BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Clinica Sierra Vista is preparing to open a new behavioral health center in southwest Bakersfield on Monday, Aug. 3, as part of an effort to bring mental health services closer to Kern County residents.
Stockdale Behavioral Health Services, located at 5121 Stockdale Highway, Suite 275, is accepting new patients, according to the health organization. The center will serve residents in southwest Bakersfield and nearby communities, including the 93309, 93312 and 93314 ZIP codes. The location and telephone number are also listed on Clinica Sierra Vista’s official website.
The facility is expected to offer mental health assessments, individual and group therapy, family therapy, psychiatric care, medication management, case management and referrals to community resources. Clinica Sierra Vista says it accepts most insurance plans, including Medi-Cal, Medicare and Covered California, and serves uninsured patients regardless of their ability to pay.
“Too many families in Kern County wait longer than they should to get the mental health support they need,” Marisa Trebizo, Clinica Sierra Vista’s senior director of behavioral health, said in the organization’s announcement.
The Stockdale center will operate under a contract with Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services. Kern County previously identified the Stockdale address as a Clinica Sierra Vista screening and assessment location within its expanded behavioral health provider network.
Clinica Sierra Vista also plans to open Belle Terrace Behavioral Health Services on Tuesday, Sept. 1, at the Kern County Community Services Center, 1600 E. Belle Terrace Ave. The east Bakersfield location is expected to provide similar psychiatric, counseling, case management and referral services.
The expansion comes as California implements Proposition 1, the behavioral health measure approved by voters in March 2024. The measure changes how behavioral health programs are funded and includes a $6.4 billion bond intended to expand treatment facilities and supportive housing.
Access to treatment remains a statewide concern. An analysis based on the 2021 California Health Interview Survey found that only about one-third of California adults with mental health conditions reported receiving treatment, counseling or prescription medication.
Stockdale Behavioral Health Services will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday. Residents seeking services may call 661-248-5239.