Research

My program of research seeks to understand and improve professional decision-making within child welfare and child mental health systems to promote positive and equitable outcomes for children, youth, and families. I have worked primarily on research projects investigating the potential for innovative data science tools, high-quality interprofessional collaboration, family-centered practice, and effective judicial procedures to produce better decisions, and I hope to continue exploring and developing evidence for these approaches in my future work.

This focus arises from my experiences as a former attorney and social worker in child welfare and mental health systems. First as a policy advocate, and then as an advocate for the rights and well-being of children in foster care, I observed that decisions to detect child maltreatment, determine appropriate services, draw on kinship bonds for family support, and secure permanent living situations for children and youth were often arbitrary and lacked appropriate evidence. Even worse, I witnessed prevalent bias toward marginalized groups in these decisions, which often reinforced preexisting structural racism, sexism, heterosexism, ableism, and classism. These realizations drove me to seek comprehensive solutions for supporting professional decision-making and advancing equity through research, intervention development, and systems change.

Accordingly, I hope to conduct engaged research with agencies and practitioners in these critically important systems to maximize the rigor, sustainability, and impact of evidence for strategies to improve professional decisions in this area.

A more detailed statement of my program of research can be found here.

Selected Current Projects

For more detailed information regarding current and past projects, please see my curriculum vitae here.

Dissertation: Understanding Foster Youths' Mental Health Services Access and Pathways to Care

Compare recent patterns of service utilization between foster children and the general child population and examine possible disparate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic using comparative interrupted times series analyses (Aim 1). Use group model-building sessions with professionals to construct system dynamics models that depict foster children’s pathways to care, important gateway provider decision points, and system behaviors that may impact youths’ service access (Aim 2). Assess predictors of mental health services use for foster children based upon system dynamics models, using data on the child and county levels (Aim 3).

Best Practices in the Use of Predictive Analytics in Child Welfare: Creating a Practice Profile for Algorithmic Decision-Making Tools

Planned and conducted practitioner observations, interviews, and focus groups, as well as a systematic scoping review, regarding the use of data-driven decision-making tools in child welfare practice. Draft summary reports, presentations, and manuscripts for research dissemination.

Interprofessional Collaboration and Child Welfare Workforce Outcomes

Analyze secondary data to understand relationships between collaboration and job-related stress, satisfaction, and turnover intentions.

Predictors and Outcomes of Interprofessional Collaboration in Child Welfare: A Scoping Review

Conduct searches, screening, and analysis regarding the conceptualization of and evidence for collaboration in child welfare.

Selected Publications & Presentations

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles & Peer-Reviewed Book Chapters

McNellan, C. R., Gibbs, D. J., Knobel, A. S., & Putnam-Hornstein, E. (2022). The evidence base for risk assessment tools used in U.S. child protection investigations: A systematic scoping review. Child Abuse & Neglect, 134, 103887. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105887

Gibbs, D. J., Ansong, D., Brevard, K. C., Childs, S., & Francis, A. M. (2022). Improving parenting competency and permanency awareness for kinship foster parents through in-service licensure training. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 39, 595–606. https://doi.org/10. 1007/ s10560-022-00844-6

Chung, G., Rodriguez, M., Lanier, P., & Gibbs, D. (2022). Text-mining open-ended survey responses using structural topic modeling: A practical demonstration to understand parents’ coping methods during COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore. Journal of Technology in Human Services. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/15228835.2022.2036301.

Gibbs, D. J. (2015). Status offenses and dejudicialization: Establishing a right to counsel in informal diversion proceedings. UC Davis Journal of Juvenile Law and Policy, 19(1), 126-155.

Phillips, J. D., Jurczak, E., Villagrana, K. M., & Gibbs, D. J. (in press). Interdisciplinary practice in child and family-serving systems. In R.W. Denby & C. Ingram (Eds.). Child and Family Serving Systems: A Compendium of Policy and Practice. Child Welfare League of America.

