What is the Client Voice & Community Impact (CVCI) Initiative?
The Office of Civil Legal Aid's (OCLA) Children's Representation Program (CRP) recognizes its statutory mandate to ensure that standards-based legal representation is meaningfully shaped by the voices of youth and young adults with lived experience in the child welfare system. The CVCI Initiative represents the formal fulfillment of that mandate.
Through a structured engagement framework, the CVCI Initiative provides ongoing, timely, and actionable input, guidance, and feedback - ensuring that young people who have navigated the child welfare system remain active participants in shaping the quality and direction of the representation their peers receive.
>>Our Vision
To cultivate and operationalize a diverse, sustained community of lived expert consultants by fostering regular, meaningful engagement with youth and young adults whose lived experiences reflect the realities of the child welfare system.
>>Our Mission
To maintain a dynamic framework that guarantees the active and meaningful participation of young people who have navigated the child welfare system - one that is grounded in trauma-informed and developmentally-responsive principles.
Want to Make a Real Difference?
Here's How to Get Involved!
If you're between the ages of 18-26 and have been in foster care, your voice matters—and we want to hear it. You can become part of a community of young people who are turning their experiences into powerful change. The CVCI Initiative is about more than sharing your story—it's about helping shape the future for those still in the system.
What's the Commitment?
Time commitments are flexible—anywhere from a one-time public engagement opportunity to two-year advisory board membership, whatever works best for you and your life. These commitments are compensated and includes personalized support from the CVCI Coordinator.
What Will You Gain from Advisory Board Membership?
As a member of the advisory board, you'll build real skills and connect with people who get it. Here's what you can expect:
- Practical Skills - From facilitation and note-taking to networking skills that open doors.
- Strategic Storytelling - Learn how to share your experience in ways that create real impact and honor your personal boundaries.
- Community Building & Peer Coaching - Connect and support others with experience in systems of care.
- Public Engagement - Gain confidence speaking in front of others and informing systems change.
- Personal Development - Space to grow, reflect, and build on your journey.
This is an opportunity for a seat at the table.
Contact Us!
Come help us build something better. For more information, please contact our CVCI Coordinator, Nick Guzmán, at or complete our online CVCI Interest Form>>.
More resources from the CVCI:
CVCI Information:
Community Engagement Opportunities:
| Event | Host | Date(s) | Compensated | Contact |
| CRP CVCI Advisory Board | OCLA | Coming Soon | Yes | nick.guzman@ocla.wa.gov |