For thirty-seven years, Marv Weinstein served as President and CEO of Portals, Los Angeles’ pre-eminent mental health services organization with a focus on psychosocial rehabilitation, and helped shape and define the region’s mental health rehabilitation system.  His distinguished career can be best characterized as finding pathways of opportunity that enable individuals with psychiatric disabilities to live productive, fulfilling lives as part of – not separate from – mainstream society. 

 

Born and raised in Chicago, Marv joined the Air Force following high school and served a tour during the Korean War.  After his military service, Marv decided to pursue a career in social work.  He attended the University of Wisconsin, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Sociology and Psychology in 1955, and a Masters of Social Work in 1957. 

 

Marv’s talent for starting new and innovative programs surfaced when he relocated to Los Angeles and became director of Volunteer Big Brother Services of the Jewish Big Brother Association of Los Angeles County in 1961. 

 

In 1965, Marv joined Portals and, through his leadership, transformed it from a fledgling, half-way house into a multi-program, multi-location organization which served as many as 1,200 members each month.  As the first “clubhouse” west of the Mississippi based on the psychosocial approach, Marv launched numerous Portals programs and services pioneering new pathways that would touch the lives of over 20,000 Portals members over his career.

 

In the 1970’s, Portals’ focus of service encompassed vocational training programs.  By the end of the decade, Marv renewed Portals’ commitment to transitional residential housing programs. 

 

In the 1980’s, Marv continued to break new ground by founding the “Double Trudgers” program for people with dual diagnosis of substance abuse and mental illness.  He also pioneered the concept of social enterprise in mental health rehabilitation by founding the Corporate Cookie (a business modeled after Mrs. Fields), which offered real-life work training for Portals members.  The Corporate Cookie was located in Los Angeles’ Miracle Mile District and was even mentioned in a book written by television legend Steve Allen, who was a longtime supporter of Portals.

 

In the 1990’s, Portals joined forces with A Community of Friends (ACOF) to open Orbison House, Berendo Apartments and 39 West, three of southern California’s first long-term affordable housing facilities.  Among Marv’s other accomplishments during this decade included:  the expansion of Portals’ Community Connections Clubhouse, the opening of the Twin Peaks Dual-Diagnosis Residential Program and the launch of Workforce Unlimited.

 

Marv retired from Portals in December of 2001, but continued to be actively involved with the organization.  On the occasion of Portals’ 50^th Anniversary Golden Bell Awards Gala on May 18, 2006, Marv received the prestigious Steve Allen Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his many years of service to Portals and the mental health community.  In presenting him with the award, Jayne Meadows Allen, widow of Steve Allen, commented:

 

“This is a very special night for me and I hope I can hold back my tears. It is my special pleasure to present an award near and dear to my heart – the Steve Allen Lifetime Achievement Award. And tonight’s presentation is particularly heartening to me because, with the award, we will honor a man we all know very well. He is one of Portals’ Icons – the respected chief executive for more than 37 years – Marv Weinstein.

 

Ms. Meadows continued:

 

“During Marv’s tenure at Portals, he helped to turn around the lives of thousands of individuals who came to the agency for compassionate care and services.”

 

In remembering Marv Weinstein, Jim Balla, successor President and CEO at Portals and current Executive Vice President and COO of Pacific Clinics, said: 

 

“Marv was one of a handful of pioneers who focused on rehabilitating the whole person, not just their mental illness.”

 

For the last two years, Marv Weinstein’s family and friends – led by his daughters, Karen and Judy – raised nearly $70,000 to honor Portals’ former President and CEO and at the same time, to support the renovation of the agency’s Recovery and Wellness Center in South Los Angeles.

On March 29, 2011, the Marvin Weinstein Memorial Courtyard was unveiled at the dedication of the S. Mark Taper Foundation Recovery and Wellness Center. 

Although the renovation project’s capital campaign is now complete, we still invite you to make a donation in memory of Marv to support enhanced services at the new Taper Center.  To make a gift, please use the  Donate Now button. 

If you have questions/comments or would like to connect with Karen and/or Judy Weinstein, please contact Ivan Rodriguez at (626) 254-5076  or irodriguez@pacificclinics.org