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Frequently Asked Questions |
| Q: |
I am not an attorney. Can I still volunteer? |
| A: |
Yes.
Volunteer GAL's do not have to be attorneys, nor is it necessary
to have a legal background. GAL's must complete an extensive training
course that will cover legal aspects among many others. GAL's are
not expected to know the law and you will always have one of our
staff attorneys representing you. |
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| Q: |
I have a full time job. Can I still volunteer? |
| A: |
Yes. The majority of our volunteers work full time, have families, and
many other responsibilities, but almost all of a GAL's duties are
quite flexible. Visits and calls can be made however you would like
to fit them into your schedule - nights, weekends, lunch breaks.
However, the only duty that is not flexible is attending court on
behalf of the children. Court hearings are held during the week
during normal business hours. We notify you as soon as we can of
upcoming hearings and we can even subpoena you if your employer
needs it for their records. The average case is in court once every
9 months for 1-2 hours each time. We try to make attending court
for our GAL's as easy and as convenient as possible. |
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| Q: |
I am a survivor of child abuse myself. Can I still volunteer? |
| A: |
Yes. Many of our GAL's volunteer with us because they can identify firsthand
what our children are experiencing. You will notice this question
on the application and it will also be asked during the interview.
We ask this question because we want to know whether extra support
or sensitivity might be needed. Some of our cases involve severe
abuse and neglect and this question can be useful in assigning cases
also. |
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| Q: |
I cannot attend all of the next training session. What should I do? |
| A: |
We recommend that you attend each class in a training session
when all dates and times fit into your schedule. We offer training
sessions at different times and locations for your convenience. If
you know you are going to miss a class please notify the staff and
we will work with you to make up the missed material. |
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| Q: |
How can I decide what's in a child's best interest? |
| A: |
We know that this is a tough decision to make, but you will not be
alone! We have attorneys, co-ordinators, and support staff to assist
you in any and every way possible.
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Richland County CASA embraces diversity in religion, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, ability, age and socioeconomic class as an integral part of providing an exceptional volunteer experience for our community.
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