Comprehensive reference for Alaska CASA/GAL volunteers: program structure, CINA statutes, court procedures, Juneau/CBJ local resources, and critical ICWA guidance for Alaska Native families.
The Alaska Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) / Guardian ad Litem (GAL) program trains and supervises community volunteers to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children in Alaska's court system. In Alaska, child protection cases are called Child in Need of Aid (CINA) proceedings, governed by Alaska Statute Title 47.
Alaska's CASA/GAL program operates under the oversight of the Alaska Court System and coordinates closely with the Office of Children's Services (OCS), a division of the Alaska Department of Family and Community Services (DFCS). When OCS files a CINA petition, the court may appoint a CASA/GAL volunteer to represent the child's best interests independently of all other parties.
In the City and Borough of Juneau (First Judicial District), volunteers serve families in one of Alaska's most unique judicial environments — a state capital city with a significant Alaska Native population, no road connection to the rest of Alaska, and close ties to Southeast Alaska tribal communities, particularly the Tlingit and Haida peoples.
Receive your case file, review available information, and confirm the next court date.
Request and review the OCS court report, CINA petition, and any orders entered. Determine immediately if ICWA applies.
Visit the child in their placement as soon as possible. Observe environment, behavior, and caregiver interactions.
Talk to parents, caregivers, teachers, therapists, OCS workers. Document every contact.
Contact the relevant tribe and tribal ICWA representative early. Their involvement is legally required.
Submit your court report to your supervisor well before the deadline. See Court Reports section below.
Your primary contact. Assigns cases, provides training and support, reviews court reports, and guides you through the case. Call them first when you have questions.
In complex cases, an attorney GAL may be appointed in addition to the CASA volunteer. The attorney handles legal arguments; you handle investigation and advocacy reporting.
The Office of Children's Services worker assigned to the family. Files the petition, develops the case plan, manages placement. You represent different interests — the child's alone.
The state attorney representing OCS. Not your attorney. Be professional; your client is the child.
Appointed to represent each parent. Advocate for parental rights, not the child's.
If the child is Alaska Native, a tribal representative is a full legal party to CINA proceedings. Treat them as essential partners, not optional participants.
Under AS 47.17.020, mandatory reporters and all citizens who have reasonable cause to believe a child has been harmed must report to OCS immediately. Failure to report is a criminal misdemeanor in Alaska. OCS investigates and, if court intervention is necessary, files a CINA petition in Superior Court.
The child has been abandoned by a parent, guardian, or custodian and no other person has assumed care and control.
The child is not receiving care necessary for physical, mental, or emotional health or development; lacks adequate food, clothing, shelter, or medical attention.
The child has suffered physical harm or injury inflicted by a parent, guardian, or custodian by other than accidental means.
A parent's substance abuse or addiction has placed the child at substantial risk of harm.
The child has been subjected to sexual abuse or sexual exploitation by a parent, guardian, or custodian.
The child has been exposed to domestic violence that causes or threatens to cause harm to the child.
OCS files in Superior Court. Court may appoint CASA/GAL at this point.
Within 48 hours of emergency removal (excluding weekends/holidays).
Within 30 days of petition. Court determines probable cause and establishes temporary custody.
Within 120 days. Court determines whether child is a CINA. Rules of evidence apply.
Within 30 days of adjudication. Court establishes case plan and placement.
At least every 6 months. Reviews case plan compliance and progress.
Within 12 months of removal. Court establishes a permanent plan.
When reunification is no longer the plan and TPR grounds under AS 47.10.080(c) are met.
Limited role. Review available information, confirm placement safety, and introduce yourself to the court. Begin investigation immediately.
Rules of evidence apply. You may testify. Have your investigation notes organized. Coordinate with any attorney GAL regarding testimony.
Your court report has the most impact here. Submit on time. The court uses your report to determine placement and set the case plan.
Are services happening? Is visitation occurring? Is the child's placement meeting their needs? Update the court on current status and unmet needs.
The most consequential hearing. Your report must address whether reunification is in the child's best interests and what the best alternative permanent plan is.
Work closely with your supervising staff. Your factual reporting throughout the case builds the record upon which termination may be based.
The federally recognized tribal government representing over 33,000 Tlingit and Haida citizens. Primary tribal ICWA contact for Juneau-area CINA cases. Provides ICWA representation, social services, housing, and tribal court services.
Tribal government serving the Douglas Island area. May be a relevant ICWA party for tribal members from Douglas.
Must be notified by registered mail in all CINA cases where the child may be a member of or eligible for membership in a federally recognized tribe.
In Alaska, failing to identify and flag ICWA applicability can invalidate proceedings. This is not a minor procedural matter — ask about tribal heritage at the start of every case.
Emotional attachment clouds objectivity. Your job is to advocate for best interests, not to rescue.
Consistency matters enormously to children who have experienced abandonment. Keep your appointments.
