Previous Education
MSW, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Thompson School of Social Work and Public Health
BS, Psychology, University of Georgia, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Research Interests
Health equity, promotion, and access among historically marginalized populations; Mental health outcomes and well-being among LGBTQIA2S+ populations; Gender diverse populations; Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations; Youth and young adult populations; Gender and Sexuality; Sexual reproductive justice and health; Substance use and abuse; Youth experiencing homelessness; Intersectionality Theory; Strengths-based framework; Social justice approaches to health and well-being; Social policy analysis; intervention development.
Danielle R. Phillips, LSW, is a doctoral candidate interested in improving health equity among historically marginalized and diverse populations; including gender diverse youth, individuals in recovery from substance abuse disorders, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, using intersectional and strengths-based approaches to social policy analysis and intervention development. Her research focuses on using culturally relevant social justice frameworks to promote, protect, and enhance health outcomes (e.g., mental health and sexual reproductive health) and overall wellbeing among diverse populations.
Currently, Danielle is a graduate research assistant with Iris Cardenas, PhD, and Corey Shdaimah, PhD, where her work is focused on improving experiences and outcomes among families involved in justice systems. Danielle recently completed work as a graduate research assistant with Dr. Jill Farrell at The Institute for Innovation & Implementation, focused on improving experiences and outcomes for youth involved with the juvenile justice system. Under the mentorship of Dr. Elizabeth Aparicio, Danielle has been a research assistant with the Community THRIVES Lab since 2016, focusing on adolescent sexual health, teen pregnancy, and parenting. In 2020, Danielle joined Dr. Jessica Fish’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Health Lab as a research assistant for the LGBTQ Health Programs Project. Both the Community THRIVES Lab and the SOGI Health Lab are located at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. Danielle was also selected for the 2020 – 2022 cohort of the International Student Training Network (ISTN) through the International Partnership for Queer Youth Resilience (INQYR), a research partnership between universities and community organizations across Canada, the US, the UK, Mexico, and Australia.
Prior to attending the University of Maryland School of Social Work, Danielle worked as a Licensed Social Worker (LSW) in the state of Hawai'i and served as the Director of Social Services at Hale Makua Health Services. She also worked as a Substance Abuse Counselor at Malama I Ke Ola Health Center, a federally qualified health center on the island of Maui. These practice experiences inform her research as it relates to social policy and interventions aimed at enhancing and promoting equity, access to healthcare, and overall well-being across diverse populations. Danielle’s dissertation research focuses on gaining an enhanced understanding of the nuances associated with how transgender and gender diverse (TGD) young and emerging adults aged 18 to 25 years conceptualize health and overall well-being from an intersectional strengths-based perspective. Given the role that hope and gender-affirming experiences can have on improving one’s health and well-being, her dissertation will help fill the gap in literature by exploring what is working well across multiple domains of health and well-being among TGD young adults.
Teaching Interests
Social Work Practice with Individuals; Human Behavior and the Social Environment; Women and Gender Studies; Human Sexuality; Social Work Theory; Special Topics: Smart Decarceration; Qualitative Research Methods
Selected Publications
Huq, M., Phillips, D.R., Childers, C., Chavez., R., Tellei, J., Blakey, L., & Aparicio, E.M. (2020). Facilitators and challenges of access to housing in the context of a sexual and reproductive health program for youth experiencing homelessness. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-023-01560-y
Channell Doig, A., Jasczynski, M., Phillips, D.R., Aden, F., Huq, M., Lee, K., Robinson, J., Jones, G., & Aparicio, E. (2023). Addressing substance use among maltreated young mothers to prevent intergenerational child maltreatment transmission: Experiences of child welfare social workers. Child & Family Social Work. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.13009.
Kachingwe, O. N., Phillips, D.R., Jasczynski, M., Hillig, E., Chavez, R., Tellei, J., & Aparicio, E. M. (2022). “I told him I’m gonna get it”: intimate partner birth control communication among homeless young women. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 1–17. https://doi-org.proxy-hs.researchport.umd.edu/10.1080/13691058.2021.2025431
Lee, B. R., Phillips, D. R., Steward, R. K., & Kerns, S. E. U. (2021). Equipping TFC Parents as Treatment Providers: Findings from Expert Interviews. Journal of Child & Family Studies, 30(4), 870–880. https://doi-org.proxy-hs.researchport.umd.edu/10.1007/s10826-020-01808-z
Aparicio, E.M., Kachingwe, O.N., Phillips, D.R., Jasczynski, M., Cabral, M.K., Aden, F., Parekh, E., Espero, J., & Childers, C. (2021). “Having a baby can wait”: Experiences of a sexual and reproductive health promotion program in the context of homelessness among Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander youth captured through PhotoVoice. Qualitative Health Research, 31(2), 228-240. https://doi-org.proxy-hs.researchport.umd.edu/10.1177/1049732320964423
Aparicio, E. M., Kachingwe, O. N., Phillips, D.R., Fleishman, J., Novick, J., Okimoto, T., Kaleipumehana Cabral, M., Ka’opua, L. S., Childers, C., Espero, J., & Anderson, K. (2019). Holistic, trauma-informed adolescent pregnancy prevention and sexual health promotion for female youth experiencing homelessness: Initial outcomes of Wahine Talk. Children and Youth Services Review, 107. https://doi-org.proxy-hs.researchport.umd.edu/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104509
Kachingwe, O. N., Anderson, K., Houser, C., Fleishman, J. L., Novick, J. G., Phillips, D.R., & Aparicio, E. M. (2019). “She was there through the whole process:” Exploring how homeless youth access and select birth control. Children & Youth Services Review, 101, 277–284. https://doi-org.proxy-hs.researchport.umd.edu/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.04.012
Aparicio, E.M., Phillips, D.R., Okimoto, T., Cabral, M.K., Houser, C., & Anderson, K. (2018). Youth and provider perspectives of Wahine Talk: A holistic sexual health and pregnancy prevention program developed with and for homeless youth. Children and Youth Services Review, 93, 467-473. https://doi-org.proxy-hs.researchport.umd.edu/10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.08.014