Dr. Manda Griffin Named Vice Chair of Board of Mental Health

Dr. Manda Griffin of Houlka has been named the Vice Chair of the Board of Mental Health for the year beginning July 1, 2017.

Dr. Griffin has extensive experience in the medical field. She is a registered respiratory therapist, a licensed social worker, and a board certified family nurse practitioner. She received her bachelor’s degree from Mississippi University for Women and her master’s degree from Alcorn State University. She also has a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Maryville University.

She has worked with several hospitals in north Mississippi, as well as with GSV Care Medical Clinic in Houlka, a family medical clinic that provides health care to pediatric, adult, and older patients. Dr. Griffin was appointed to serve as a lay representative for the Second Congressional District, and she also serves on the board’s Patient Care Subcommittee.

“Dr. Griffin has years of experience in a range of medical fields. Her knowledge in those areas, as well as her social work background, will provide leadership that will benefit the people served by the state’s mental health system,” said Diana Mikula, Executive Director of the Department of Mental Health.

The Board of Mental Health is composed of nine members appointed by the Governor of Mississippi and confirmed by the State Senate. Members’ terms are staggered to ensure continuity of quality care and professional oversight of services. By statute, the nine-member board is composed of a physician, a psychiatrist, a clinical psychologist, a social worker with experience in the field of mental health, and one citizen representative from each of Mississippi’s five congressional districts (as existed in 1974).