Born in Georgetown, Guyana (South America) where he received his formative years of education, Dr. Griffith moved to England where he attended college prior to attending the University of Sheffield where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. He was awarded a Ph.D., from the esteemed University of London, Institute of Psychiatry. He received a post-graduate scholarship from the British Medical Research Council and completed a three-year fellowship at St. George’s Hospital Medical School before moving to the United States.

He commenced his career at Kedren in 1981 and started to deliver services to outpatient clients. He was also instrumental in the reorganization of the system by working with the then CEO to bring more qualified clinicians into the system as people were presenting with very severe mental health problems. In 1985, he was promoted to Chief Operations Officer, Mental Health Services, until 2002 when he became the President and CEO.

During his tenure with the agency, many changes took place as there was a myriad of social, environmental, economic, and familial circumstances that needed to be addressed with clients and families residing in Service Area 6 of the Second Supervisorial District. As part of the evolutionary process, Dr. Griffith was instrumental in bringing Mental Health to Primary Care in 2013, and in 2014 Kedren Community Care Clinic was designated as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) funded by the Federal Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA).

Currently, Kedren is developing collaborative partnerships with primary healthcare providers, physicians, pediatricians, dieticians, and other practitioners, to offer educational, wellness, and recovery services. This endeavor is part of Kedren’s mission to provide medical and behavioral health services to underserved and uninsured persons in South Los Angeles. Through Dr. Griffith’s continuing leadership, in July 2017 Kedren and Charles Drew University signed an affiliated agreement for an academic and community health collaboration with Residents enrolled in the Graduate Medical Education Program and were interested to serve under-served urban communities. As part of the Drew/ Kedren Affiliation Agreement, medical students from UCLA also receive training at Kedren for the Clerkship Rotation.

Dr. Griffiths’ ongoing plans for the growth and development of Kedren include integrating programs that focus on early intervention and prevention, serving children, adolescents, adults, and older adults, with a strengths-based, family-focused model to enrich the lives of those we serve, planting the seeds of physical, social, emotional, and cognitive growth, and overall wellness.

Currently, the organization is planning on expanding both the children, adolescents, adults, and older adults services in the establishment of a Medical Home for those who are receiving care through a collaborative delivery system.