She received her PhD in Social Welfare from the University of Pennsylvania and her Masters in Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Stanhope is a mental health services researcher and focuses provider behavior, the role of consumer-provider relationships and their impact on clinical outcomes within community-based mental health services. Her research has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and she has published on the therapeutic alliance, service engagement, recovery, cultural competence, and evidence based practice. Dr. Stanhope has practiced as a social worker in community-based mental health and prior to her social work career, she worked for eight years in Washington, DC, as a policy advocate in the areas of mental health, heath care, and diversity.