Valley Health Associates Salias

OUR TEAM

DR. CASTELLANOS MD

About 20 years ago, Castellanos says he “accidentally” fell into the area of addiction treatment, specifically opiate addiction. While working in the emergency room at Natividad Medical Center, the county’s public safety net hospital, and

part-time at the county jail, he saw the prevalence of addiction and wanted to help fight it from the front line. It was an uphill battle from the start.

“When I first started working in addiction, I used to think nobody got better,” Castellanos says. “But the longer you do it, you see people can get better and get the lives they deserve. That’s what motivates me.”

In 2012, the doctor opened a family practice on Laurel Avenue in Salinas. It’s unique in that addiction treatment is offered out of the same office.

“Because of the stigma that addiction has, I felt that I could also offer family medicine,” Castellanos explains. “You could go to any primary care office, and you won’t know who has a problem with addiction. If my practice was purely addiction treatment, it would’ve changed the flavor of what we wanted to accomplish. We want to de-stigmatize addiction.”

Castellanos consults with and treats clients from various county substance abuse treatment programs. He is also the current medical director of Valley Health Associates, which has provided methadone treatments for 20 years. Castellanos also manages to squeeze in pro-bono work.

“My life is blessed any time I get to volunteer my service,” Castellanos says. “You think you’re doing it for someone else, but you end up getting the biggest blessing out of it.”

DIRECTORY

Executive Director: Amy Bravo, BA, CADC-II (831) 424-6655 ext. 14

Assistant Director: Stephanie Susidko, LVN (831) 424-6655 ext. 16

Clinical Director: Guillermo Rodriguez, MSW, ASW, CADC-II (831) 424-6655 ext. 13

Outpatient Program Director: Michael Salinas RADT-I (831) 424-6655 ext. 11

NTP/MAT Program Director: John Bokanovich, LAADC-CA (831) 424-6655 ext. 19

Nursing Supervisor: Brianna Bostwick, LVN (831) 424-6655 ext. 15

Mental Health Clinician: Stephanie Sanders, AMFT, APCC, RADT-I (831) 424-6655

Counseling Intern/Substance Use Navigator: Ashlee DeHerrera, RADT-1 (831) 424-6655 ext. 12

Counseling Intern: Jason Ramirez, RADT-1 (831) 424-6655 ext. 20

Admin/Human Resources: Marissa Garza (831) 424-6655 ext. 10

Peer Support Specialist/Clinic Attendant: Amy Otten
Peer Support Specialist: Glen Riddell

Federal CODE-A-PHONE: (831) 424-6655 ext. 9

VHA Board of Directors:

Chair: Carla Caballo

Vice-Chair: Dave Ciolino

Treasurer: Jeannie Pedersen

Secretary: Rose Scott

Member: Harold Kahn, Ed.D.

Valley Health Associates is a licensed, certified and accredited agency:

Licensed by: State of CA, Dept. of Alcohol & Drug Programs, Narcotic Treatment Branch and the Drug Enforcement Agency.

Certified by: State of CA: Dept. of Alcohol & Drug Programs, Outpatient Programs and Monterey County Behavioral Health Division; Dept. of Alcohol & Drug Programs.

Accredited by CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) since 2006

VHA has contracts with:

Monterey County Health Dept., Behavior Health Division Alcohol & Drug Programs
United States Probation Dept., Northern District of California
United States Pretrial Services, Northern District of California
United States Federal Bureau of Prisons, Northern District of California

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