Kiara L. Moore
Assistant Professor
PhD, MSW, BA
Areas of Expertise: Mental health treatment disparities among adolescents and young adults of color and among LGBTQ+ youth, mental health services research
Biography
Kiara Moore is an Assistant Professor at NYU Silver. Dr. Moore's areas of specialization are mental health services and marginalized youth during the transition to adulthood. Her work examines major barriers to treatment, such as access, stigma, and health decision-making among youth of color, youth from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and LGBTQ youth. Her research aims to develop an in-depth understanding of the complicated processes by which young people's identities shape their participation in mental health care and to apply those insights to improving service use through a culturally-responsive intervention.
In 2023, Dr. Moore was awarded a four-year, nearly $740,000 grant by the National Institute of Mental Health that will enable her to adapt and test a mental health services engagement program to retain that underserved population in treatment. As the first K23 Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award received by an NYU Silver faculty member, the grant also provides support for training and mentorship to advance Dr. Moore’s goal of becoming an independent investigator focused on improving mental health services for underserved youth during the transition to adulthood.
Prior to being appointed an Assistant Professor, Dr. Moore was a Faculty Fellow in the NYU Provost's Postdoctoral Program. Previously, she was a psychiatric social worker for Los Angeles County in community-based, crisis, and forensic settings and a private psychotherapist for youth and adults.
Dr. Moore earned her PhD from Columbia University, her MSW from the University of Southern California, and her BA from Pitzer College.
Publications
Choice Matters: The Moderating Effect of Choice on the Relationship Between Mental Health Personal Recovery and Symptomatology
Shimizu, R., Bessaha, M., Moore, K., Ben-David, S., Rodwin, A. H. & Munson, M. R., Feb 2025,
In : Journal of Adolescent Health. 76, 2, p. 238-245
8 p.
A Mixed Methods Study of Ethnic Identity and Mental Health Recovery Processes in Minoritized Young Adults
Moore, K. L., Rodwin, A. H., Shimizu, R. & Munson, M. R., Oct 2024,
In : Healthcare (Switzerland). 12, 20, 2063.
Perspectives on the Implementation and Collaborative Facilitation of an Intervention to Engage Young Adults in Psychiatric Rehabilitation
Rodwin, A. H., Moore, K., Baslock, D., Shimizu, R. & Munson, M. R., Nov 2 2023,
In : Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal. 47, 2, p. 142-149
8 p.
Employment of trauma informed principles in the Palabras Fuertes project: Implications for narrative research with older Latinx communities
Camacho, D., Bhattacharya, A., Moore, K., Aranda, M. P. & Lukens, E. P., Nov 2023,
In : Methodological Innovations. 16, 3, p. 359-373
15 p.
Stigma Among Historically Marginalized Young Adults With Serious Mental Illnesses: A Mixed Methods Study
Rodwin, A. H., Shimizu, R., Banya, M., Moore, K., Bessaha, M., Pahwa, R., Yanos, P. T. & Munson, M. R., Apr 20 2023,
In : Stigma and Health. 10, 1, p. 50-62
13 p.
Ethnic Identity and Mechanisms of Mental Health Service Engagement Among Young Adults with Serious Mental Illnesses
Moore, K. L., Munson, M. R. & Jaccard, J., 2023,
In : Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities..
Impact of a brief intervention to improve engagement in a recovery program for young adults with serious mental illness
Munson, M. R., Jaccard, J. J., Moore, K. L., Rodwin, A. H., Shimizu, R., Cole, A. R., Scott, L. D., Narendorf, S. C., Davis, M., Gilmer, T. & Stanhope, V., Dec 2022,
In : Schizophrenia Research. 250, p. 104-111
8 p.
Older immigrant Latino gay men and childhood sexual abuse: Findings from the Palabras Fuertes project
Camacho, D., Rodriguez, C. V., Moore, K. L. & Lukens, E. P., Sep 2022,
In : Qualitative Social Work. 21, 5, p. 932-955
24 p.
Ethnic Identity, Stress, and Personal Recovery Outcomes Among Young Adults With Serious Mental Health Conditions
Moore, K., Munson, M. R., Shimizu, R. & Rodwin, A. H., Apr 14 2022,
In : Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal. 45, 4, p. 314-323
10 p.
Outcomes of a Metaintervention to Improve Treatment Engagement Among Young Adults With Serious Mental Illnesses: Application of a Pilot Randomized Explanatory Design
Munson, M. R., Jaccard, J., Scott, L. D., Moore, K. L., Narendorf, S. C., Cole, A. R., Shimizu, R., Rodwin, A. H., Jenefsky, N., Davis, M. & Gilmer, T., Nov 2021,
In : Journal of Adolescent Health. 69, 5, p. 790-796
7 p.
Tech Connect: An Intervention to Promote Treatment Engagement for Adolescents with Depression
Gearing, R. E., Attia-Guetta, R., Moore, K., Gorroochurn, P., Olson, L. & Malekoff, A., Jul 2021,
In : Community mental health journal. 57, 5, p. 880-883
4 p.
