Examining the roles of Court Appointed Special Advocates, Attorney Guardians ad Litem, and Counsel for Children
Faculty
Sarah Harvan, MA BA, Training Coordinator, CASA/GAL Program of Summit County
Sarah Harvan is a graduate of the University of Akron with a Bachelor and Master of Arts Degrees in Family and Child Development. Upon graduation she began teaching courses in Family and Child Development as an adjunct professor at The University of Akron. She began volunteering with the CASA/GAL Program of Summit County in 2010 and has been volunteering with Child Advocates of Cuyahoga County since 2016. Currently, Ms. Harvan is the Training Coordinator for the Summit County CASA program. She is a graduate of the Child and Family Leadership Exchange program and recently assisted in writing a juvenile law textbook.
Megan McCombs Heydlauff, J.D, Director of Attorney Services, Ohio CASA
Megan McCombs Heydlauff is the Attorney Services Director at the Ohio CASA/GAL Association. Her role focuses on management of a federal grant providing Advanced Training for Attorney Guardians ad Litem working with low-income families in contested custody cases. Prior to joining Ohio CASA, Ms. Heydlauff was a senior attorney at the Family and Youth Law Center at Capital University Law School also served as an adjunct professor at Capital University Law School, where she taught the Summer Adoption Law Institute, the Interdisciplinary Child Welfare Institute, and the Family and Youth Advocacy Clinic. Ms. Heydlauff began her law career as an associate attorney in private practice, focused on family law, adoption, and estate planning. Ms. Heydlauff received her law degree with a concentration in child and family law from Capital University Law School and her undergraduate degree from Denison University.
Continuing Education Accreditation
Approved: 1.25 hour Sup.R.48
Pending: 1.25 CLE and CPE
Description
With a multitude of professionals from various disciplines working together toward the best interest of children in foster care, it can be difficult to discern the differences and similarities of each person’s professional role. Even county to county, availability of certain programs, acronyms and titles, and how professionals interact can differ. This presentation will describe the roles and responsibilities of three professional roles: Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers, attorney guardians ad litem, and counsel for children. It will examine foundational organizational principles; educational and training requirements; case load type and size; statutory and administrative code/rules that define duties; and privilege and confidentiality responsibilities. To better understand how these roles collaborate in practice, the presenters will lead discussions to review various case scenarios and provide opportunities to identify best practices for professional collaboration and communication.
Learning Objectives
- Participants should be able to identify how a CASA volunteer, attorney guardian ad litem, and counsel would work in the context of various case examples and to articulate best practices for collaboration and communication between the various professional roles.
- Participants should be able to express experiences and interactions collaborating with Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers, attorney guardians ad litem, and counsel for children.
- Participants should be able to provide a foundational explanation of the roles and responsibilities of CASA volunteers, attorney guardians ad litem, and counsel for children.
