About Us

In 1972 H.I. Tom Sawyer, a dairy farmer and a volunteer member of the Stanislaus County Mental Health Advisory Board envisioned a group home that could provide the high level of care needed for children in Stanislaus County. The agency's foundation was built on the belief that children need positive and loving role models to grow into healthy adults.

Over the past four decades, Sierra Vista has grown into one of the largest nonprofit agencies in the region, serving on average more than 20,000 children and families each year with nearly 250 dedicated employees, 28 programs, and providing services in every school district throughout Stanislaus and Merced County. The integration of these programs into the community has created a sustainable continuum of child and family services that are accessible and tailored to address a broad range of needs. By offering quality programs that meet the growing needs of the thousands of people of all ages who are overwhelmed with mental illness, child abuse or substance abuse, children and families have found healing and hope at Sierra Vista. Through our continuum of services, we meet the needs of thousands of children, families, and individuals who struggle with mental health issues, child abuse, domestic violence, social behaviors, special education needs, parenting, and challenges within the family unit, and children who need Forever Families.

Mission, Vision & Core Values

Our Mission:

We strengthen families and communities by transforming lives!

Our Vision:

A Commitment to Caring!

Our Values:

Our values are fundamental to our mission. They are the foundation of our agency and shape the culture and define the character of our organization.

Excellence

We hold ourselves to the highest standards of performance and continually push ourselves to do more.

Professionalism

We meet the ethical and technical standards in our field and show compassion and respect for others at all times.

Integrity

We are honest and straightforward: our actions and operations are transparent.

Collaboration

We produce results not through our actions alone, but in partnership with clients, community organizations, and one another.

Dedication

We meet our commitments to clients, partners, and the community with reliability and dedication.

Leadership

Sierra Vista Child & Family Services is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprised of diverse individuals from various professions and geographic areas of the county. The Sierra Vista Board is a policy setting body charged with the responsibility of oversight of the financial solvency of the agency, as well as the quality of services provided to the community.

Board Of Directors

Michael Donohoe

Chairperson

Ramsbacher Prokey Leonard, LLP

Wendy Kennedy

Vice-Chairperson

Retired Human Resources Director

Sandi Young

Co Vice-Chairperson

Retired School Administrator

Brandy Barnes

Secretary

Rodarakis & Sousa

Molly Withrow-Cox

Treasurer

Withrow Koftinow & Baggett, LLP

Adrian Luna

Fire2Wire

Gary Erickson

F&M Bank

Jane Johnson

Grimbleby Coleman Certified Public Accountants, Inc.

Rob Powell

Grover Financial Group

Roxanna Smith

Wells Fargo Bank

Administration

Judy Kindle

Chief Executive Officer

Jeff Anderson

Clinical Director

John Gilfillan

Chief Financial Officer

Jean Edwards

Director of Human Resources

Program Directors

Jacob Gregg

Director of Educational Services

Fernando Granados

Director of Cultural Services & Community Based Programs

Director of Perinatal Substance Abuse Treatment

Stacey Bronken

Director of Quality Assurance & Data Management

Tiffany Rivera

Director of Outpatient Services

Tim Mathews

Director of Foster Care & Adoption

Our Partners

Sierra Vista would be very different without the many partners who work alongside and in support of Sierra Vista and its programs. Sierra Vista has formal membership and partnerships with many entities.

Sierra Vista Child & Family Services is a member of:

Foster Family-Based Treatment Association

California Alliance of Child and Family Services

Modesto Chamber of Commerce

Turlock Chamber of Commerce

Merced Chamber of Commerce

Hughson Chamber of Commerce

Waterford Chamber of Commerce

Sierra Vista Child & Family Services' partnerships include:

Stanislaus County

Stanislaus County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services

Stanislaus County Focus on Prevention Initiative

Stanislaus County Health Services Agency

Stanislaus County Probation Department

Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors

Stanislaus County Community Services Agency

Stanislaus County Children & Families Commission

Stanislaus County Office of Education (SCOE)

Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department

Merced County

Merced County Department of Education

Merced County Department of Mental Health

Merced County First 5

Other Partners

California State University, Stanislaus

Modesto City Schools

School Districts throughout Stanislaus and Merced Counties

Central California Child Development Services

Center for Human Services

Parent Resource Center

United Samaritans

California Wellness Foundation

Bright Family Foundation

United Way of Stanislaus County

Kaiser Permanente Community Benefit Program

Accreditation

Accreditation is one of the means by which the agency strives to champion quality of services.

Joint Commission

Sierra Vista Child & Family Services has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Behavioral Health Care Accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal of Approval® is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective care.

Established in 1969, The Joint Commission’s Behavioral Health Care Accreditation program currently accredits more than 2,100 organizations for a three-year period. Accredited organizations provide treatment and services within a variety of settings across the care continuum for individuals who have mental health, addiction, eating disorder, intellectual/developmental disability, and/or child-welfare related needs.

The Joint Commission’s behavioral healthcare standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, quality improvement measurement experts, and individuals and their families. The standards are informed by scientific literature and expert consensus to help organizations measure, assess and improve performance.

Joint Commission
Joint Commission PDF

California Alliance

Sierra Vista Child & Family Services is a member agency of the California Alliance of Child and Family Services.

The California Alliance of Child and Family Services is a statewide association of more than 130 private nonprofit child and family serving agencies committed to providing the highest quality services in the most caring and effective fashion.

Formed on January 1, 2000, through the merger of the California Association of Services for Children (CSC) and the California Association of Children's Homes (CCH), the Alliance and its parent associations have a combined history of more than 60 years of advocacy on behalf of California's most vulnerable children and families and the organizations that serve them.