Blog Archive: Continuing Education

This page contains all published Continuing Education blog posts — containing information and updates regarding volunteer continuing education opportunities and recertification — sorted chronologically with the newest at the top.

Seven New Continuing Education Events Including Four 'Learning Optima' Sessions

by David July
Sunday, August 21, 2016
Blog, Continuing Education

We regularly host, sponsor and support a variety of events that provide community outreach, increase awareness of our program, help recruit new volunteers, raise funds and furnish training to our volunteer guardians ad litem.

It is vital that all of our volunteers learn the new Optima case management system. The following four sessions of Learning Optima were added to our calendar.

In addition, the following events were also added to the calendar.

You can also browse and access events on our calendar grid.

New Events Including Twelve 'Learning Optima' Sessions, Staff Directory and eForm Update, Plus A New Presentations Link

by David July
Saturday, July 30, 2016
Blog, Continuing Education

New Events

We regularly host, sponsor and support a variety of events that provide community outreach, increase awareness of our program, help recruit new volunteers, raise funds and furnish training to our volunteer guardians ad litem.

It is vital that all of our volunteers learn the new Optima case management system. The following twelve sessions of Learning Optima were added to our calendar.

In addition, the following event was also added to the calendar.

You can also browse and access events on our calendar grid.

Staff Directory and eForm Update

Our staff directory on the Contact page plus our Child Visitation Report and Report to the Court eForms have been updated to reflect recent personnel changes.

Please join us in welcoming Zach Lang to our team as a Child Advocate Manager. In addition, Child Advocate Manager Heather Adelstein and Child Advocate Manager Berline Belizaire have departed. We thank Heather and Berline for their service and wish them the best with their future endeavors.

New Presentations Link

On Sunday, July 17, 2016, we announced a new Presentations page and eForm. To draw more attention to this page and free service, a simple graphic for it has been added to the home page.

New Optima Event In Wakulla, New Presentations Page and eForm, Updated Training Links and Welcoming A New Staffer

by David July
Sunday, July 17, 2016
Blog, Continuing Education

New Event

We regularly host, sponsor and support a variety of events that provide community outreach, increase awareness of our program, help recruit new volunteers, raise funds and furnish training to our volunteer guardians ad litem. The following event was added to our calendar.

You can also browse and access events on our calendar grid.

New Presentations Page and eForm

Did you know that you can schedule a free presentation for your group to learn all about volunteering as a guardian ad litem? This free service for agencies, businesses and community organizations in Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty and Wakulla counties is now represented on a new page.

The Presentations page contains information about our free presentations, a request form for interested parties — the GAL Presentation Request eForm — and a calendar showing scheduled presentations and recruitment events.

Several other modifications were made as a result of these additions.

  • About page and section sidebar menu updated to include the Presentations page
  • Current Volunteers page updated to include the GAL Presentation Request eForm
  • Site Map at the bottom of every page updated to include the Presentations page

Effective Advocacy Training Links

The Phase 1: Independent Study section of our Training page was updated to correct two external links that went bad.

Links to the two-part "Effective Advocacy Training" videos were both updated to point to the videos' new location.

Staff Directory Update

Our staff directory on the Contact page has been updated to reflect a recent personnel addition.

Please join us in welcoming Ian Carnahan to our team as a Child's Best Interest Attorney.

New and Updated Events, Optima Links, Staff Directory and eForm Update

by David July
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Blog, Continuing Education

New Events

We regularly host, sponsor and support a variety of events that provide community outreach, increase awareness of our program, help recruit new volunteers, raise funds and furnish training to our volunteer guardians ad litem. The following events were added to our calendar.

You can also browse and access events on our calendar grid.

Event Update

Online registration for the upcoming GAL Foundation Regional Volunteer Conference in Panama City, Florida is now open. The registration link has been added to the event page.

Optima Links

Optima is our web-based case management system, which provides volunteers with instant access to information on the cases that they are assigned. We created the gal2.org/optima shortlink to make it easy to access Optima. This link is available on the following pages.

Staff Directory and eForm Update

Our staff directory on the Contact page plus our Child Visitation Report and Report to the Court eForms have been updated to reflect recent personnel changes.

