Presley Gerber Died at Recovery Residence Run by Psychologist Whose License Was Once Denied

Dr. Reza Nabavi, the founder and owner of the Santa Monica recovery residence where Presley Gerber died, previously had his application to register as a psychologist denied because of convictions and other issues stemming from his criminal history, according to official records reviewed by Page Six.

Nabavi, now 50, was arrested twice in California in 2002, two years before receiving his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology.

The records show that his past involved controlled substances, a teenage girl and later disciplinary action by the California Board of Psychology.

Nabavi was arrested twice in 2002

In February 2002, when Nabavi was 25, Oakland Police Department officers reportedly found him asleep inside a car in an area described as having “frequent narcotic and prostitution activity.”

A 15-year-old girl was also inside the vehicle. According to official documents, she told officers she did not know Nabavi very well and was under the influence of methamphetamine.

Police searched the vehicle and reported finding methamphetamine, marijuana, a hunting knife, a handgun and ammunition.

In May 2002, Nabavi pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance. He was sentenced to 36 months of probation.

Later that same month, he was arrested again after allegedly agreeing to sell methamphetamine to an informant. Officers said a search found meth, a glass meth pipe and marijuana.

Nabavi again pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor controlled-substance possession charge in June 2002 and received another 36-month probation sentence.

His psychology application was initially denied

In September 2004, Nabavi applied to the California Board of Psychology for registration as a psychologist.

According to official documents, the application was denied later that month. The reasons listed included a criminal conviction, a conviction considered substantially related to the qualifications and practice of a psychologist, controlled-substance use and unprofessional conduct.

Nabavi later pursued registration as a psychological assistant.

In January 2006, he was able to register in that capacity. The following month, however, the California Board of Psychology revoked the registration, with the revocation “stayed.” Under that arrangement, the revocation would not take effect as long as Nabavi complied with specified probationary conditions for five years.

Those conditions included undergoing a psychological evaluation, informing his employer about his probation, receiving weekly supervision from a California-licensed psychologist and entering a drug and alcohol abuse recovery program.

He was also required to remain in treatment and submit to random drug and alcohol testing.

After another denial in May 2005, Nabavi ultimately registered as a psychologist in December 2006 after complying with the terms of his probation.

The California Board of Psychology granted him an early termination of probation in May 2008. The board currently lists his psychology license as expiring June 30, 2028.

From Promises Malibu to Resolutions Living

Nabavi went on to work in the addiction-treatment field.

From June 2006 through May 2011, he served as director of family services at Promises Malibu, a rehabilitation center that has since closed.

In August 2013, he opened Resolutions Living (RL), a halfway house in Santa Monica, California.

Nabavi is the founder and owner of RL and also serves as founder and executive director of Resolutions Therapeutic Services (RTS), a clinical outpatient treatment provider.

RTS says it offers partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient and outpatient programs. Its operations are based in an office building in Santa Monica, while participants are encouraged to continue their recovery at RL.

That Santa Monica residence is where 27-year-old Presley Gerber died on Sunday.

The facility was not licensed as a residential treatment center

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has not released Gerber’s cause of death, but listed his place of death as a “rehabilitation facility.”

RL is a $7.7 million, three-story home in a residential neighborhood described as “prestigious,” with views of the surrounding mountains and ocean.

However, the California Department of Health Care Services said RL is not a licensed substance use disorder residential treatment facility.

A DHCS representative told Page Six that, based on publicly available information, the program appeared to operate as a sober living environment or recovery residence. Such residences are not licensed by DHCS and therefore are not subject to the state’s residential-treatment-facility licensing requirements.

The facility’s website also appeared to change substantially in the days following Gerber’s death. Much of its previous wording was updated, while the entire staff page was removed.

Gerber had entered RL one day before his death

Page Six previously reported that Gerber, who had a documented history of substance abuse, addiction and mental health issues, was admitted to RL on Saturday.

He died the following day.

Sources with direct knowledge told Page Six that Gerber appeared to be “visibly under the influence” when he arrived at the residence.

RL’s former FAQ page stated that people who did not have enough time sober to participate in its outpatient programs could be referred elsewhere for the detoxification stage, where they would receive medical supervision and 24-hour nursing care.

It remains unclear whether Gerber underwent a medical or psychological evaluation when he was admitted to RL.

Representatives for Nabavi, Resolutions Living and the Gerber-Crawford family did not immediately respond to Page Six’s requests for comment.

The circumstances surrounding Gerber’s death and the precise cause remain under investigation, while official records provide a detailed history of the psychologist who operated the recovery residence where the 27-year-old model died.