Advocating for Youth with Disabilities
Texas CASA created two resources to equip CASA volunteers with more skills and tools to advocate for youth with disabilities. On the newest episode of CASA on the Go podcast, Heidi Lersh and Rashid Amrani-Khaldi with SAFE’s Disability Services share strategies for volunteers to identify and promote protective factors to ensure youth with disabilities thrive in safety.
Time: 35 minutes
Where is can be found: CASA on the Go Podcast
Disability Advocacy Resource Guide

Aged Out: Stories that Built Us
SMU School of Law conducts interviews with Texas youth who have aged out of foster care as they share insights into their experiences.
Time: 10 episodes, each podcast is 20-30 minutes
Where it can be found: Spotify

Aged Out: The Stories that Built Us Podcast – Jackie’s Story Part 1 and 2
A podcast by the SMU Child Advocacy Clinic created to raise awareness regarding the child welfare system while giving youth who aged out a voice to transform it. In part I of Jackie’s story, we learn that his parents were addicted to drugs and alcohol resulting in the removal of their children. In part 2, he tells us about the struggles and triumphs of going to college. He discusses founding UNT’s PUSH program to support foster care and aged out alumni and to educate the community on the issues present in the system. Jackie also discusses his current work for CASA to help children in situations like his own.
Time: Each episode is 20-30 minutes
Where is can be found: Spotify

Aging Out Institute:
Preparing Foster Youth For Adulting: Interview with Franco Vega
In this episode, Lynn Tonini interviews Franco Vega, Executive Director and Founder of The Right Way Foundation in Los Angeles, California. Franco and Lynn discuss The Right Way Foundation employment program for foster youth, different strategies to help youth age out of foster care successfully, and the challenges that they are trying to manage during the current COVID-19 crisis.
Time: 55 minutes
Where it can be found: AOI website

Preparing Foster Youth For Adulting: Interview with Brittani Kindle
this episode, Lynn Tonini interviews Brittani Kindle, Program Director at Safe Families PLUS in Chicago, Illinois. Brittani and Lynn discuss the Safe Families PLUS mentoring program, different strategies to help youth age out of foster care successfully, and opportunities for the foster system to improve how they prepare youth for independence.
Time: 45 minutes
Where it can be found: AOI website

Preparing Foster Youth For Adulting: Interview with Deborah Santiago
Aging Out Institute is launching a new podcast series focused on identifying the strategies and resources that effectively prepare older foster youth for aging out of foster care. This first episode is a little indulgent, as it is an interview with Deborah Santiago, my sister and fellow traveler through foster care when we were young.
Time: 50 minutes
Where it can be found: AOI website

Black Boys & Men: Changing the Narrative Podcast – Seasons One and Two  
The Black Boys & Men: Changing the Narrative podcast series brings together thought leaders from the public and private sectors to analyze stereotypes and dispel myths concerning Black boys and men, while providing facts and best practices for those working with these often marginalized populations. The series calls into question issues of systemic racism and oppression and provides concrete steps to prevent and address many of the issues that disproportionately affect Black boys and men, including health disparities, incarceration, trauma, and violence.
Time: Various, 15 minutes to 1 hour
Where it can be found: Stitcher, Google Play, Apple Podcasts, or online Season One /  Season Two

CASA on the Go
Texas CASA has launched CASA on the Go, a new continuing education podcast for CASA volunteers and staff. Through short, dynamic episodes, this podcast connects CASA volunteers with subject matter experts discussing topical issues connected to child welfare.
Topics include:
Advocating for Health Relationships
Educational Advocacy
The Impact of Gender Norms
Understanding and Undoing Disproportionality
Time: Each episode is 20 minutes
Where it can be found: Spotify

Child In Mind-Why Do Some People Self-harm?
Self-harming behavior is becoming more common according to recent statistics and particularly among young people between 16 and 25 years But what is self-harming behavior, why do people do it and what help is available for those affected?
Time: 25 minutes
Where can it be found: Soundcloud

