Holly White-Wolfe
Senior Policy Analyst
Holly White-Wolfe is a Senior Policy Analyst at Chapin Hall. She supports research and evaluation projects funded by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). These projects share similar aims—improving outcomes for youth and families by using data to continuously improve service delivery.
Before joining Chapin Hall, White-Wolfe worked for the County of Sonoma’s prevention- and research-focused groups, including the Human Services Department’s Upstream Investments team and the Health Services Department’s Prevention and Planning unit. In these capacities she managed prevention-focused policy efforts that sought to reduce violence, childhood adversity, drug and alcohol misuse, and obesity.
White-Wolfe has a Ph.D. in Justice Studies from Arizona State University. She also holds a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s in community development. White-Wolfe’s professional development includes activities that helped hone her skills with prevention-focused policy work and community engagement.
PhD in Justice Studies, Arizona State University, 2023
Master of Business Administration, California State University, San Francisco, 2007
Bachelor of Arts in Special Major: Community Development, California State University, Sonoma, 1999
Anti-Racist Results-Based Accountability Practitioner, 2023
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Interface Master Trainer on Neurobiology, Epigenetics, Adversity, and Resilience (NEAR Science) and the Self-Healing Communities Model, 2016
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention’s Western Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies’ Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Training, 2005
Blumenthal, A., White-Wolfe, H., & Thomas, M. (2026, January). Still blaming parents? Describing the “evidence base” underpinning child neglect intervention programs [Peer-reviewed poster presentation]. Society for Social Work and Research 30th Annual Conference: Leading for Transformative Change—Aligning Social Work Science with Policy and Practice, Washington, DC, United States.
Creavey, K., White-Wolfe, H., Townley, B., Harison, A., Wei, X., & Marret, J. (2025, June). Using continuous quality improvement (CQI) towards equitable prevention services. Session presented in the Innovative Practice and Policy in Human Services track at the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) National Human Services Summit 2025, Philadelphia, PA. [Co-author; Not a presenter; Peer-Reviewed]
Briar-Lawson, K., White-Wolfe, H., Hefty, M., Wallen, J., Good, L., Larkin, H. (2019, October). Building community collaboration to address trauma & promote resilience: A partnership panel by Mobilizing Action for Resilient Communities (MARC) Project Communities & National Center for Excellence in Homeless Services. Workshop session presented at the Council for Social Work Education Annual Meeting, Denver, CO. [Presenter; Peer-Reviewed]
White-Wolfe, H., Briar-Lawson, K., Goode, L., Larkin, H., Hefty, M., & Wallen, J. (2019, June). Building community collaboration to address trauma and promote resilience. Workshop session presented at Accelerating Impact, the Network for Social Work Management 30th Annual Conference, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL. [Presenter; Peer-Reviewed]
Briar-Lawson, K., White-Wolfe, H., Dettlaff, A., & Larkin, H. (2018, June). Disruptive innovation and inclusionary practices in post-disaster human services management. Workshop session presented at Disruptive Leadership, the Network for Social Work Management 29th Annual Conference, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA. [Presenter; Peer-Reviewed]
White-Wolfe, H., & Brown, D. (2018, January). Building resilience within children and families in California. Workshop session presented at the International Transformational Resilience Coalition’s Preparing People for Climate Change in California Conference, California Endowment Office, Oakland, CA. [Presenter]
White-Wolfe, H., Mack, D., Feldman, C., Higa, G., & Finch, B. (2017, October). Becoming self-healing communities: A panel discussion. Plenary session at the Bridges to Resilience Conference, Santa Barbara County Children’s System of Care, Buellton, CA. [Invited Panelist]
Professional Development Training Participant, Institute for Research on Poverty, University of Wisconsin, 2022–2023
Graduate College Completion Fellowship, Arizona State University, 2022–2023
Summer Research Institute Participant, National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect, Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, Cornell University, 2020
Blumenthal, A., White-Wolfe, H., & Thomas, M. (2025). Still blaming parents?: Describing the “evidence base” underpinning child neglect intervention programs (Preprint). OSF Preprints. https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/dp9yu_v1
White-Wolfe, H., Tola, S., DeGuerre, K., Adaranijo, E., & Briar-Lawson, K. (2024). Child welfare practices to address the economic and concrete needs of families challenged by child neglect. In K. Briar-Lawson, P. Day (Eds.), Child neglect, inequity, and poverty: Practice innovations (Vol. 2, pp. 55–86). Child Welfare League of America.
Seng, T., White-Wolfe, H., Briar-Lawson, K., & De Guerre, K. (2024). Neglect and prevention policies data [Data set]. National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect (NDACAN). https://doi.org/10.34681/4D21-NR74
White-Wolfe, H. J. (2023). Alternative narrative to inadequate parenting: The Community Adversity Index. [Doctoral dissertation, Arizona State University]. https://www.proquest.com/docview/2814269345/abstract/BA004F9E64DE4FBCPQ/1
White-Wolfe, H., Charron-Chénier, R., & Denby-Brinson, R. (2021). Association between community-level material hardships and foster care entry by race/ethnicity. Child Welfare, 99(4), 105–136. Special issue: Poverty, race, & Child Welfare (2 of 2).
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