In Remembrance of Henry C. Weinstein, M.D.

Henry C. Weinstein, M.D. (May 3, 1934- May 17, 2022) was an APA and NYCPS Distinguished Life Fellow Member, but most importantly, he was a friend, mentor, colleague, and inspiration to many. He leaves behind his wife, three children, and six grandchildren. He will be greatly missed by NYCPS and so many of those who knew him through his work in psychiatry. 


NYCPS and the Forensic Psychiatry Committee recognizes Dr. Henry Weinstein who died in May 2022. Dr. Weinstein was a long time NYCPS Executive Council member active in numerous national and local committees, including years of service as NYCPS Ethics Chair, APA Assembly Representative, Government Relations Committee Member, and the original and founding editor of the NYCPS newsletter. He was former director of the NYU Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship and Bellevue Hospital Forensic Psychiatry. He was passionate about mental health of the incarcerated, ethics of the profession, and teaching the next generation.

Henry was a beloved mentor of mine through the NYU forensic fellowship program and NYCPS. I treasure the fun Friday fellowship morning seminars with him over coffee; learning about forensic psychiatry by not just reading a textbook but sharing stories and jokes and reading classic books such as the Art of War.  He truly enjoyed his work and teaching after all these years, which was encouraging and inspiring to see as a young psychiatrist. While I was a new attending, Henry encouraged me to become actively engaged in the NYCPS, particularly its newly resumed Forensic Committee, one of the many NYCPS Committees that he had created and led. For graduation, he made stickers for our fellowship class, stating “Live in the Momentum,” which exemplified Henry’s enthusiasm about life and psychiatry.

The Forensic Committee will remember Dr. Weinstein and his legacy at NYCPS at our upcoming Fall 2022 event, Hot Topics in Forensic Psychiatry.

Danielle Kushner, M.D.
NYCPS Immediate Past President


I’ve known Henry for decades having worked with him at the District Branch on ethics matters and in the Assembly. He was always available for a phone call and always gave reliably solid information for leadership. He was a quiet activist, thoughtful about the confluence of mental health and the law, the overlapping of law, medicine, and psychology. He was an early prescient advocate in psychiatry, especially concerned about people with mental illness incarcerated in prison. A compassionate and wise clinician, teacher, and writer, he will be sorely missed. 

Vivian Pender, M.D., DLFAPA
APA Immediate Past President


Henry was a brilliant psychiatrist and a talented teacher. As a resident I was lucky to have him as my supervisor and learned so much about caring for our patients as well as life lessons! I also enjoyed many years with him as a colleague in the APA Assembly and had the chance to share many policy discussions and appreciate the impact he had on our profession. He will be missed.

Ann Marie T. Sullivan, M.D., DLFAPA
Commission, Office of Mental Health


Henry was consistently an amazing mentor and teacher. He was welcoming to all and had great charm and wit. He was an encyclopedia of knowledge about Psychiatry and forensics. He had a kind and gentle side to him that was engaging. He will be remembered and greatly missed by the NYC Psychiatric community.

Gabrielle Shapiro, M.D., DFAACAP, DFAPA


Henry was one of the first members I met when I came to work for NYCPS, one of the first to invite me to his office, and the first to insist I call him by his first name or else he’d only refer to me as counselor. Over the years Henry became my go-to resource for the history of the District Branch. He talked a lot about the importance of institutional memory and around our Council table he truly was our institutional memory. He was also our source of well-timed comic relief with a special twinkle in his eye whenever he was about to go for a joke. Henry has been greatly missed at Council since his retirement a few years ago, but his memory lives on through the many contributions he made to the Society and the many friends he made along the way. Condolences and thanks go out to Henry’s family for sharing him with us for so many Monday nights.

Meagan O’Toole, J.D., CAE
NYCPS Executive Director