Texas CASA

Keep Calm and CASA On! Recruitment Zoom Chats
2025-06-18 13:15 - 14:15, 2025-07-16 13:15 - 14:15, 2025-08-20 13:15 - 14:15 (America/Chicago)
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

Juneteenth
2025-06-19 12:00

HHSC Quarterly Performance Measures
2025-06-23 08:00 - 17:00

Weekly New ED Call
2025-06-25 09:00 - 10:00, 2025-07-02 09:00 - 10:00, 2025-07-09 09:00 - 10:00, 2025-07-16 09:00 - 10:00, 2025-07-23 09:00 - 10:00, 2025-07-30 09:00 - 10:00, 2025-08-06 09:00 - 10:00, 2025-08-13 09:00 - 10:00 and 2 more dates
Upcoming Topics:

October 9 – The More You Know Meetings

October 16 – Quarterly Legal Resources

January 15 – The More You Know Meetings

January 29 – Quarterly Legal Resources

March 26 – Quarterly Legal Resources

April 2 – The More You Know Meetings

July 16 – The More You Know Meetings

Annual Grants Webinar
2025-06-30 10:00 - 11:30
The Texas CASA Grants Department is holding our annual webinar. In addition to the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant applications that we cover each year, we will also discuss:

FY26 Overview

Timesheet Requirements

Indirect expense allocation policies

Budgeting and Standardize Language

Top reasons for “returns”

Budget revision highlights

Documentation Review highlights

Annual Audit highlights

STAR Monthly Zoom
2025-06-30 12:00 - 13:00
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.

Independence Day
2025-07-04 12:00

HHSC Request for Reimbursement
2025-07-10 08:00 - 17:00, 2025-08-10 08:00 - 17:00

VOCA Quarterly Progress Report
2025-07-10 08:00 - 17:00

VOCA Request for Reimbursement
2025-07-15 08:00 - 17:00, 2025-08-15 08:00 - 17:00

CFE For All: Statewide Training
2025-07-17 13:00 - 16:00
We are excited to offer quarterly CFE For All virtual trainings – a training for those who are implementing CFE. Please join us where CASA, Child Protective Services and Community-Based Care staff will come together to learn about the fundamentals of CFE and have the opportunity for practical, hands-on application of the skills and tools presented.

The dates are November 21, 2024, February 20, 2025, May 15, 2025, July 17, 2025 and all times are 1-4 pm CT.

STAR Monthly Zoom
2025-07-28 12:00 - 13:00
Attention: July’s STAR Monthly Zoom will not be recorded due to HHSC policy. Please attend on July 28th or reach out for the shared resources afterwards.

Please join the STAR team in welcoming Stephanie Holmes on our July 28th STAR Monthly Zoom, for a presentation about Community Resource Coordination Groups (CRCGs). Stephanie is part of the HHSC CRCG team which is housed in the Children’s Mental Health section of HHSC’s Behavioral Health Services division.

CRCGs are county-based interagency coordination groups who work with parents, caregivers, children, youth, and adults with complex needs to identify and coordinate services and supports. The presentation will provide an overview of CRCGs, including their function, a brief history, review the CRCG process, and the benefits of inter-agency coordination. Stephanie will also share contact information for the different regions.

New Resource: We know how difficult it can be to identify local resources to meet each individual family’s needs, therefore in coordination with information on Community Resource Coordination Groups, we will also share our new resource: a Local Service Directory Template and ideas on how to create a living Local Service Directory for your program’s volunteers and families.

If you are not registered for STAR Monthly Zooms, please register here for a calendar invite and zoom link.

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.

P.F. Chang’s Dine to Donate supporting CASA
2025-08-06 00:00 - 23:59
Mark your calendars! Our wonderful friends at P.F. Chang’s are hosting a Dine to Donate day on Wednesday, August 6, at all locations in Texas, supporting Texas CASA and the local CASA programs in their area.

Enjoy incredible food and support our great cause! You can find the nearest P.F. Chang’s location HERE.

Court Reporting and Best Practices: Objective Documentation and Professional Presentation (Webinar)
2025-08-06 12:00 - 13:00
CASA volunteers play a vital role in shaping judicial perspectives through their court reports. This training will offer best practices for clear, objective, and impactful reporting, from initial observations to presenting findings in court. Volunteers will learn techniques for gathering information, documenting interactions, and presenting facts that highlight each child’s unique needs and best interests. This session also covers the importance of using non-violent communication to maintain professionalism in court settings and set boundaries when discussing sensitive topics. Volunteers will leave with tips for synthesizing observations into clear narratives that can inform judges’ decisions and strengthen the advocacy process.

ED/PD Quarterly Meeting
2025-08-15 08:00 - 17:00

STAR Monthly Zoom
2025-08-18 12:00 - 13:00
On August 18, STAR Zoom will join the Program Directors for a special presentation from CASA of Galveston County. They will share a new Bingo Game they created to support our youth to learn about their Rights in Foster Care! The program received a grant from the Texas Bar Foundation, and one of their requests was that the resource be shared with the greater Texas CASA community. We are thrilled to help facilitate sending out this fantastic resource!

This meeting is for CASA Supervisors and Program Directors only.

Join the meeting on August 18th below:

CFE Searching Tools Webinar
2025-08-21 14:00 - 15:30
You’re invited to join the Texas CASA CFE Team for a webinar training to learn more about the different searching tools available to you through Collaborative Family Engagement. While we encourage starting with engagement, we recognize that there may be situations where searching may be necessary. The following tools will be discussed: Case/File Mining, Seneca Searches, Connect Our Kids, Non-U.S. Based Searches, Internet Searching and Social Media.
