Research Experience
Jan 2021 – Present | Research Assistant, BRIDGE Lab, Supervised by Kelsie H. Okamura, PhD
Sept 2022 - Dec 2023 | Graduate Assistant, RISE Lab, Hawaiʻi Pacific University, Supervised by Veronica M. Acosta, PhD
Sept 2015 – Sept 2016 | Lab Member, Equalab, Goldsmiths University of London, Supervised by Keon West, DPhil
Research in Progress
Carreira Ching, D. L., Palafu, T., Pascual, S., Tsushima, V. G., Acosta, V. M., Okamoto, S. K., & Okamura, K. H. (Under review). Understanding the historical trauma impact of colonization on Native Hawaiian health and well-being: A scoping review. AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples.
Trevino, V., Carreira Ching, D. L., Kim, B., Okamura, K. H., & Higa-McMillan, C. (Under review). Provider turnover in public mental health systems: A qualitative analyses of influences for provider turnoever and retention in Hawaiʻi’s youth serving mental health system. Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research.
Okamura, K. H., Cramer, M. A., Palafu, T., Helm, S., Dalisay, F., Primack, Z., Carreira Ching, D. L., Goshgarian-Miller, S., Liu, M., Chin, S., K., Marshall, S. M., Saladino, P. A., Kon, Z. K., Song, S. D., Yamane, R., Yoshizumi-Kim, N., & Okamoto, S. K. (Under review). Hoʻouna Pono: A 20-year journey of desining, implementing, and sustaining prevention for rural, indigenous communities. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy.
Palafu, T., Rodriquez, A., Carreira Ching, D.L., Okamoto, S.K., & Okamura, K.H. (Invited submission in preparation). GeoVapeImpact: Analyzing the impact of vape shop presence on school suspensions. Healthcare.
Pascual, S., Carreira Ching, D.L., Keller, N., Abdinoor, D., Paul, L.P., Shimabukuro, S.K., Okamura, K.H. (Under review). A longitudinal examination of an electronic health record system implementation and usability in a publicly-funded mental health system. Implementation Science.
Ahlers, K., Stanick, C.F., Pascual, S., Carreira Ching, D.L., Lynch, R., & Okamura, K.H. (Under review). Adding a trauma subscale to a measure of therapist knowledge of evidence-based practices in children’s mental health. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research.
Publications
Carreira Ching, D. L., Daniels, S., Freitas, J. M. N., Goebert, D., Kahili-Heede, M., Keaulana, S., Okamura, K. H., Palafu, T., Riley, L., & Yoshizumi-Kim, N. (2025). Hoʻokō: Uplifting kānaka ʻōiwi youth mental health. In N. Liu (Eds.), For the next generation: Mental health in Asian American & Pacific Islander youth (XX ed., pp. X-X). John Wiley & Sons.
Carreira Ching, D. L., Palafu, T., Goebert, D., Okamura, K. H., Rehuher, D., Riley, L., Suʻesueʻe, A., Yoshizumi-Kim, N. (2025). Pacific Islander youth mental health in the United States. In N. Liu (Ed.), For the next generation: Mental health in Asian American & Pacific Islander youth (XX ed., pp. X-X). John Wiley & Sons
Snyder, S. E., Grassetti, S. N., Carreira Ching, D. L., Primack, Z., & Rudd, B. N. (2025). Provider and caregiver preferences for trauma-informed intervention: Results from a best-worst scaling exercise. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0002025
Palafu, T., Carreira Ching, D. L., Acosta, V. M., Okamoto, S. K., & Okamura, K. H. (2024). Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders’ identity and housing status: The impact on historical trauma and percieved stress. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(9), 1249. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21091249
Okamura, K. H., Jackson, D., Carreira Ching, D. L., Suh, D. E., Hartsock, T. L. R., Hee, P. J., & Shimabukuro, S. K. (2024). 30 years of youth system of care lessons learned - A qualitative study of Hawaiʻi’s partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. BMC Health Services Research, 24, 658. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-11114-9 here
Oral Presentations, Symposium, Trainings Provided, etc.
