Ezra H. Griffith, MD, professor emeritus of psychiatry and of African-American studies at Yale, recently delivered lectures at three University of Rochester events—two as the annual Charles E. Steinberg Visiting Professor in Psychiatry and the Law, and the third as a public lecture on diversity for the University of Rochester community.
Dr. Griffith is deputy chair for diversity and organizational ethics and senior research scientist in the Yale Department of Psychiatry.
On Thursday, September 20th, Dr. Griffith presented the twenty-sixth Steinberg lecture, entitled "Performative Narrative and Forensic Psychiatry Reporting," highlighting two key practice elements—the use of performative narrative in forensic psychiatry reports and the oral presentation of written findings in an adversarial context, for example, in a courtroom.
The Steinberg lecture series was created in 1988 in recognition of Charles E. Steinberg's outstanding contributions to the field of psychiatry and the law. Invited lecturers have included prominent doctors, lawyers and judges.
The evening before the Steinberg lecture, Dr. Griffith gave the keynote address at a dinner with guests that included Steinberg's surviving spouse and J. Richard Ciccone, MD, professor of psychiatry and director of the Psychiatry and Law Program at the University of Rochester.
In addition, Dr. Griffith presented a special diversity lecture on personal storytelling and the concept of belonging as it relates to the interactions between dominant and non-dominant groups. At the diversity lecture, Dr. Griffith was introduced by University President, Joel Seligman, JD. President Seligman has identified diversity and inclusiveness as an institutional priority.
Dr. Griffith has served as president of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (1996-1997) and president of the American Orthopsychiatric Association (1997-1998). Since 1999, he has been editor of the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law.
The American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law honored Dr. Griffith in 2005 with its Seymour Pollack Award and in 2011 with its Golden Apple Award. In 2010, he received the American Psychiatric Association's Isaac Ray Award for his distinguished achievements in forensic psychiatry. He is a former Director of the Connecticut Mental Health Center.
Dr. Griffith received his MD from the University of Strasbourg, France. He completed his psychiatry residency at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and joined the Yale Department of Psychiatry in 1977.