Invocation: Jeff Chandler
Flag Salute: Jeff Johnson
Song: Bea Barmann
Greeter: Jerene Battisti
Roving Mic: Justin Salters
SPOKE EDITOR PROFILE:
Jorge BarrientosJorge is the director of marketing and public relations at Chain | Cohn |Stiles law office. He serves on board of directors for a variety of community organizations including The Hub of Bakersfield, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (Kern County Chapter), and Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Business Education Foundation. When he’s not working or serving our community, you can find him traveling the world and hanging with his family, which includes wife Carla, 3-year-old son Julian, and 5-month-old daughter Gianna.
GUESTS:
- Ally and Luigi Soper (Molly Busacca)
- Capt. Clinton Trimmer (Dave Whelden)
GOOD NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- Happy 22nd Rotary anniversary to Kurt Wingate
- Don’t forget to pay Jordan Kaufman (property taxes)
PROGRAM:
Andrae Gonzales introduced guest Stacy Kuwahara.
Stacy Kuwahara is the director at
Kern Behavioral Health & Recovery Services, taking over the department in January 2021. She is also a licensed marriage and family therapist. The department has 850-900 staff members, and a $260 million budget. Stacy shared with us the increasingly tough challenge that comes with treating mental health, substance abuse, and homelessness in our community.
18% of U.S. adults with a mental illness have a substance abuse disorder
Annually, the department’s “Roam Team” serves 20,000 unique individuals, with about 800-900 people in one month, which has doubled in the last few years, she shared. Focuses this past year have been in the areas of homelessness, partnerships with other community service providers, education, and decreasing suicides and fentanyl deaths.
37% of people incarcerated in state & federal prison have a diagnosed mental condition.
The good news is hundreds are being helped, housed, and provided with services through the department (services that many times are unavailable to those of us with private health insurance). Questions? Contact Stacy at 868-6609 or email at
skumahara@kernbhrs.org)
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