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Resources

For available scholarship information, please click here.


 

FREE COURSE:

Bridging Theory & Practice Applying Behavioral Science to STD/HIV Prevention

April 23-24

8:30 am – 5:00 pm

Adolescent Health Alliance - Contra Costa Health Services

50 Douglas ST, Sequoia Conference Room

Martinez, CA 94553

 

This course provides an introduction to behavioral science with an emphasis on primary prevention and focuses on the practical applications of behavioral science theory in STD/HIV prevention programs.

Register online www.stdhivtraining.org

 

 

Click here for more information.


 

Explore legal resources available in Contra Costa County at www.ContraCostaLegalHelp.com



Topic: What You Need to Know About Guardianship Law
Date: Wednesday, April 23
Location: Richmond Public Library, 325 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond
Time: 5:30 p.m.

Topic: What You Need to Know About Family Law
Date: Tuesday, April 15
Location: Richmond Public Library, 325 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond
Time: 5 p.m.

Topic: What You Need to Know About Family Law
Date: Thursday, April 24
Location: Pittsburg Public Library, 80 Power Avenue, Pittsburg
Time: 6 p.m.

To register for an upcoming workshop, please contact:
Phone: 925-370-2548
Email: cmorrissey@cccba.org

 


 

Victims of Crime presentation

Thursday, May 8, 2008

from 7:00pm - 8:30pm,

CASA office

 

CASA volunteers and team leaders are invited to hear a presentation by representatives from the Victims of Crime (VOC) agency. VOC funding and resources are applicable to many CASA youth.

If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to Carol, Molly or Cheri by phone 925-256-7284 or email, click here.

 


 
The Children's Bureau opened Child Welfare Information Gateway
 

This service provides child welfare and related professionals with easy access to information and resources to help protect children and strengthen families.

Find essential information and resources on a wide range of topics, including child abuse prevention, family preservation and support, domestic and inter-country adoption, search and reunion, and much more.

Information Gateway offers many free services for busy professionals who want to stay current with the latest information and resources, including: an online library of over 48,000 documents www.childwelfare.gov/library, and more than 130 Information Gateway Publications www.childwelfare.gov/search/pubs_search.cfm.

Free subscription services www.childwelfare.gov/admin/subscribe.


Foster youth who are 16 are eligible to participate in a jobs program sponsored by the Contra Costa County Office of Education. The program provides tutoring and study skills, job development and placement, career
training and counseling, GED or high school diploma assistance and preparation for college.

If you think your CASA child would benefit from this program please call Leilani Villegas at 925-942-3309 or Oscar Blackwell at 925-942-3363.


 

California Institute of Human Services, Sonoma State University presents Child Abuse Mandated Reporter Online Training - FREE! To register go to www.cattacenter.org and click on the Available Training link, then click on the Free Mandated Child Abuse

Reporter Online Training link or call Jillian Strawn at 707-284-9537 for more information.

 


Guitars not Guns Class

Check it out at www.guitarsnotguns.org

 

The classes at the Boys and Girls Club in Martinez.

The focus of the class is to learn beginning guitar, the basic chords and their relationship with all kinds of contemporary music. Guitars are furnished.

 

Please contact Frank Darling at 925-330-4425 if you are interested in having your CASA kid attend.


The CASA office has a publication for teens about to emancipate entitled "When You Become 18, A Survival Guide for Teenagers". This publication was funded by a grant from the Foundation of The State Bar of California. Its purpose is to educate young adults about their rights and responsibilities under the law. It provides teenagers with valuable information to navigate the exciting and sometimes daunting transition from childhood to adulthood.

We have several copies in English and some copies in Spanish. Please stop by and pick up a copy to give to your CASA child. Additional copies are available by sending a request to: 18@calbar.ca.gov


Community Youth Center - Concord Campus, located at 2241 Galaxy Court (925-671-7070) is a non-profit sports facility for children ages 4 to 18 years old. CYC recently changed its name from Concord Youth Center. CYC offers nine recreational athletic programs as well as an academic augmentation program. The athletic programs include: boxing, wrestling, gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, tae kwon do, judo, dance, cheer and sports specific conditioning.

 

When you enroll your CASA child in any of the activities please ask for a scholarship application. You will not be required to submit paycheck stubs. Merely indicate that the child is part of the CASA program and the fees will be waived.

 

Please call Cheri at 925-256-7284 you have any questions about this program.


 

Hope's Boy

A Memoir by Andrew Bridge

 

This novel is an insightful look at the experience of growing up as a foster child. The setting is LA County in the 70s. Fortunately some of the direst conditions described in the novel no longer exist, at least not in Contra Costa County. However, some of the problems and issues are still current and some may be systemic to the problem of protecting children.   Andy recalls lying to social workers about how well things are going out of fear of reprisal and some fear of the unknown if he were to leave his current foster home. Visits from social workers are infrequent and often by a new worker each time. Insufficient trust ever develops for Andy to tell the truth about his dictatorial unbalanced foster mother.

Andy’s mother was mentally unbalanced and unable to support him but loved him. Andy longs for this mother who loved him. Visits are extremely limited and at some point end altogether.  Andy doesn’t know until he reaches adulthood how hard his mother fought to get him back and how close she came. The social worker who informs Andy doesn’t know how sustaining this information might have been had Andy known while he was growing up. One cannot help but wonder how much difference a CASA could have made in this case.


More about the book:

www.hopesboy.com/