Hannah Philips is a second year graduate student in the field of Applied Developmental Psychology, with a concentration in children with special healthcare needs at the University of Pittsburgh. She is also pursuing a Child Life Specialist Certification to provide psychosocial support to children in hospital settings and families navigating continuous care. Hannah received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Goucher College, with interests in creative arts therapies and the psychodynamics of formative years. After college, Hannah worked for 5 years in a residential community for individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Hannah participated in direct care services for children with severe behavioural concerns in attempts to promote a stable environment with routine and recreational activities. She spent years in a leadership role there, emphasizing inclusion through strength-based approaches in a structured-day Clubhouse program.

Throughout high school and college years, Hannah volunteered in Nicaragua and Guatemala and became alarmingly aware of the existing lack of access to basic healthcare needs, such as nutrition and air quality. Hannah applied to graduate school to pursue her various interests in health and development. She completed a Child Life practicum at UPMC Children’s Hospital in the Spring 2020.

Currently, as a LEND trainee, Hannah looks forward to sustainable leadership skill building with other disciplines and mentors. After this academic year, she plans to next do a 600-hour clinical Child Life internship and pursue opportunities fostering better long-term outcomes and quality of life for vulnerable children. Hannah hopes to grow into a leader who encourages others to reach their greatest potentials, and advocates for collaborative systems of care, such as family-centered transdisciplinary teamwork.