Dawes, H. C., Williams, D. Y., Klein, L. B., McGarry, B., Hirst, L. E., Hall, W. J., Forte, A. B., & Gibbs, D. J. (in press) Experiences of queer people of color in mental health services and substance use treatment services: A systematic review. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research.

Gibbs, D. J., Villodas, M. L., Kainz, K., & Francis, A. M. (revise/resubmit). Insecure housing, substance abuse, and incarceration among emerging adults aging out of foster care: Examining associations with legal orphan status. Children and Youth Services Review.

Gibbs, D. J. & Lanier, P. (revise/resubmit). Identifying children at risk of maltreatment: Assessing the current landscape of Birth Match policies in the United States. Children and Youth Services Review.

Gibbs, D. J., McNellan, C., Forte, A., & Dawes, H. C. (revise/resubmit). The effects of child participation in dependency court hearings: A systematic review. Child Maltreatment.

Gibbs, D. J., Phillips, J. D., & Villagrana, K. (revise/resubmit). Stress, satisfaction, and turnover among child welfare workers: Examining associations with quality of interprofessional collaboration. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research.

Phillips, J. D., Villagrana, K. M., & Gibbs, D. J. (under review). The relationship between interpersonal supports and job satisfaction among child welfare caseworkers: Exploring the role of interprofessional collaboration. Social Work Research.

Reports

Ansong, D., Brevard, K., Gibbs, D., Childs, S., & Francis, A. M. (2020). Harvey Kinship Project report: Helping abused and neglected children find permanent homes with their grandparents and other relatives. The Group on Evidence Building in Child Welfare, UNC-Chapel Hill School of Social Work.

Juried Conference Presentations

Gibbs, D. J.*, Phillips, J. D., & Villagrana, K. (2022, January 16). Interprofessional collaboration, job stress, and intention to leave among the child welfare workforce: A structural equation model [E-poster; oral presentation cancelled due to COVID-19]. Society for Social Work Research Annual Conference, Washington, DC.

Gibbs, D. J.*, Villodas, M. L., Kainz, K., & Francis, A. M. (2021, January 21). The effects of “legal orphan” status for emerging adults aging out of foster care: A secondary analysis of linked AFCARS and NYTD datasets [Oral presentation]. Society for Social Work Research Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA.

Gibbs, D. J.*, Johnson, T. L., Forte, A., & Dawes, H.C. (2021, January 22). The effects of child participation in dependency court proceedings: A systematic review [Oral presentation]. Society for Social Work Research Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA.

Dawes, H.*, Klein, L. B., Hirst, L., Forte, A., Gibbs, D., & Hall, W. J. (2021, January 20). Experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people of color in mental health services and substance abuse services: A systematic review [Oral presentation]. Society for Social Work Research Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA.

Gibbs, D. J.*, Ansong, D., Brevard, K. C., Childs, S., & Francis, A. M. (2021, January 18). Improving permanency awareness, parenting knowledge, and financial attitudes for kinship foster parents: A pilot study of the Caring for Our Own curriculum [Poster presentation]. Society for Social Work Research Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA.

Forte, A.*, McBride, M., Gibbs, D., & Johnson, T. (2021, January 18). Exploring the relationship between the built food environment and obesity among African Americans: A systematic review [Poster presentation]. Society for Social Work Research Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA.

Chung, G.*, Lanier, P., Gibbs, D. (2021, January 18). “What works and who benefits?” Identifying common components of parenting programs for children involved with child protection services: A model-based recursive partitioning analysis [Poster presentation]. Society for Social Work Research Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA.

Chung, G.*, Lanier, P., Chen, D., Masuda, R., & Gibbs, D. (2021, January 18). Risk factors for a subsequent maltreatment allegation: A meta-analysis of studies [Poster presentation]. Society for Social Work Research Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA.

Church, C.*, Fairchild, A., & Gibbs, D. J.* (2018, August 23). In search of a silver bullet: Child welfare’s embrace of predictive analytics [Oral presentation]. 41^st NACC National Child Welfare, Juvenile Justice, and Family Law Conference, San Antonio, TX.

