Our History
LifeWorks NW was originally established in 1961 as the Tualatin Valley Child Guidance Center when a group of concerned citizens became aware of the lack of mental health services for children in Washington County. Legend has it the idea took shape on the ski slopes of Mount Hood, when a prominent local psychiatrist, Dr. Ralph Crawshaw, and Jack Murdock, then CEO of Tektronix, set out to fill the gap in community services.
Responding to evolving local needs, we continued to grow. By 1977, we had added alcohol treatment and services for both adults and older adults, and changed our name to Tualatin Valley Mental Health Center to reflect our expanded focus on the whole family.
By 1995, we shortened our name to Tualatin Valley Centers. We again merged in 1997, joining forces with Mainstream Youth Program, the area’s largest provider of youth alcohol and drug services, which allowed us to expand our services into Multnomah County.
Into the 21st century, we’ve continued to grow and expand our ability to serve more members of our community. In 2002, we joined with Center for Community Mental Health, and in 2004 welcomed Project Network—a powerful recovery program focusing on pregnant, addicted African American women and their children—into our family of programs.
In 2004, we became LifeWorks NW—a fresh name to better reflect the positive outcomes and wider geographic spread of our services.