This powerful panel brings together four former youth with lived experience in the child welfare system to share their stories of resilience, challenge, and hope. Through honest reflection, the panelists will highlight the adults and systems that made a positive difference in their lives—and the moments when support was missing. By centering youth voice, this session is designed to inspire and empower CASA volunteers and staff across Louisiana to strengthen their advocacy, deepen their understanding of a child’s lived reality, and recognize the lasting impact a committed advocate can have on a young person’s life.

Children who disclose abuse do not always maintain their original statements. In some cases, children later deny, minimize, or change what they shared—a process known as recantation. This session will explore why recantation is a common and often expected part of the disclosure process, rather than a sign that a child was untruthful. Participants will examine the emotional, relational, and environmental pressures that can influence a child’s decision to recant, including family dynamics, loyalty conflicts, fear of consequences, and attempts to restore stability in their world. Through a trauma-informed lens, this session will clarify what recantation does—and does not—mean about a child’s experience, and how CASAs can respond thoughtfully and appropriately. The session will also highlight the important role CASAs play in supporting the child and collaborating with the multidisciplinary team (MDT) when recantation occurs.

Effective CASA advocacy relies on accurate, objective documentation of observations involving children and families impacted by mental health needs. This session provides CASA Volunteers and Staff with an overview of what a psychiatric assessment includes and how assessment information is used to guide treatment planning. While CASA advocates do not conduct clinical assessments, understanding this process helps strengthen documentation and supports informed best-interest recommendations. Participants will also learn how to observe and document interactions between children, parents, and other family members, focusing on behaviors, communication patterns, and relational dynamics. The session will emphasize maintaining appropriate boundaries, avoiding diagnosis, and connecting documented observations to potential services and supports that promote child safety, stability, and well-being.

Are you struggling to recruit new volunteers? You’re not alone — recruitment challenges are being felt across the sector. While today’s shifting volunteer expectations demand new approaches, there is no single “quick fix.” Sustainable recruitment success requires strategy: understanding today’s volunteers, reducing unnecessary barriers to engagement, and aligning policies and outreach to meet people where they are. In this interactive session, participants will explore current recruitment trends and expectations, then apply that knowledge to their own CASA. Through guided activities, you’ll identify policy and practice barriers that may limit participation, assess opportunities to make volunteering more accessible, and learn how to use volunteer personas to clarify messaging and build targeted recruitment pipelines to enhance success. Learning Objectives Participants will be able to: •Summarize current U.S. research on volunteer recruitment trends and volunteer motivations. •Identify internal barriers that may be limiting volunteer engagement within their organizations. •Develop or refine policies to better support inclusive and effective recruitment. •Leverage volunteer personas to strengthen outreach strategies and improve recruitment results.

Drawing on his lived experience in foster care and his work as a CASA, Tristian Smith delivers a compelling keynote that brings the Heart of Advocacy to life. Grounded in the powerful lessons shared in his award-winning, Amazon bestselling memoir Against All Odds, Tristian connects resilience, belonging, and the impact of stable adults to the everyday work of advocacy. Through his HEART framework—Hold steady, Elevate youth voice, Anchor belonging, Remove barriers, and Translate to outcomes—participants will gain practical tools to strengthen court reports, hearings, and casework. Attendees can expect actionable takeaways, including language that centers youth voice, a one-page “3-3-3 with dates” advocacy template, and clear, court-ready asks that move decision-makers to action. This keynote challenges advocates to lead with empathy, clarity, and purpose, leaving participants inspired and equipped to improve stability, belonging, and outcomes for the children and families they serve. Book link: Against All Odds: A Memoir: www.amazon.com/Against-All-Odds-Tristian-Smith-ebook/dp/B0D31PLR8V

Monique’s journey with the child welfare system offers a powerful opportunity to reflect on advocacy, perspective, and the complexity of reunification. As a parent involved in a child welfare case, Monique navigated substance use, unresolved trauma, and the expectations placed on families working toward reunification. Her experience highlights the difficult decisions made by professionals and volunteers—and the lasting emotional weight those decisions can carry for everyone involved. Years later, Monique returned to CASA of Terrebonne in a very different chapter of life—clean, sober, and thriving. She now owns a business, serves as a leader in the recovery community, and is committed to giving back. Monique now shares her lived experience as part of the program’s pre-service training curriculum. This session offers volunteers and staff a rare opportunity to hear a perspective they rarely encounter—the lived experience of a parent shaped by trauma, bias, and the possibility of second chances. Monique’s story challenges participants to reflect on how CASA advocacy can influence outcomes beyond case closure and underscores the responsibility, humility, and hope embedded in every recommendation made on behalf of a child.

Children impacted by both foster care involvement and parental incarceration face compounded trauma, instability, and systemic barriers that are often invisible within traditional child welfare and criminal legal frameworks. This presentation explores how these intersecting systems shape children’s lived experiences and identifies practical, policy-driven pathways for change. The audience will examine the structural factors that drive family separation, the emotional and developmental impact on children, and the gaps created when child welfare and corrections systems operate in isolation. The session highlights trauma-informed, family-centered strategies that preserve parent-child connections, strengthen kinship care, expand legal advocacy, and promote youth empowerment. Grounded in policy analysis and lived experience, this presentation offers actionable recommendations for advocates, practitioners, educators, and policymakers committed to improving outcomes for children and families affected by incarceration.

This interactive roundtable is designed for CASA trainers and volunteer recruiters from across Louisiana to come together for open dialogue, shared learning, and peer support. Participants will engage in facilitated discussion led by Louisiana CASA staff, focusing on real-world challenges, innovative strategies, and proven successes in training and recruiting volunteer advocates. Through shared experiences and collaborative problem-solving, attendees will explore ways to strengthen volunteer preparation, improve recruitment and retention efforts, and ultimately enhance the quality and reach of CASA advocacy for children and families statewide.

Coming soon. Coming soon. Coming soon. Coming soon. Coming soon. Coming soon. Coming soon. Coming soon. Coming soon. Coming soon. Coming soon. Coming soon. Coming soon. Coming soon.

Young adults aging out of foster care often face abrupt transitions with limited safety nets at a critical stage of development. This session will explore how Louisiana can improve long-term outcomes for transition-aged youth through consistent, relationship-driven support rather than short-term or fragmented services. Participants will be introduced to the Winston Rhea Scholars’ four-year model, which centers on intensive mentorship, holistic wellness resources, and individualized wraparound guidance designed to promote stability, resilience, and self-sufficiency. The session will highlight why sustained relationships matter during the transition to adulthood and how this model addresses common gaps in education, housing, health, and emotional support. Attendees will also examine practical ways CASAs and child welfare professionals can advocate for stronger transition planning and continued connections for youth approaching adulthood.

This interactive roundtable brings together CASA Advocate Supervisors from across Louisiana to engage in meaningful discussion, peer learning, and shared problem-solving. Facilitated by Louisiana CASA staff, this session provides a collaborative space for supervisors to discuss the realities of supporting, motivating, and retaining volunteer advocates while maintaining high standards of advocacy. Participants will share challenges, successes, and effective supervision strategies that strengthen volunteer engagement, promote accountability, and enhance outcomes for children and families. Through open dialogue, this roundtable aims to foster connection, consistency, and continuous improvement in volunteer supervision statewide.