Jorge Fernandez
Director of Behavioral Health, Golden Valley Health Centers
Jorge Fernandez is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and functions as the Behavioral Health Director for Golden Valley Health Centers. He has 18 years of experience in the Mental Health field to include Case Management, Mental Health Counseling, and leadership roles. He was a child of immigrant parents who worked the fields seasonally and returned to Mexico every year. His father first came to the United States through a work contract (the Bracero) program. He immigrated to the United Stated with the rest of his family at the age of four. Having the lived experience of an immigrant and a member of a minority group , he understands the struggles of minority populations and the barriers and challenges encountered in order to live the “American Dream.”
Jorge is passionate about advocating and working towards having equality and equity for accessing health, social, and economic opportunities for all cultures and populations, particularly the historically underserved. He has participated in special projects to help reduce disparities and eradicate social problems, to include: First, Do No Harm: Reducing Disparities for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning Populations in California; Community-Defined Solutions for Latino Mental Health Care Disparities, California Reducing Disparities Project, and most recently, Reimagine Lab: Preventing cycles of violence, now and into the future, through a partnership with Blue Shield of California. Jorge plays a vital role in advocating for and disseminating cultural competent services for behavioral health service provides in Stanislaus County as a trainer via the California Brief Multi-Cultural Scale Training and by being a co-chair of the Cultural Competency, Equity, and Social Justice Committee, which is sponsored by Stanislaus County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services. Jorge is also certified as an independent Sex Offender Treatment Provider through the California Sex Offender Management Board.
Jorge likes to exercise to decompress and recharge his batteries. He also likes to do karaoke with friends, watching comedies and is an avid collector of colognes.