U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

The Tribal Court CASA Project recognizes that although all tribal

programs share some problems and challenges, each one must tailor its design to the community it serves. Therefore, the project

offers guidance in program development and management instead

of a rigid program design. In support of the project, National CASA

offers training and technical assistance in partnership with the

Tribal Law and Policy Institute. To assist communities in developing Tribal Court CASA programs, the partners published Tribal

Court CASA: A Guide to Program Development (the Guide) in

2000. The Guide, which is designed to lead tribal communities

through each step of planning and running a Tribal Court CASA

program, provides overviews of CASA and Tribal Court CASA

and includes sections on planning a quality program, working with

volunteers, and managing the program. The Guide also includes

an appendix with sample policies, forms, and other documents for

use by Tribal Court CASA programs.

Planning a Quality Program

The first step in planning a Tribal Court CASA program in a

community is assessing the community’s problems with child

abuse and neglect and its response to the problems, including how

well the child welfare and judicial systems work together. The

first section of the Guide provides both an assessment questionnaire to help a tribal community decide whether it would benefit

from a Tribal Court CASA program and a list of questions to help

determine whether a program has a realistic chance of success.

Once a community determines that a Tribal Court CASA program

is both desirable and feasible, it needs to enlist appropriate volunteers, obtain the judicial support that is crucial to the program’s

success, and design the program. The Guide describes the major

stages of the planning process and explains three possible administrative models for a Tribal Court CASA program (under a tribe,

under another organization, or as an independent organization)

and three functional models for CASA volunteers (guardian ad

litem, friend of the court, and monitoring). The Guide also offers

practical advice on funding (including fundraising and grantwriting tips), staffing, and establishing an office.

Tribal Court CASA:

A Guide to Program Development

by Heather E. Frey

The National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association

(National CASA) began the Tribal Court CASA Project in 1994

to support programs in which volunteers act as advocates for

abused or neglected American Indian and Alaska Native children.

CASA volunteers are lay people assigned by judges to represent

the best interests of children with cases before the court. National

CASA administers two grants that support tribal court programs.

The National Grants Program, administered in partnership

with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

(OJJDP), provides subgrants to help local communities develop

and strengthen CASA programs nationwide. This grants program

is funded under the Victims of Child Abuse Act (Public Law

101–647) and has been operating since 1993. Tribal communities

are eligible to apply for these funds, and, in 2001, seven tribes

received funding under the National Grants Program.

The CASA Program Development for Native American Tribal

Courts provides funds to help tribal communities develop and

strengthen Native American CASA programs. In 1995, the program’s initial funding was supplied by the Office for Victims of

Crime (OVC) and administered by OJJDP.

In 1995, the CASA Program Development for Native American

Tribal Courts grant program gave funding to two tribal court

CASA programs. Since that time, it has funded two to three tribal

court CASA programs yearly, with three receiving funds in 2001.

In August 2000, OVC began partnering directly with National

CASA to administer this program.

Federally recognized American Indian tribes may also receive

funding for Tribal Court CASA programs through OJJDP’s Tribal

Youth Program (TYP) to carry out the following TYP objectives:

◆ Reduce, control, and prevent crime and delinquency both by

and against tribal youth.

◆ Provide interventions for court-involved tribal youth.

◆ Improve tribal juvenile justice systems.

◆ Provide prevention programs focusing on alcohol and drugs.

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Working With Volunteers

Because volunteers make up the majority of a Tribal Court CASA

program’s staff, their selection, training, and management are

essential to a program’s success. The second section of the Guide

offers step-by-step guidelines for recruiting volunteers from the

tribal community, outlines the training process, and explains

important aspects of managing and retaining volunteers.

The Guide explains how to determine the appropriate type and

number of volunteers, create a recruitment plan, and screen

applicants. A careful review of references and criminal records

is especially important because CASA volunteers are involved in

sensitive situations that affect children who have been abused or

neglected. Samples of a reference questionnaire and an information release form appear in the appendix.

Managing the Program

Although Tribal Court CASA programs usually rely on the financial departments of participating tribes to manage their finances,

program directors should understand the program’s finances

and develop a written financial policy. The Guide’s third section

begins with a chapter on financial management, which offers

basic guidance on setting up a financial system that complies with

generally accepted accounting principles.

Risk management is an increasingly important concern for all volunteer organizations. The Guide’s next chapter describes the three

categories of risk that generally apply to CASA programs: liability of the individual volunteer, liability of the organization to the

volunteer, and liability of the organization because of the actions

of volunteers. The chapter also discusses approaches to minimizing risk and considerations in purchasing liability insurance. A

program cannot be established without a tribe’s prior approval and

support. Therefore, risk management should be established based

on the guidelines set forth by the tribe.

The Guide’s final chapter explains the use of formal rules and

procedures to support program operations. It recommends items

to be included in a manual of policies and procedures, discusses

confidentiality and personnel policies, and outlines procedures for

handling complaints. The chapter also offers guidance on keeping

case records and gathering statistical data.

For Further Information

More information about Tribal Court CASA is available online at

www.casanet.org/program-services/tribal/. The Guide can be

downloaded from the Web site.

For supporting materials that explain the history of CASA and its

effect in tribal communities, including a free video on the development of Tribal Court CASA programs, and to order free printed

copies of the Guide, contact:

Becca Calhoun

Tribal Court Program Specialist

National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association

100 West Harrison, North Tower, Suite 500

Seattle, WA 98119

206–270–0072, ext. 25

800–628–3233

206–270–0078 (fax)

becca@nationalcasa.org

Information about the Tribal Youth CASA Project is also available

from the Tribal Law and Policy Institute:

Diane Payne

Children’s Justice Specialist

Tribal Law and Policy Institute

8235 Santa Monica Boulevard, Suite 205

West Hollywood, CA 90046

323–650–5467

323–650–8149 (fax)

diane@tribal-institute.org

www.tribal-institute.org

Heather E. Frey, Ph.D., is a Senior Writer-Editor with the Juvenile

Justice Clearinghouse.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is a component 

of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice

Assistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice,

and the Office for Victims of Crime.

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