Carreira Ching, D. L., Okamura, K. H., Marshall, S. M., Pham, N. N., Yoshizumi-Kim, N., Chin, S. K., Saldino, P. A., Kon, Z., Song, S. D., Palafu, T., Yamane, R., Goshgarian-Miller, S., Rapadas, C., & Okamoto, S.K. (2026). Building culturally grounded substance use prevention curricula for Hawaiʻi's youth in Hawaiʻi schools. [Breakout session submitted]. E Ola Kākou: A Health Education Symposium.
Carreira Ching, D. L., Okamura, K. H., , Marshall, S. M., Pham, N. N., Yoshizumi-Kim, N., Chin, S. K., Saldino, P. A., Kon, Z., Song, S. D., Palafu, T., Yamane, R., Goshgarian-Miller, S., Rapadas, C., & Okamoto, S.K. (2025). Building culturally grounded substance use prevention curricula for Hawaiʻi's youth in Hawaiʻi schools. [Breakout session accepted]. Hawaiʻi Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Conference.
Marshall, S.M., Pham, N.N., Yoshizumi-Kim, N., Chin, S.K., Saladino, P.A., Kon, Z., Song, S.D., Palafu, T., Yamane, R., Carreira Ching, D.L., Okamura, K.H., & Okamoto, S.K. (2025, September). ‘Ohana Feud!: Incorporating game design elements into an evidenced-based substance use prevention curriculum. [Invited Oral Presentation]. Native Children’s Research Exchange (NCRE) 2025 Biennial Conference, Denver, CO.
Carreira Ching, D. L. (2024, September 24). Understanding the historical trauma impact of colonization on Native Hawaiian health and well-being: A scoping review. [Invited talk presented]. Hawaiʻi State Trauma Informed Care Task Force.
Palafu, T., Carreira Ching, D. L. (2024, September 3). Healing through heritage: A discussion of historical trauma in Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities. [Invited roundtable presented]. Evidence-Based Services (EBS) Committee of Hawaiʻi.
Carreira Ching, D. L., Okamura, K. H., Jackson, D. S. (2024, May). 30 years of youth system of care lessons learned: Hawaii’s partnership with SAMHSA. [Paper presented]. The National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Child, Youth, and Family Mental Health 2024 System of Care Virtual Summit.
Pascual, S., Carreira Ching, D.L., Keller, N., Vale, D., Abdinoor, D., Puakina Paul, L., Shimabukuro, S.K., & Okamura, K.H. (2023, November 16-19). A longitudinal examination of an electronic case management system implementation determinants in a publicly-funded mental health system. Presentation in A.C. Ng (Chair) and A. Ward (Discussant), Fiscal, organizational, and end-user considerations for improving use of evidence in large scale healthcare systems. [Symposium presented]. The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies 57th Annual Convention, Seattle, WA.
Pascual, S., Carreira Ching, D.L., Keller, N., Okamura, K.H. (2023, July). MAX system implementation analyses. [Oral presentation presented]. Hawaiʻi State Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division, Expanded Steering Committee, Honolulu, HI.
Carreira Ching, D.L., Palafu, T., & Okamura, K.H. (2023, July). Historical trauma considerations of health and wellbeing for Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders in Hawaiʻi. [Training presented]. Kalihi Kokua Valley Chuukese Minister Uut. Honolulu, HI.
Carreira Ching, D.L., Palafu, T., Pascual, S., Kobzar, I., Hartsock, T.R., Okamura, K.H. (2023, June 16). Understanding the historical trauma impact of colonization on Native Hawaiian health and wellbeing. [Oral presentation presented]. 3rd International Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Conference, Cairns, Queensland, Australia.
Carreira Ching, D.L., Pascual, S., Palafu, T., & Okamura, K.H. (2023, May 16). Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander health and well-being. [Training presented]. Parents and Children Together, Kalihi Connection Coalition. Honolulu, HI.
Joseph, R., Garcia, P., Carreira Ching, D.L., & Acosta, V. (2023, April 14). Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders perceptions of and experiences with law enforcement and the justice system. [Oral presentation presented]. 16th Annual Hawaiʻi Pacific University Psychology Conference, Honolulu, HI.
Eykel, R.P., & Carreira Ching, D.L. (2022, September 15). A dive into the Native Hawaiian context. [Oral presentation presented]. Native Children’s Research Exchange Conference, Aurora, CO.