Gibbs, D. J.* & Larin, B.* (2017, April 26). Parental rights & the reasonable and prudent parent standard: Assessing the rights of parents to direct the upbringing of children in foster care [Oral presentation]. 5^th National ABA Parent Representation Conference, Tysons, VA.

Invited Presentations

Gibbs, D. J.* & Lauret, R.* (2022, June 7). Data empowerment: How strong is your data culture? i2i Center for Integrative Health Spring Conference, Raleigh, NC.

Lanier, P.* & Gibbs, D. J.* (2021, September 21). Predictive analytics in child welfare: An overview of current initiatives and ethical frameworks to inform equitable policy and practice [Oral presentation]. Prevention Science and Methodology Group, Chicago, IL.

Gibbs, D. J.* (2021, September 20). Family-centered practice in child welfare courts: Perspectives, evidence, and future directions [Guest lecture]. UNC-Chapel Hill Child Welfare Perspectives and Practices Course, Chapel Hill, NC.

Gibbs, D. J.*, Brevard, K.*, Childs, S., Ansong, D., & Francis, A. (2020, September 24). The Harvey Kinship Project: Findings from a public-private partnership to support kinship foster parents [Oral presentation]. UNC Field Education Training Series, Chapel Hill, NC.

Gibbs, D. J.* (2020, August 31). Family-centered practice in child welfare courts: Perspectives, evidence, and future directions [Guest lecture]. UNC-Chapel Hill Child Welfare Perspectives and Practices Course, Chapel Hill, NC.

Gibbs, D. J.* (2020, February 10). Parental rights and child maltreatment research: Perspectives, outcomes, and future directions [Oral presentation]. UNC Child Maltreatment Research and Practice Network, Chapel Hill, NC.

Ansong, D.*, Brevard, K.*, Gibbs, D. J.* (2019, November 6). Kinship care in North Carolina: Evaluation of the Caring for Our Own foster parent training [Oral presentation]. 2019 NC Kinship Care Convening Meeting, Greensboro, NC.

Gibbs, D. J.* (2018, March 7). Bridging the gap: Or, how we can learn to stop worrying and love the court system [Oral presentation]. 2018 Volunteers for Youth Conference, Columbia, SC.

Church, C.* & Gibbs, D.* (2017, October 6). Law and policy: Tools for advocacy [Oral presentation]. SC OID Defendant Parent Attorneys’ Conference at USC School of Law, Columbia, SC.

Gibbs, D. J.* (2015, October 23). Legal update: Federal statutes and policy guidance [Oral presentation]. SC Children’s Law Conference, Columbia, SC.

Gibbs, D. J.* (2015, September 25). Status offenses & diversion: History, rationales, and best practices [Oral presentation]. S.C. Status Offense Task Force, Columbia, SC.

Gibbs, D. J.* & Burrus, D.* (2014, May 5). The Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994 (MEPA-IEPA) [Webinar]. Statewide Georgia Division of Family & Children Services Webinar, Atlanta, GA.

Long, L. A.* & Gibbs, D. J.* (2013, December 6). Diversity & social justice [Oral presentation]. Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program, Athens, GA.

Training & Fellowships

2022 Systems Science for Social Impact Summer Institute, Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis

2020 Summer Research Institute, National Data Archive of Child Abuse and Neglect

2015-2017 Child Law Fellowship, University of South Carolina Children’s Law Center

2014 James B. McMillan Legal Fellowship, Mecklenburg County Bar

Skills

Data Collection: Survey Development, In-Depth Interview and Focus Group Design, Systematic Review Methods, Group Model-Building

Data Analysis: Multiple Regression, Multilevel Modeling, Structural Equation Modeling, Multiple Imputation, Panel Data Analysis, Advanced Data Visualization and Dashboard Development

Analytical Software: R, Stata, SAS, Mplus, NVivo, Tableau, KNIME