In recognition of his schizophrenia research to improve the effectiveness of community mental health rehabilitation, John Brekke, the Frances G. Larson Professor of Social Work Research at the USC School of Social Work, received the 2006 Insight Award at PORTALS' 50th Anniversary Golden Bell Awards Gala held in May at the Skirball Cultural Center.

PORTALS, a nationally recognized community-based mental health rehabilitation agency in Los Angeles, hosted the event - coinciding with Mental Health Month - to celebrate five decades of mental health service success and honor individuals who have aided in turning lives around. PORTALS, which progressed over the years from a single transitional housing facility to a comprehensive recovery and wellness center of rehabilitation for those suffering from mental illness, has successfully rehabilitated more than 25,000 people since its inception.

The agency established the Insight Award to honor artistic endeavors or individuals who provide education and awareness of mental illness and those who suffer from it. Brekke was selected as a recipient to acknowledge his 20-year partnership with PORTALS in providing mental illness research results to its recovery and wellness programs.

Brekke currently is working with PORTALS on a $3-million, multi-year grant funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to expedite "research to practice" efforts. Together, they plan to build a shared research infrastructure, assess the effectiveness of evidence-based practices applied to agency settings and provide study discoveries to consumers and service providers administering programs in community rehabilitation settings.

He began working with PORTALS in 1989 when they investigated how the agency's psychosocial rehabilitation model for service delivery affected its members with schizophrenia. Three NIMH grant-funded projects later, the ongoing collaboration has produced more than 30 scientific publications.