Human Services Internship at Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)

Paper Guidelines: Please read the instructions carefully if you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask.
https://texascasa(dot)org
This paper is a Human Service Internship paper. The above website is the site of the Internship which all meetings are conducted via Zoom, there are no in-person meetings. This site trains volunteers to become advocates for abused and neglected children. As an Intern, you are attending court proceedings via Zoom and calling foster parents to speak with the child to check on the health and safety of the child. Calls can be Facetime or over the phone, calls cannot be recorded. You will make notes of any information that you find out about the child and then present your findings in court via Zoom. These items are important to know to complete the paper because the paper will address the following issues related to the agency and you will be answering the following questions: IMPORTANT when answering the following questions please do not state the question just answer each question in order using transitions. You are not giving any specifics about any case you are just comparing the reading from any Human Service source of your choice to the agency and responsibilities that the Intern had. You are able to use any Human Service resources that you like and please cite.
A minimum eight-page typed paper, using one-inch margins. The paper will use the format of the latest edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (i.e., APA format). The paper will address the following issues related to the agency at which you are completing your student internship. You will be answering these questions:
1. What have you learned in your course work about the purpose and functions of this type of agency? Textbooks and other materials should be cited.
2. What had been your expectations about this agency prior to beginning your internship? You entered the internship with preconceived ideas about the purpose and functions of this type of agency developed from your reading, listening to the media, educators, personnel working in this field, and your own experiences. Did you find these notions to be accurate or did you alter them?
3. Who were the professionals you observed during your internship? Discuss the functions of those professionals. (Professionals observed are judges, attorneys, case managers, and CASA supervisors).
4. What were the agency staff members’ views about the agency’s purpose and functions? (The purpose of CASA is to advocate for the child’s best interest and to find permanent housing placement for the child along with DFACS help). Once the child has a permeant safe home or the child ages out which is 21 years old then the CASA job is complete.
5. Reflect on the kinds of tasks you actually performed during the internship. How were you able to apply what you had learned in coursework? What kinds of skills and knowledge did you develop during the internship?
6. Discuss your thinking and feelings regarding this internship and tell what, if anything, could be done to improve this agency’s effectiveness in fulfilling its mission. (Nothing needs to be done to improve this agency’s effectiveness in fulfilling its mission, CASA does a very good job and really cares and protects the children).
7. Would you recommend that other students carry out an internship at this agency? What are your suggestions to prepare students to intern at this agency? (Yes, to be prepared to hear and learn horrifying incidents that happen to children on a daily basis).
8. Discuss at least two of the Ethical Standards for Human Services professional and their connection to events that occurred at your placement site.