In 1945, Irma Weill, daughter of Henrietta Weill, led a study group of the Mental Hygiene Society of Kern County whose focus was to bring a psychiatrist to Bakersfield and to establish a child guidance clinic that would serve troubled youth in our community. After successfully completing all of its goals, the Henrietta Weill Memorial Child Guidance Clinic was established and opened its doors on February 1, 1946.

The Clinic was named in memory of Henrietta Weill who was a member of a prominent Bakersfield family, and who was known for her progressive thinking and leadership in relation to children’s social service issues. Henrietta was married to Alphonse Weill, the proprietor of a local mercantile store in Bakersfield. They had four children, Blanche, Irma, Adele (who died at the age of seventeen from an appendicitis), and Lawrence. In addition to taking care of her own four children, Henrietta was very interested in educating young children and established the first kindergarten in town.

When Henrietta Weill died in 1941, after assisting the children of the area for her entire lifetime, her daughters worked to establish a memorial to her. As the plans for the Henrietta Weill Memorial Child Guidance Clinic were being developed by a three-man board of directors, Blanche and Irma arranged for the removal of the old family home to Pioneer Village at the Kern County Museum. Then the lot was sold for the benefit of the Clinic. The first Clinic was based on California Avenue, two blocks east of Union Avenue. In December of 1981, the Clinic site was moved to its current location at 3628 Stockdale Highway.

Since its inception in 1946, the Clinic has provided services to thousands of area children and families. Annually, the Clinic provides services to more than 3,000 children and their families who receive more than 30,000 specific services in a given year. To accommodate this demand of services, the Clinic has dramatically grown over the years as well. The doors opened in 1946 with only two employees, whereas, today that number has increased to nearly 100 people on staff. The number of services offered also continues to grow.

The Henrietta Weill Memorial Child Guidance Clinic & Adult Behavioral Health 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 Clinic serves children who have been identified as struggling with behavioral or emotional difficulties that are negatively affecting their functioning at home, in school, or in the community. These difficulties may be related to a variety of diagnoses including attention disorders, anger management issues, and substance abuse. The Clinic also serves children with a history of abuse, neglect, or other hardships.

The Clinic offers a full array of services including: individual, family, and group counseling, medication support, substance abuse services, early intervention services, parent education training, family reunification services, after-school education, mentoring programs, and kinship support services. To best serve our clients and communities, our mental health professionals provide counseling and case management services at three Kern County locations as well as providing services at homes, on school campuses, and at other designated community locations. Clinic staff also provide mental health education and training to teachers, school administrators, agencies, service groups, and the general public through outreach consultation services.

The Henrietta Weill Memorial Child Guidance Clinic is a contract provider for the Kern County Mental Health Department, Kern County Department of Human Services, Kern County Network for Children, and First 5 Kern. The Clinic receives additional support from generous local organizations including the Guild House and The Blanche and Irma Weill Foundation. In 2013, the Clinic’s work in the community was recognized by the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce Beautiful Bakersfield Awards and the Chevron Community Investment Program.