Dr. Kimberly Miller-Griffin, a psychologist and long-time Bronzeville resident, has been leading efforts to establish a new mental health facility for the Chicago South Side neighborhood after years of public clinic shutdowns. First approached by community organizer Robert Gannett in summer 2020 to help establish a mental health center, she was later appointed as president of the Bronzeville Expanded Mental Health Service Program Governing Commission, which was created through a successful November 2020 referendum vote with 89% community support for a property tax increase under Illinois’s Community Mental Health Services Act.
The Collective Mental Health Center
The Commission’s flagship project, the Collective Mental Health Center, is scheduled to open in mid to late 2026. Located on 47th Street in a former jazz club, the 7,000-square-foot space is designed with a fireplace and natural elements to serve the community. Miller-Griffin described the vision: “We do not want another mom-and-pop community center. We want to bring innovative changes in mental health in this center. We want the person to feel exactly how they feel walking into that new Northwestern Medical Bronzeville center.”
Career and Community Focus
Miller-Griffin’s commitment to mental health advocacy stems from early career experiences working with vulnerable youth. While serving with a program called “GPS for Kids,” designed for students at risk of expulsion, she witnessed a mother publicly scolding her son, realizing that both the teen and parent needed support. She stated at that moment: “This is where I belong. My passion is with children. We get a second chance when we work ahead, as opposed to working with adults.” Over the years, she has worked with teenagers navigating under-resourced schools and limited opportunities for work and personal development, later teaching at Gary Comer College Prep and continuing efforts to interrupt what she calls the “generational curse” in the community by providing mental health and personal development resources.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://southsideweekly.com/this-is-where-i-belong/