OCR offers GALs the option to work or consult with a Case Consultant ("CC") who contracts directly with OCR on an as-needed basis. For an overview of this program, including how CCs can support OCR attorneys in their independent legal representation of children, youth, and young adults, please consult the CC Center on OCR's website.
How to request a CC for your appointment
In CARES, navigate to Reports > "Go to Reports" > Case Consultant Request. This form leverages the data you have already entered in CARES so you do not have to retype data in order to request a CC.
The form summarizes data about your appointment. OCR uses this data as part of a conflict check in advance of assigning a CC to your appointment. To populate the Case Consultant Request form with your appointment's data, input its criteria on the left side of the screen:
- Select your appointment's attorney of record, the court (tip: type any county in "search list..." at the top of the dropdown list to jump to it), and the case's year, type, and sequence (in 12JV1013, for instance, "1013" is the sequence).
- Click "Apply" to fill the form with information about this appointment. If the wrong case is retrieved (or none), double-check all the entries on the left side of the screen and click "Apply" again. Email OCR if you have double-checked the entries on the left side of the screen and the wrong case number or no information is being displayed.
Follow the three-step instructions at the top of the Case Consultant Request form to finish making your request, ultimately emailing a PDF of the form to OCR. OCR will confirm receipt of your request within 24 hours and begin work to assign your CC. After assignment, the CC will request access to your appointment in CARES; you must approve access before they may bill OCR. More on this
Frequently-Asked Questions
Remember to consult the CC Center on OCR's website at https://coloradochildrep.org/case-consultants/ for frequently-asked questions about working with a CC and the CC program as a whole. Below are answers to common questions about the Case Consultant Request form itself.
- What if the Case Consultant Request form data shown is incomplete or incorrect?
- How do I download the PDF to email it to OCR?
- The form's text is too small.
- What makes an OCR-contracted Case Consultant different in CARES?
What if the Case Consultant Request form data shown is incomplete or incorrect?
The Case Consultant Request form retrieves information saved in CARES about your specific appointment, child(ren), current placement(s), and involved person(s) if any are recorded. If you see incomplete or incorrect information, return to CARES and make any updates to your appointment, being sure to save changes. Then refresh the Case Consultant Request form to update its contents (refresh button pictured below).
How do I download the PDF to email it to OCR?
To download the form to email it to OCR as instructed on the form itself: in the upper left corner of the report screen, hover over the button showing a rectangular document with an arrow (pictured below), then choose "PDF" from that menu and save that document to your computer. Attach the saved PDF to an email to OCR, being sure to write the information requested on the form in the body of that email as well.
The form's text is too small.
Remember to zoom in on this or any report form to make the text larger (pictured below). Click here for more on navigating all reports in CARES.
What makes an OCR-contracted Case Consultant different in CARES?
Please see OCR-Contracted Case Consultants.