The Henrietta Weill Memorial Child Guidance Clinic is a private, non-profit, outpatient mental health center serving Kern County children and families. Since 1946, the Clinic has provided outpatient counseling services to over 61,000 children, adolescents, and adults.
The Henrietta Weill Memorial Child Guidance Clinic provides mental health and substance abuse services and the resources necessary to promote wellness and recovery for Kern County children, adults and families.
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Services Offered
Outpatient Services This program serves children up to the age of 21 who exhibit emotional and behavioral problems. These services include individual, family, and group therapy as well as case management services provided by intervention specialists.
Dual Diagnosis Substance Abuse Services Dual diagnosis substance abuse services are offered to children who struggle with behavioral problems in combination with substance and alcohol abuse or dependency. Caring professionals offer assessment, education, referral services, and treatment with a focus of long-term recovery.
Psychiatric Evaluations & Medication Support Services After spending time in counseling, a therapist or intervention specialist may recommend that the child receive a psychiatric evaluation. When appropriate, the child and family will meet with a board-certified child psychiatrist for an evaluation to diagnose the child and determine if medication support services may be beneficial.
Community-Based Services Our mental health professionals provide counseling and case management services to children and families in their homes, on school campuses, and at other designated locations within the community. Through outreach consultation services, Clinic staff provides mental health education and training to teachers, school administrators, agencies, service, groups and the general public.
Fees and Payment
The Clinic does not deny services based upon the client's inability to pay. We rely on our donors and volunteers.
We are a non-profit organization.
Services Offered To: Adults Teens Children
Special Groups: Bilingual
Payment: Sliding Scale Pro-bono Medicare Medicaid
If You Call, Please Let Us Know How it Went:
Were You Able to Make an Appointment?
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A community counseling agency is a group therapy practice that offers affordable mental health services. Most are independent non-profit agencies, state agencies, or publicly-funded agencies. A few may restrict who is eligible for services, so it is a good idea to check when you call.
Community counseling agencies are generally more affordable than other therapy providers, but how much more affordable they are will depend on whether you qualify for a discount or sliding scale fee (or if they accept your insurance). Many, but not all, have a policy that they won't turn away anyone due to inability to pay. You should ask about their fees when you first call.
Expect to talk to kind people who want to help you find the care you need. Most community agencies strive to connect you with a live person within 24 hours, if not immediately. If you're asked to hold or leave a message, don't give up; just leave a message and wait. You should hear back pretty quickly.
Most agencies try to set up an initial assessment appointment within a week (some do within 24 hours), though the waitlist to start therapy is usually longer—about a few weeks on average. If you're not eligible or if the agency is not right for you, it's usually still worth it to call or drop in, because staff are knowledgeable about local options and can often refer you to one.