Clinica Sierra Vista is expanding behavioral health services in Bakersfield with a new clinic on Stockdale Highway and a second location scheduled to open on Belle Terrace Avenue in September.

On August 3, Clinica Sierra Vista announced the opening of Stockdale Behavioral Health Services, located at 5121 Stockdale Highway, Suite 275. The clinic is accepting new patients and is intended to serve residents in the 93309, 93312 and 93314 ZIP codes, including southwest Bakersfield and nearby communities.

A second clinic, Belle Terrace Behavioral Health Services, is scheduled to open September 1 inside the Kern County Community Services Center at 1600 E. Belle Terrace Ave. That location will offer similar services to residents on Bakersfield’s east side.

Both clinics are being operated through a contract between Clinica Sierra Vista and Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, the county department responsible for administering behavioral health funding and services.

The expansion comes as demand for mental health treatment continues to exceed access to care in many California communities, particularly among Medi-Cal patients. The press release cited an analysis of the 2021 California Health Interview Survey that found only about one-third of California adults with a mental health condition reported receiving treatment, counseling or medication.

“Too many families in Kern County wait longer than they should to get the mental health support they need,” said Marisa Trebizo, senior director of behavioral health at Clinica Sierra Vista. “Expanding access through the Stockdale Behavioral Health Services means more of our neighbors can walk into a clinic close to home and start receiving care right away, without having to travel across town or wait on a long waitlist.”

Services available at the Stockdale clinic may include assessments, individual and group therapy, family therapy, psychiatric care, medication management, coping and recovery services, and referrals to community resources. The clinic will also provide diagnostic and patient advocacy services.

Its care team includes a psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse practitioner, clinical manager, and several therapists.

The Stockdale location will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday.

The clinic accepts most insurance plans, including Medi-Cal, Medicare and Covered California. Uninsured patients may also receive services, and Clinica Sierra Vista said patients will not be turned away because they are unable to pay.

Patients can access services by calling 661-248-5239 or visiting a Clinica Sierra Vista behavioral health location.

The Stockdale and Belle Terrace openings are part of a broader effort by Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services to increase the number of community organizations providing behavioral health care under county contracts.

The expansion follows the passage of Proposition 1 in March 2024. The statewide measure, also known as Behavioral Health Transformation, changed how counties fund and provide behavioral health services while directing additional resources toward treatment capacity and housing.

According to a press release, Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services has used those changes to expand its network of contracted providers and bring services into communities where access is limited.

“This clinic reflects what Clinica Sierra Vista has stood for since 1971: making sure quality health care reaches the people who need it most,” Clinica Sierra Vista CEO Dr. Olga Meave said. “Behavioral health is health, and by expanding our services in southwest and east Bakersfield, we are helping more patients get the whole-person care they deserve.”

Specific hours, staffing information, and service details for the Belle Terrace clinic will be announced closer to its opening.