Volunteer Supervision and Consultation

When a program operates under a set of well-planned guidelines, the court is then assured of quality control. The judge knows the volunteer is guided by someone who has a thorough knowledge of children, families, statutory requirements and the social service delivery system. The professional staff defines the framework for the volunteer's conduct, and ensures that the recommendations reflect realistic expectations that are within the parameters of the court's jurisdiction.

A good CASA manager has established guidelines to deal with problems before they arise. These guidelines should be spelled out to the volunteers throughout recruiting, screening and training, the job description, the policy manual, the confidentiality statement, and in the interview. Reiterate the guidelines in training, and when a volunteer is assigned a first case.

As follow-up, the CASA supervisor needs to be available to volunteers for consultation and direction throughout the case. It is impossible to anticipate all problems, or to wait for a regularly scheduled staff meeting to discuss them. Someone in the CASA office -be it the program director, volunteer coordinator or other staff person -- needs to be a phone call away. Volunteers should feel free to express their frustrations, ask for advice, or just vent their feelings. These consulting sessions can produce positive results by diffusing inappropriate actions, recommending alternatives, or heading off burnout. It is also a good idea to supply volunteers with an emergency number where someone from the program can be reached after office hours. While the staff will not want to make a habit out of taking off-hours phone calls, someone does need to be available in case of an emergency.

The CASA supervisor can also reinforce volunteers through non-crisis, positive feedback. If someone is a great fact-finder, but writes poor reports, consider giving that volunteer special instruction on preparing written information. If a volunteer is meticulous and responsible, but afraid to speak in court, consider visiting the courtroom during a case and giving that person honest feedback on his or her performance. Each volunteer will bring a unique set of skills and needs to the program. Some will need a great deal of guidance to complete a case, while others will seem to just pick up the information and skills they need. Individual differences in volunteers require individual attention.

Disciplinary Action
There are times when a supervisor must be very clear and firm in directing a volunteer.

This can be difficult when dealing with an unpaid worker, and there is a tendency to worry about appearing "ungrateful" for the volunteer's contribution and commitment.

However, it is important to remember that the volunteer has agreed to perform the duties of the position as outlined in the program policy manual. Anytime the volunteer violates these standards, he or she must be told what behavior was inappropriate, and why.

Example:
A supervisor learns that the volunteer is about to take a dependent child on a vacation. The supervisor should contact that volunteer immediately, confront the situation, and review the policy on social and recreational contact. It should be explained that this situation is not within the scope of a volunteer's job, and that it could create problems by compromising the volunteer's position as an objective party in court.

The supervisor should then very clearly state that the volunteer is not to take the child on vacation, and make a note of the conversation and put it in the volunteer's file as documentation. If the situation recurs, the verbal warning should be followed by a written statement to the volunteer, and a written copy put in the file. Actions beyond these warnings would result in suspension of the volunteer from the program for a predetermined period of time. If that procedure fails to remedy the situation, the volunteer should be terminated from the program for failure to observe program policies and procedures.

Some violations of conduct may be so serious that a volunteer should be terminated immediately: appearing in court or making contacts while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol; offering drugs or alcohol to a child; any form of child abuse; or an intentional violation of a court order. This is not an all-inclusive list, and it is up to each program to decide its own parameters. If termination becomes necessary, the supervisor should document the reason in a letter to the volunteer, keeping a copy for the volunteer's file. These files should be maintained permanently.