Deborah Moon

Assistant Professor

Dr. Deborah Moon is an assistant professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research focuses on understanding factors associated with the successful dissemination and implementation of evidence-informed behavioral interventions in integrated healthcare settings for the prevention of adverse childhood experiences and mental health promotion. Dr. Moon’s studies are informed by health systems/services research, dissemination & implementation (D&I) science, and community-engaged research. Dr. Moon received a bachelor's degree in Life Science from Handong Global University in South Korea. She earned a master's degree in Music Therapy from New York University and in Social Work from the University of Maryland with a mental health specialization. Dr. Moon completed her Ph.D. in Social Welfare at the University of Kansas.

Research Interests

Children and families
Integrated health
Implementation science
Behavioral Health & Trauma
Maltreatment Prevention
Community Engaged Research

Accepting Graduate Students: Yes

Looking for students who are interested in translational and implementation science research in the area of child and family mental health, child welfare, school-based interventions designed to promote youth well-being.

Current Research Projects

Family Success Network: Community-Based Maltreatment Prevention, Department of Job and Family Services, Ohio Children’s Trust Fund Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau
The CHURCH Project: Congregations as Healers Uniting to Restore Community Health, Practice Innovation Opportunity Grant, Center for Interventions to Enhance Community Health (CiTECH) & Center of Race and Social Problems (CRSP), University of Pittsburgh
The CHURCH Music Project, Year of Engagement Award, Office of the Provost, University of Pittsburgh

Representative Publications

Moon, D. J., Lauer, S., & Unell, B. (2021). Behavior Checker® staff training for positive parenting in primary care: Changes in the knowledge, attitudes, and confidence. Journal of Child and Family Studies. 30(4), 932-940. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-021-01917-3

Moon, D. J., & Ballard, A. (2020) The comprehensive framework for integrated healthcare implementation: A realist evaluation of positive parenting in rural primary care in the U.S. Journal of Integrated Care. Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JICA-06-2020-0039

Moon, D. J., Damman, J.L., & Romero, A. (2020). The effects of primary care-based parenting interventions on parenting and child behavioral outcomes: A systematic review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 21(4), 706-724. doi: 10.1177/1524838018774424

Moon, D. J., Williford, A. & Mendenhall, A. (2017). Educators' perceptions of youth mental health: Implications for training and the promotion of mental health services in schools. Children and Youth Services Review, 73, 384-391.

Frauenholtz, S. I., Mendenhall, A., & Moon, D. J., (2017). The role of school employees' mental health knowledge in interdisciplinary collaborations to support the academic success of students experiencing mental health distress. Children & Schools, 39(2), 71-79.