Okamura, K.H., Bordeau, T., Hartsock, T.L.R., Carreira Ching, D.L., & Keller, N. (2021, April 30). A comprehensive model to individualize evidence-informed treatment to support families. [Training presented]. 18th Annual Hawaiʻi International Summit of the Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma, Honolulu, HI.
Poster Presentations
Rapadas, C.C., Yamane, R.M., Carreira Ching, D.L., Goshgarian-Miller, S., Yoshizumi-Kim, N., Almanza, P., Chin, S.K., Okamoto, S.K., Okamura, K.H. (2025, October). Community-based participatory evaluation of a culturally grounded substance use prevention curriculum with Windward Oʻahu youth. [Poster accepted]. Hawaiʻi Behavioral Health and Wellness Convention, Honolulu, HI.
Palafu, T., Rodriguez, A., Cabral, M.K., Carreira Ching, D.L., Okamoto, S., & Okamura, K.H. (2023, December 1). Geo VapeImpact: Analyzing vape store proximity and its influence on youth vaping behaviors. [Poster presented]. Hawaiʻi Pacific University Undergraduate Infastructure Student Research Center, Biomedical and Health Research Symposium, Kāneʻohe, HI.
Palafu, T., Carreira Ching, D.L., Acosta, V., Okamoto, S., & Okamura, K.H. (2023, December 1). Historical trauma, houselessness, and percieved stress in Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Youth. [Poster presented]. Hawaiʻi Pacific University Undergraduate Infastructure Student Research Center, Biomedical and Health Research Symposium, Kāneʻohe, HI.
Wong, A.W.W.A., Carreira Ching, D.L., Orimoto, T.E., Slavin, L.A., Okamura, K.H., & Hee, P.J. (2023, November 17). Cultivating a vignette-based knowledge measure for practical use in a public mental health service system. [Poster presented]. The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies 57th Annual Convention, Seattle, WA.
Carreira Ching, D.L., Palafu, T., Okamura, K.H. (2023, August 5). Understanding the historical trauma impacts of colonization on Native Hawaiian health and well-being: A scoping review. [Poster presented]. American Psychological Association 2023 Convention, Washington, DC.
Garcia, P., Carreira Ching, D.L., Acosta, V. M., & Hiura, A. (2023, August 5). Examining adjudication history for Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander youth. [Poster presented]. American Psychological Association 2023 Convention, Washington, DC.
Carreira Ching, D.L., Acosta, V.M., Hiura, A., Garcia, P., Logreco, S., Hsu, S., & Higa, C. (2023, April 26). Considerations of acculturative stress and trends in background factors of Micronesian youth at Hawaiʻi Youth Correctional Facility (HYCF). [Poster presented]. 20th Annual Hawaiʻi International Summit of the Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma, Honolulu, HI.
Carreira Ching, D.L., Romero, K.C., Hee, P.J., Orimoto, T., Slavin, L.A., & Okamura, K.H. (2022, November 17-20). Development of a vignette-based measure of practice element and treatment target knowledge for training and implementation in youth public mental health services. [Poster presented]. The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies 56th Annual Convention, New York, NY.
Carreira Ching, D.L., Okamoto, S.K., & Okamura, K.H. (2022, November 17-18). Scoping review methods of understanding the historical trauma impact of colonization on Native Hawaiian health and well-being. [Poster presented]. 2022 Behavioral Health & Wellness Convention, Honolulu, HI.
Carreira Ching, D.L., Okamoto, S.K., & Okamura, K.H. (2022, September 15-16). Understanding the historical trauma impact of colonization on Native Hawaiian health and well-being: A scoping review methodology. [Poster presented]. Native Children’s Research Exchange Conference, Aurora, CO.
Carreira Ching, D.L., Acosta, V.M., Hiura, A., & Higa, C. (2022, August 29). Recidivism and risk factor trends of Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (NHOPI) crossover youth. [Poster presented]. 27th Institute on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma San Diego International Summit, San Diego, CA.
Carreira Ching, D.L., Acosta, V.M., Gerson, J., Harris, M., Hiura, A., & Higa, C. (2022, March 30). Trauma-related mental health trends and family history factors of Native Hawaiian adolescents at the Hawaiʻi Youth Correctional Facility. [Poster presented]. 19th Annual Hawaiʻi International Summit of the Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma, Honolulu, HI.