A Mixed-Methods Study of Social Identities in Mental Health Care Among LGBTQ Young Adults of Color
Moore, K., Camacho, D. & Spencer-Suarez, K. N., 2021,
In : American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. 91, 6, p. 724-737
14 p.
Engagement intervention versus treatment as usual for young adults with serious mental illness: A randomized pilot trial
Munson, M. R., Jaccard, J. J., Scott, L. D., Narendorf, S. C., Moore, K. L., Jenefsky, N., Cole, A., Davis, M., Gilmer, T., Shimizu, R., Pleines, K., Cooper, K., Rodwin, A. H., Hylek, L. & Amaro, A., Jul 23 2020,
In : Pilot and Feasibility Studies. 6, 1, 107.
A qualitative investigation of engagement in mental health services among black and Hispanic LGB young adults
Moore, K. L., Lopez, L., Camacho, D. & Munson, M. R., Jun 2020,
In : Psychiatric Services. 71, 6, p. 555-561
7 p.
Identity negotiation processes among Black and Latinx sexual minority young adult mental health service users
Moore, K. L., Camacho, D. & Munson, M. R., Jan 2 2020,
In : Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services. 32, 1, p. 21-48
28 p.
Mental health recovery: Peer specialists with mental health and incarceration experiences
Barrenger, S. L., Maurer, K., Moore, K. L. & Hong, I., 2020,
In : American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. 90, 4, p. 479-488
10 p.
Mental Health Service Engagement Among Underserved Minority Adolescents and Young Adults: a Systematic Review
Moore, K. L., Oct 1 2018,
In : Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. 5, 5, p. 1063-1076
14 p.
First-episode psychosis: Ongoing mental health service utilization during the stable period for adolescents
Gearing, R. E., Brewer, K. B., Mian, I., Moore, K., Fisher, P., Hamilton, J. & Mandiberg, J., Aug 2018,
In : Early Intervention in Psychiatry. 12, 4, p. 677-685
9 p.
Living liminal: Reflexive epistemological positioning at the intersection of marginalized identities
Moore, K., Sep 1 2016,
In : Qualitative Social Work. 15, 5-6, p. 715-726
12 p.
Tech Connect: An innovative pilot intervention to improve treatment adherence for adolescents with mood disorders
Gearing, R.E., Moore, K. L. & Guetta, R., 2016,
In : European Psychiatry. 33, S349.
Integrated practice skills, tools, and approaches
Thorning, H. & Moore, K. L., 2015.
Moving recovery to practice: Integrating primary care and behavioral health to promote wellness.
Latta, R., Paquette, K., Davis, L. & Sember, R. (eds.).Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Featured Research Projects
Adapting and Testing A Mental Health Services Engagement Program for Racial and Ethnic Minority Young Adults
Racial and ethnic minority young adults in the U.S. with serious mental illness face an increased risk of having their treatment end prematurely. To help address this problem, the National Institute of Mental Health awarded Dr. Moore a four-year grant of nearly $740,000. It will enable her to adapt and test a mental health services engagement program to retain that underserved population in treatment.
As the first K23 Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award received by an NYU Silver faculty member, the grant also provides support for training and mentorship to advance Dr. Moore’s goal of becoming an independent investigator focused on improving mental health services for underserved youth during the transition to adulthood.
A Strengths-Based, Intersectional Approach to Suicide Prevention Among Black Sexual and Gender Minority Youth
Black sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth have higher rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors than White SGM youth and Black heterosexual youth whose gender identity corresponds to the sex they were assigned at birth. However, very little research has examined racial, sexual, and gender identities as they co-occur and intersect to result in experiences producing suicide risk. There is also very limited understanding of individual and community-level characteristics specific to Black SGM that act as buffers against suicide risk. Dr. Moore is a co-investigator on this National Institute of Mental Health R01 research project, which aims to fill that gap. Drs. Lindsay Taliaferro (University of Central Florida), Stephanie Cook (NYU School of Global Public Health) and Jennifer Muehlenkamp (University of Wisconsin Eau Claire) are Principal Investigators on the project.
Selected Presentations
Moore, K.L. (2017, January). Intersecting minority identities in LGBT, Black and Hispanic young adult service users: Aspects of identity and accessing services. 21st Annual Society for Social Work and Research Conference. New Orleans, LA.
Moore, K.L. (2016, May). In search of epistemologies: Reflexive epistemological positioning at the intersection of marginalized identities. International Congress on Qualitative Inquiry. Urbana, Il.
Kimberly, L., Zhao, R., & Moore, K. (2015, January). Socio-demographic factors and older adult health in China and India: What can we learn from self-reported measures? Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference: The Social and Behavioral Importance of Increased Longevity. New Orleans, LA.
Gearing, R.E., Attia-Guetta, R., & Moore, K.L. (2014, September).Tech connect program: An innovative intervention to improve treatment adherence for adolescents with mood disorders. The 16th World Congress of Psychiatry. Madrid, Spain.