Team Spotlight: Q&A with India Herman

As a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), India Herman represents one of the few constants in the life of a child who has been removed from their home and is navigating the foster care system. 

“One of the most rewarding aspects of being a CASA volunteer is providing children with a safe space to have fun and build a trusting relationship with a consistent and trustworthy adult during their time in foster care,” she says. 

In addition to her CASA training, which equips volunteers .to support and advocate for children awaiting safe, permanent homes, India brings her social work education to her role at Douglas County CASA. India, who will receive her Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Kansas in 2025, says social work has helped her understand how systemic structures can affect vulnerable populations and what leads families to enter the child welfare system. 

In this Q&A, India shares how she has brought trauma-informed care to multiple roles at Douglas County CASA — as both a staff member and a volunteer— and what she’s learned and gained in the process. 

What led you to CASA? What has been your path within the organization?

My journey with CASA began unexpectedly. While at the Lawrence Farmers Market with my family, I came across the Douglas County CASA booth staffed by our executive director, Erick Vaughn, and long-time advocate supervisor Carolyn Johnson. We all hit it off, and I arranged a follow up meeting with Erick at CASA’s old office downtown.

At the time, I had just started at the KU School of Social Welfare after transferring from Johnson County Community College. Before that, I’d spent over two years as a full-time student and stay-at-home mom. The thought of taking on a job — even part-time — felt a little daunting. But talking with Erick quickly put my nerves at ease. After starting as a student worker in the office, it also helped me envision my path forward in social work. I chose CASA for my practicum placement the following year. After my internship hours were complete, I was able to continue as the office and program assistant.

Starting in this role gave me the opportunity to dive into the core of CASA’s work, particularly by supporting and onboarding volunteers. Collaborating with supervisors to get volunteers sworn in and assisting with filing court reports gave me a firsthand understanding of the dedicated advocacy happening within the organization. These helped prepare me as I began my own volunteer journey.

Since being assigned a case in September 2023, I’ve had the privilege of serving as a volunteer advocate and witnessing the family I support overcome significant barriers. I’ve witnessed their determination as they strive toward achieving permanency and stability for their entire family.

My experience at CASA has afforded the unique opportunity to connect clinical and systems level advocacy. While my practicum ended in the spring of 2024, I will remain on my current case until it closes.

As a bachelor’s and graduate student in social work, how have your studies informed your administrative and volunteer work for CASA?

I am able to recognize the impact of systemic structures and their effects on vulnerable populations, and I understand how policies directly affect the capacity of work within systems such as child welfare. Specific classes taken in my bachelor’s and master’s programs have offered trauma-informed approaches to the work I do in both administrative and volunteer capacities. Social work education challenges students to engage in critical thinking and “connecting the dots,” which allows multiple viewpoints to be seen to understand what leads families to enter the child welfare system. 

I’ve also learned how important it is that a nonprofit’s administrative functions are accurate and compliant to ensure funding can be secured for the advocacy work of volunteers and staff. While I chose the clinical pathway for my master’s year, I believe that systems level advocacy informs individual practice and vice versa. Through my hands-on experience, I’ve seen that advocating for policies that affect clients on a systems level creates more opportunities to uphold social work values and create change.

Your work as a volunteer involves close collaboration with a KVC Kansas case manager — what have you found to be the key to an effective working relationship between case managers and CASA volunteers?

I began my role as a volunteer by engaging with everyone involved in the case and asking thoughtful questions to gain a clear understanding of the differing perspectives, needs, and challenges faced by the family and caseworkers. I’m fortunate to work alongside KVC case managers who share my commitment to open communication, making it easier for us to collaborate in supporting the child we’re all advocating for. 

For instance, when foster parents who are related to the child may have questions regarding certain aspects of the case, I can step in as a neutral party to help facilitate meaningful conversations among everyone involved. Caseworkers, like CASA volunteers, are often drawn to this work for the same reason: they genuinely care about the well-being of the children and families they serve.

What, in your view, makes someone a successful volunteer advocate?

To be an effective volunteer and advocate, a CASA should strive to understand the child welfare system as a whole — how it can support children and how it can create barriers or perpetuate trauma for the families involved. Recognizing these barriers allows advocates to work within the system to make it easier to navigate while ensuring families receive the support they need. When a child is removed from their biological parents it is traumatic for everyone involved, and can yield complicated emotions from the child, parents, or  caregivers. CASAs who appreciate and anticipate these emotions are better equipped to respond with compassion and grace. 

One of the most rewarding aspects of being a CASA volunteer is providing children with a safe space to have fun and build a trusting relationship with a consistent and trustworthy adult during their time in foster care. By developing meaningful relationships, CASA volunteers can gain a deeper understanding of the family’s unique needs.

What is something you want people to know about the experience of being a CASA volunteer?

Being a CASA volunteer can be heavy at times, but the impact you make is immeasurable in the eyes of the children and families you support. Being the one consistent person in a case, no matter the case plan goal, is a rarity in the child welfare system and plays a crucial role in helping families feel seen and supported during what may be one of the most challenging times in their lives. It’s a role that requires compassion and resilience, but the connections you build and the difference you make are truly worth it.