at casaacts@texascasa.org.

Dates & Registration – Texas CASA

April 8th from 9:30-12:30

Register here

May 13th from 9:00-12:30

Register here

June 3rd from 9:00-12:30

Register here

Dates & Registration – Texas Network of Youth Services

July 9th from 9:00-12:30

Register here

August 19th from 9:00-12:30

Register here

September 24th from 9:00-12:30

Register here

October 28th from 9:00-12:30

Register here

VOCA Quarterly Progress Report
2026-07-10 08:00 - 17:00

CFE Webinar
2026-07-16 08:00 - 17:00

Art of Facilitation for Pre-Service Training workshop
2026-07-16 09:00 - 15:00
Texas CASA is excited to announce dates for our next Art of Facilitation for Pre-Service Training workshop! This training is designed to introduce participants to the foundations of engaging and learning-centered facilitation, to explore creative and effective ideas for how to bring pre-service content to life and to build relationships across the CASA training community. During the hands-on component of this workshop, participants will have the opportunity to practice these skills by facilitating a short activity from pre-service training. After completing this workshop, participants will be qualified to lead pre-service training per National CASA’s standards. To learn more and register, click below.

register here

STAR Monthly Zoom
2026-07-27 12:00 - 13:30
The STAR Monthly Zoom meetings will be held on the last Monday of the month unless otherwise announced in Inside CASA or on the STAR listserv.

register here