You are not a therapist, caseworker, or attorney. Do not provide counseling, make placements, or give legal advice.
Primary focus: City and Borough of Juneau, First Judicial District. Always verify contact information before making a referral.
Primary child welfare agency. CPS intake, CINA investigations, foster care, case management, adoption, and Title IV-E services.
Emergency shelter, transitional housing, legal advocacy, and services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Critical resource when a child has witnessed domestic violence.
Juneau's primary hospital. Social workers on staff assist with mental health evaluations, safety planning, and resource referrals. Mandatory reporters.
Juneau's primary community behavioral health provider. Outpatient mental health and substance use treatment for adults and children. Therapy, psychiatric services, case management, and crisis stabilization. Medicaid accepted.
Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium. Behavioral health services for Alaska Native individuals — outpatient therapy, psychiatric services, substance use treatment, and crisis intervention.
Alaska's statewide behavioral health crisis line. Available 24/7 for individuals in psychiatric crisis.
Food bank (Glory Hall), emergency shelter, transitional housing, senior services, and case management. Meals available to anyone in need.
Low-barrier emergency shelter and housing services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
Provides food assistance to families in need throughout Southeast Alaska with regular Juneau distribution events.
Emergency shelter for runaway/homeless youth, foster care, residential treatment, and community-based mental health services for children and adolescents. Key provider for youth in residential care.
Primary statewide resource referral line. Connects individuals with health and human services throughout Alaska. Available 24/7.
Statewide organization supporting CASA programs across Alaska. Training resources and program support.
Official court system page for CINA proceedings. Contains forms, guides, and procedural information.
State agency overseeing mental health and substance use treatment services. Maintains a statewide provider directory.
Free civil legal services for low-income Alaskans. Cannot represent parties in CINA proceedings but assists with housing, benefits, and related civil matters.
Alaska's primary child abuse prevention foundation. Funds local prevention programs and provides resources on child maltreatment prevention.
Federal clearinghouse by the U.S. Children's Bureau. Library of resources on child welfare, foster care, and adoption.
National organization supporting CASA/GAL programs. Training resources and advocacy materials.
Accrediting body for Child Advocacy Centers nationwide.
Premier national resource on childhood trauma. Tools for child welfare professionals, caregivers, and educators.
National organization focused on preventing child sexual abuse. Training programs and resources.
Residential and outpatient substance use disorder treatment in Juneau. Detox and residential treatment available. Medicaid accepted.
Substance use treatment for Alaska Native individuals. Outpatient, intensive outpatient, and traditional healing-integrated approaches.
Free, confidential, 24/7 treatment referral for substance use disorders.
Administers public housing and Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) programs in the City and Borough of Juneau.
Alaska's TANF program. Cash assistance and employment support for low-income families with children.
Search by borough for emergency housing, rental assistance, and utility assistance programs.
Every child in OCS custody has the right to immediate school enrollment under McKinney-Vento. Contact the district McKinney-Vento liaison for children experiencing educational instability. As a CASA/GAL, you have the right to request educational records.
Special education technical assistance and support for Southeast Alaska. Resources for children with disabilities in the child welfare system.
Free civil legal services. Cannot represent parties in CINA proceedings but assists with housing, benefits, public assistance, and related civil matters.
Referral to private attorneys for matters not covered by legal aid.
Services for foster youth ages 14–21 transitioning to adulthood. Life skills, education support, employment assistance, housing resources, and Chafee-funded services. Ask OCS if your youth is enrolled.
Tuition waivers may be available for youth who have aged out of foster care. Youth in care should be informed of this benefit early.
For suspected or confirmed human trafficking involving a child. Available 24/7.
Juneau is the traditional homeland of the Tlingit people and has significant Haida and Tsimshian populations. Tribal engagement is a legal and ethical requirement, not a courtesy, in CINA cases involving Alaska Native children.
Federally recognized tribal government representing over 33,000 Tlingit and Haida citizens. ICWA representation, social services, housing, education, and tribal court. Primary tribal ICWA contact for Juneau CINA cases.
Tribal government for the Douglas Island area of Juneau.
Cultural organization serving Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian peoples. Cultural programming, language preservation, and educational resources that benefit Alaska Native children in the welfare system.
Comprehensive health care for Alaska Native individuals in Southeast Alaska under federal IHS programs. Key health provider for Alaska Native children in CINA cases.
Must be notified by registered mail in all CINA cases where the child may be tribal. Required ICWA notification recipient.
The AK CASA/GAL Volunteer Handbook includes complete court report templates for Alaska CINA cases. Download the handbook to access blank forms including the CASA/GAL Court Report, Permanency Planning Report, and Case Contact Log.
Includes court report templates for Alaska CINA proceedings — CASA/GAL Court Report (blank), Case Contact Log, and Permanency Planning sections.