UofM Graduate School Advisory Board Member: Dr. Tracey Davis Moore

Over the last twenty-five years, Dr. Davis Moore has distinguished herself as an impassioned and dedicated trailblazer within the arena of social work. Discovering her calling in mental health over two decades ago, Dr. Davis Moore has remained steadfast in her commitment to enhancing the delivery of care for this particularly vulnerable demographic. Beginning with her involvement in the deinstitutionalization of hospitals and extending to her exploration of incorporating occupational therapy interventions into inpatient psychiatric acute care, she firmly believes that prioritizing patients should be the fundamental duty of all leaders.

Currently serving as the Assistant Superintendent of Quality at Memphis Mental Health Institute (MMHI), Dr. Davis Moore has also contributed as an adjunct instructor at both The University of Memphis and Monmouth College in New Jersey. Advocating for the removal of barriers and the elimination of excuses, her leadership at MMHI's Quality department has successfully spearheaded quality improvement initiatives. These efforts resulted in the institution receiving one of the lowest Joint Commission findings in their recent onsite survey during and post the pandemic era. Moreover, a 63% reduction in the hospital's seclusion and restraint rates over three years is attributed to the ongoing quality improvement endeavors.

Dr. Davis Moore authored a Sensory Room Proposal that established a partnership with the University of Tennessee's Master’s in Occupational Therapy Program, designating MMHI as the psychiatric training site for their students. In addition, Dr. Davis Moore has broadened internship opportunities at MMHI, including Health Information Management, and collaborated with Tennessee State University to be a training site for their HIM students. Her ultimate goal is to elevate Memphis Mental Health Institute as a premier State Facility for the innovative treatment of mental illness within acute psychiatric hospitals.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Dr. Davis Moore is the proud mother of a talented 18-year-old son with exceptional academic and athletic skills. Celebrating twenty years of marriage to the other Dr. Moore, she finds joy in traveling, reading, cooking, and spending quality time with family and friends. 

Dr. Davis Moore holds a Bachelor's in Psychology and a Master's in Social Work from Rutgers University, and recently earned her Doctorate in Social Work from The University of Memphis. Her vista on leadership emphasizes “training people well enough so they can leave and treating them well enough so they don’t want to go anywhere else.”