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

Briar-Lawson, K., White-Wolfe, H., Goode, L., & Larkin, H. (2019, October). Building community collaboration to address trauma & promote resilience: A partnership panel by MARC Project Communities & National Center for Excellence in Homeless Services. Workshop session for the Council for Social Work Education: Annual Meeting, Denver, CO.

Briar-Lawson, K., White-Wolfe, H., Good, L., Larkin, H., Hefty, M., & Wallen, J. (2019, June). Building community collaboration to address trauma and promote resilience. Workshop session for Accelerating Impact: Harnessing the Power of Human, Social, and Financial Innovation, the Network for Social Work Management’s 30th Annual Conference, Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work, Chicago, IL.

Briar-Lawson, K., Dettlaff, A., White-Wolfe, H., and Larkin, H. (2018, June). Disruptive innovation and inclusionary practices in post disaster human services management. Workshop session for Disruptive Leadership: Maximizing Inclusion, Invention, and Innovation in Human services, the Network for Social Work Management 29th Annual Management Conference, San Diego State University School of Social Work, San Diego, CA.

White-Wolfe, H. and Brown, D. (2018, January). Building resilience within children and families in California. Workshop session for the International Transformational Resilience Coalition’s Preparing People for Climate Change in California Conference, the California Endowment office, Oakland, CA.

White-Wolfe, H., Mack, D., Feldman, C., Higa, G., and Finch, B. (2017, October). Becoming self-healing communities: A panel discussion. Invited plenary session panel member for Building a Trauma-Informed and Resiliency-Focused Community, Santa Barbara County Children’s System of Care’s Bridges to Resilience Conference, Buellton, CA.

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

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.