Tania Bradkin possesses a unique dedication to the human condition.

A third-year MSW@USC student at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work and part-time commissioner of social services for the City of Santa Monica, the 46-year-old Bradkin is a proud single mother of 14-year-old twins, preschool teacher and a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for foster children in Los Angeles County.

As a CASA volunteer, Bradkin plays a vital role in changing the lives of foster kids in and out of the courtroom, often acting as the sole consistent adult anchor amid the confusing and ever-changing environment of foster care.

“[The courtroom setting] has been a bit jarring…I get to see disparities I read about up close,” Bradkin said. “I wanted to understand how the judicial system works, to see if having a voice in the courtroom matters – and you know what? It absolutely does.”

Volunteer advocates get to know the children and their circumstances; advocate for their best interests, including making recommendations to the court; encourage them to grow to their fullest potential; and become involved in key issues in their lives, especially permanent placement, and school, health and mental health issues.

According to CASA Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Dependency Court oversees the safety of more than 30,000 children who have been abused or neglected, among the highest numbers in the nation. Of those 30,000, CASA will serve 6,000 children in 2016, including 1,000 with intensive advocacy services.

CASA’s mission is to alleviate the feelings of abandonment and alienation that scar abused and neglected children by harnessing the compassion and generosity of caring adults who can have an enormous impact on children’s development.

Having been an advocate for a year and a half, Bradkin is finally living a dream years in the making.

“I wanted to know how we got here and what we can do to reduce the number of children in foster care – and hopefully one day end the need for this system,” she said.

Getting inspired

As an East Coast native, Bradkin worked in communications and politics in Washington, D.C., after graduating from college. But it was her travels abroad with her family that ignited her passion for people and the social work profession.

“I have traveled to incredibly impoverished parts of the world with my parents, who wanted me to fully understand what others go through,” she said. “My parents have always said to not forget there will always be someone who has less than you. [But] there’s always someone [who can] help, and the only value in advancing [yourself] is how you can also bring someone up along with you.”

Bradkin decided to pursue a master’s degree in social work in 2007 by enrolling at the University of Pennsylvania to become a licensed clinical social worker. But then her young family’s move to California forced her to put her dreams on hold.

Nine years later, Bradkin is finishing what she started, completing her Master of Social Work as a part of USC’s online MSW program.

“There’s so much passion at the school, so much love and [an] inclusionary environment approach to everything,” she said. “I was drawn because of the clinical side, and I knew people that went here who I think are really smart, so I know there’s a great appreciation for data research, which I was hugely drawn to.”

Bradkin has heavily involved herself since her start at USC in 2014. Just last year she was given the VAC Student Recognition Award for her contributions to social justice, and she joined the Phi Alpha Honor Society this year.

Breaking barriers

With her MSW, Bradkin aspires to change the problems she has seen during her time as a CASA volunteer.

Many CASA children have experienced a range of traumatic events, from the death of a loved one, violence and natural disasters, to prolonged separation from caretakers due to incarceration.

Left untreated, this trauma can put children at risk for difficulties at school, attachment problems, additional psychological disorders, substance abuse and even physical illness.

Bradkin believes that some schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District could modify the way trauma is handled in schools by strengthening the relationship between teachers, students and families that has been hindered by language barriers, accessibility concerns and a lack of interventions.

She suggests system-wide policy changes to make it easier for parents to have face-to-face conversations with educators about their children.

“In marginalized communities, impoverished families are challenged by [not] having the flexibility to spend time with their children, as missing one day of work could drastically alter the life of any American today, let alone families that are just making ends meet,” she said.

Bradkin insists that these issues in the school system’s treatment of trauma can be fixed through a more hands-on technique that features interventions and a district-wide code of practice.

“We need to look for the barriers that aren’t helping to change that picture,” she said. “Everybody has to do their part to make it come together. I think it is possible if we could have honest discussions and find ways to connect more [in real life] and not through phones, emails and texts.”

From her experience, Bradkin said a lack of Spanish-speaking administrators hinders the healing process for traumatized kids. And as a first-generation American, Bradkin can relate to the challenges that Spanish-speaking students face when it comes to treating their trauma.

“My mom is from Costa Rica, and my dad is from Budapest, Hungary. My father is a refugee and a Vietnam [War] veteran. I have seen my mother experience racism and my parents treated unkindly at times because they have accents. That has been incredibly painful, so I definitely have no tolerance for that from anyone,” Bradkin said.

Having served as a CASA volunteer for more than 18 months, Bradkin has witnessed a system that often has more negatives than positives. But for the foster children involved, Bradkin and other volunteers transform a previously daunting experience into one that allows children to feel more comfortable and secure.

“Courtrooms can be intimidating,” she said. “For foster children, having an advocate – someone who is not going to be triggered by trauma – is soothing and helpful. It’s always easier to be strong for someone else, especially if one has been traumatized, which is exactly what these children are experiencing.”