Child Advocate Manager Janay Davis and Child's Best Interest Attorney Jason Miller have departed. We thank Janay and Jason for their service and wish them the best with their future endeavors.

Nine New Events Including July Series of 'Learning Optima'

by David July
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Blog, Continuing Education

We regularly host, sponsor and support a variety of events that provide community outreach, increase awareness of our program, help recruit new volunteers, raise funds and furnish training to our volunteer guardians ad litem.

The following events were added to our calendar, including eight Learning Optima classes — one on every Tuesday and Thursday in July.

You can also browse and access events on our calendar grid.

New Event and Updated 1st Beginnings Project Materials

by David July
Sunday, June 26, 2016
Blog, Continuing Education

New Event

We regularly host, sponsor and support a variety of events that provide community outreach, increase awareness of our program, help recruit new volunteers, raise funds and furnish training to our volunteer guardians ad litem. The following event was added to our calendar.

You can also browse and access events on our calendar grid.

Project Update

Several pages and documents regarding the 1st Beginnings project were updated.

Nine New 'Learning Optima' Events Scheduled

by David July
Monday, June 13, 2016
Blog, Continuing Education

We regularly host, sponsor and support a variety of events that provide community outreach, increase awareness of our program, help recruit new volunteers, raise funds and furnish training to our volunteer guardians ad litem.

It is vital that all of our volunteers learn the new Optima case management system. The following nine sessions of Learning Optima were added to our calendar.

This brings to ten the number of Learning Optima sessions scheduled this month. The above options are in addition to the first class calendared, which takes place tomorrow, Tuesday, June 14, 2016 from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM.

Two Updated Events and First Beginnings Project Update

by David July
Sunday, June 5, 2016
Blog, Continuing Education

Updated Events

The following event pages have been updated. Both received new print flyers and one also had its page text updated.

First Beginnings

The First Beginnings project page has been updated. First Beginnings provides assistance to youth in our community who are venturing out on their own for the first time.

Several items were added or removed from the Household Items List section. This list specifies the items the project needs donated. We also added a downloadable and printable version of the list.

If you can donate any of the items listed, please get in touch with the project contact. Visit gal2.org/first for complete details and to learn how to help.

New Events, Continuing Education Library Item, Staff Directory and eForm Update

by David July
Monday, May 30, 2016
Blog, Continuing Education

New Events

We regularly host, sponsor and support a variety of events that provide community outreach, increase awareness of our program, help recruit new volunteers, raise funds and furnish training to our volunteer guardians ad litem. The following events were added to our calendar.

You can also browse and access events on our calendar grid.

Continuing Education

One new library item was added to our Continuing Education resource center.

  • Fostering the Future
    A collection of first-hand accounts of what it means to be a child in state care curated by Children's Rights and updated annually.
    filed under Foster Care, Article and Website

Staff Directory and eForm Update

Our staff directory on the Contact page plus our Child Visitation Report and Report to the Court eForms have been updated to reflect recent personnel changes.

Child Advocate Manager Kimberly Nester has departed. We thank Kimberly for her service and wish her the best with her future endeavors.

Six New Events, Event Update, New Continuing Education Library Item and April's Newsletter

by David July
Saturday, May 7, 2016
Blog, Continuing Education

New Events

We regularly host, sponsor and support a variety of events that provide community outreach, increase awareness of our program, help recruit new volunteers, raise funds and furnish training to our volunteer guardians ad litem. The following events were added to our calendar.

You can also browse and access events on our calendar grid.

Event Update

The Volunteer Training: June 2016 page was updated to include a print flyer, which is now available for download.

Continuing Education

One new library item was added to our Continuing Education resource center.

  • Book Review List 2016
    A list of child-appropriate books on sexual abuse with prices, age ranges and links to more information.
    filed under Victimization of Children and Booklet

Newsletter

The latest issue of Advocacy Post is now available to download.

First called Guardian Guide in its debut issue, Advocacy Post is a print-style periodical published by staff and sent to volunteers. It is used to highlight information, people and activities occurring in our circuit.

You can download current and past issues of Advocacy Post on the Newsletters page.

Beyond the newsletter, you can stay informed by subscribing to the gal2.org Updates weekly email digest. You can also follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook or subscribe to the RSS feed.