Child Welfare Information Gateway Podcast Series
The following episodes are recommended for CASA volunteers:
Episode 4: Secondary Traumatic Stress
Episode 6: Engaging Fathers Part 1
Episode 7: Engaging Fathers Part 2
Episode 9: Protective Factors Part 1
Episode 10: Protective Factors Part 2
Episode 11: Supporting Kinship Caregivers Part 1
Episode 12: Supporting Kinship Caregivers Part 2
Episode 16: Family Group Decision-Making: Implementing Family Group Conferences
Episode 18: Child Welfare Then and Now
Episode 22: Prevention – Connection Matters
Episode 41: Birth-Foster Parent Mentoring Teams
Episode 48: Changing the Face of Foster Care
List of topics: Podcast series
Where it can be found: Apple Podcasts, GooglePlay, Spotify, Stitcher, and SoundCloud

Engaging Youth in Foster Care
As youth in care begin to develop their own sense of self and independence, you may experience difficulty engaging them to participate in their case plans or helping them realize the impacts their decisions may have on their long-term future.
Time: 30 minutes
Where it can be found: Listen here

Foster Care, Adoption, Runaway: The Story of One Child’s Reality
Emma Williams, a woman who was in and out of several foster homes, shelters, and adoptive family situations in her life, will give you amazing insight into the sometimes hard realities facing children in foster care.
Time: 30 minutes
Where is can be found: Listen here

Foster Care and One Caring Adult
A podcast featuring an interview with Josh Shipp, an author, global youth empowerment expert and acclaimed speaker. Josh is a former at-risk foster kid who “mastered the art of getting kicked out” of foster homes, he is renowned for his documentary TV series on A&E that followed his ground-breaking work with teens. His new book, The Grown Up’s Guide to Teenage Humans, explores strategies for parents, educators and others working with teens.
Time: 30 minutes
Where it can be found: Listen here

Kinder-Gardening
The Carpenter Vs. The Gardener, podcast exploring two models of modern parenting. Many parents think they can shape their child into a particular kind of adult. Psychologist Alison Gopnik says the science suggests otherwise. A conversation with Gopnik, who thinks we’d all be better off if we had a different understanding of the relationship between parents and kids.
Time: 30 minutes
Where it can be found: Listen here

Launching Your Daughter
Launching Your Daughter podcast was created to support parents and caregivers in empowering their tween and teen girls as they prepare for young adulthood. Guests will be interviewed to discuss topics such as anxiety, perfectionism, depression, trauma, relationship struggles, budgeting time and money, nutrition and self-care. Conversations about mindfulness, self-compassion, mind, body and spirit connections, holistic and alternative approaches used in psychotherapy and counseling will also be explored.
Time: 30 minutes
Where it can be found: Listen here

The Perpetual Trauma of Child Sexual Abuse (Isn’t What You Think)
This week’s guest addresses some misconceptions of child sexual abuse, speaks on the survivors of incest, and the fact that much of the continual trauma suffered by these victims is due to keeping silent about the event. She also discusses the Four Rules of Sexual Consent and addresses the question of whether it is possible to have one’s abuser in one’s life and still be healthy.
Time: 25 minutes
Where it can be found: Listen here

The reFRAMED podcast: Seasons 1 and 2
The reFRAMED podcast, presented by the Gladney Center for Adoption, is created to educate, encourage and inspire parents and professionals that have a love for children and want to meet their needs. Each episode has a special guest that is an expert in their field. Podcast Host, Emily Morehead, LPC, has a real conversation about how we reframe our parenting skills, expectations, and practices from traditional parenting into mindful parenting.
Time: Various, 20 to 45 minutes
Where it can be found: Listen here  or Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher

Targeted: True Crime Domestic Violence
Targeted Podcast True Crime Domestic Violence investigates cases of family violence each season, using academic research to help interpret the events so we can become better advocates.
Time: 30 minutes
Where it can be found: Listen here

Teaching and Mental Health with Jessica Minahan
Although much has been written about the impact of such psychiatric difficulties on learning, teachers often have little guidance on effective strategies to support students with mood, anxiety and other mental health concerns. So what can be done to help these students?
Time: 55 minutes
Where it can be found: Listen here

What is Complex Trauma or PTSD? How Does it Affect Your Child?
A podcast featuring Selma Bacevac, a parent-child relationship therapist. Ms. Bacevac talks about complex trauma/complex PTSD, what it is, what children experience it as and what type of behaviors we see in children who are experiencing complex trauma. I will also talk about what the best and appropriate ways are to get help and treatment for children who are experiencing complex trauma.
When: Available anytime
Cost: No cost
Registration: Listen here