Positions:
Part time
Per diem
Caseload:
Adult and Pediatric
Location
Santa Barbara lies on the West Coast of the United States, 92 miles (148 km)
north of Los Angeles and 332 miles (534 km) south of San Francisco. It is the
largest city and the seat of Santa Barbara County. The Santa Ynez Mountains
serve as a boundary between Northern and Southern Santa Barbara County, running
in an east-west direction. The county is famous for its beautiful beaches, most
of which lie along a unique south-facing stretch of coastline. The Los Padres
National Forest makes up nearly one-third of the county's total acreage which
includes the rugged San Rafael Wilderness Area. Santa Barbara County's
topographical diversity creates a huge variety of outdoor recreational
opportunities in a relatively compact area.
Climate
Santa Barbara temperatures range from the mid-60s to mid-70s throughout the
year, though late summer highs climb into the 80s. Evening temperatures are
refreshingly cool all year long. The area receives about 18 inches (46 cm) of
rainfall per year. The inland regions see temperatures on average of 15-20
degrees warmer during the day with cooler evening temperatures.
History
The Santa Barbara region has its roots firmly planted
in California history. Its first inhabitants were the Chumash Indians. The
Chumash sustained themselves fishing the rich waters of the Pacific Ocean in
front of them and hunting the game-tracked mountains behind.
In 1542,
Portuguese explorer Juan Cabrillo laid claim to the region in the name of Spain
and established friendly relations with the Chumash. Sixty years later,
Sebastian Vizcaino led his small fleet into the channel seeking shelter from a
severe storm. The storm passed on Saint Barbara's feast day, and, grateful for
God's having spared the ships and the lives of their crews, a friar on board
one of the vessels named the bay and the coastal landfall in honor of Saint
Barbara.
Some 200 years
passed before the Spanish began settling the area in earnest. Father Junipero
Serra, traveling with Captain Jose Ortega and Governor Felipe de Neve, made his
way up from Mexico and established a royal presidio here in 1782. Four years
later, the mission was founded-the first of three (including Santa Inés in
Solvang and La Purísima, Lompoc) in what is now Santa Barbara County. The
Spanish occupied the area until 1822, when Mexico asserted its independence and
California briefly became a Mexican territory. In 1846, Colonel John C. Fremont
claimed the region for the United States. California won statehood in 1850, but
Santa Barbara retained much of its sedate pueblo atmosphere until the late
1800s, when affluent and famous visitors began arriving in great numbers.
Nearby
Communities
South - Montecito, Carpenteria, Ventura, Oxnard
North - Isla Vista, Goleta, Buellton, Solvang, Santa Ynez