Center City, Minnesota--(Newsfile Corp. - April 17, 2025) - Today Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation announced an expanded model of care that sets a new standard of quality for the industry and propels mental health and substance use treatment into a new frontier.
The increasing number of patients who come to Hazelden Betty Ford for substance use treatment with multiple mental health conditions has compelled the nation's largest and oldest nonprofit organization in the industry to implement the expanded model across all levels of care in all of its 15 locations across nine states, as well as virtual care. Notably, 79% of Hazelden Betty Ford's patients have more than one treatable mental health condition, and on average, 3.67 different diagnoses.
"After more than 75 years as the leaders in the field, we know that addiction rarely happens as a singular diagnosis, that traditional models don't always reach or resonate with every person seeking care, and that mental health care is a powerful tool in lasting recovery," says Kelly Lindberg, Psy.D., LP, LADC, Vice President of Mental Health, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. "These points are the heart of our expanded co-occurring program, a recovery path we built that integrates mental health and substance use treatment to help patients brave the layers of co-occurring conditions, with wrap-around support for their families."
"At Hazelden Betty Ford, we set the gold standard in addiction and mental health care. Our nationally standardized co-occurring curriculum, built on decades of expertise, is backed by proprietary research, proven outcomes, and the intellectual property that shapes the entire field. No one else can match this combination of quality, consistency, and credibility," says Joseph Lee, M.D., President and CEO, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. "To truly overcome stigma in behavioral health, we must consistently raise the bar on quality, and this next-generation model goes beyond what anyone else is doing in the industry today."
Hazelden Betty Ford's unique model of care improves quality with these elements:
- Non-fragmented gold standard of care by the same team for mental health and substance use disorders, also referred to as co-occurring care, so patients get all their care in one place.
- Evidence-based, standardized curriculum created by Hazelden Betty Ford, based on intellectual property that's already used worldwide and recognized for better outcomes and engagement.
- Combining therapies and leveraging multiple treatment modalities, community, and skill-building, based on the needs of each patient and their family, and focused on outcomes.
- Multi-disciplinary teams comprised of psychiatrists, nurses, mental health and addiction counselors, technicians, family specialists, recovery support experts, and other professionals; many of whom received their training and education at Hazelden Betty Ford.
- The industry's only dedicated publishing house, research center, and graduate school - all leveraged to serve not only Hazelden Betty Ford patients and their families, but the entire industry.
- Philanthropy-funded services free-of-charge for families and children affected by a loved one's substance use disorders, contributing to the quality of care and outcomes for each patient.
- An emphasis on belonging and community to support lifelong recovery.
- Improved access to care through innovative tools such as Wayfinder, an evidence-based screening and brief intervention tool, and Connection Point, a virtual coaching service to help people find the right type of care and determine their next steps.
"Unlike other areas of healthcare that have established best practices, outcomes and standards of care, the behavioral health industry has been largely fragmented and inconsistent in our care for patients, and sorely lacking a sense of community and care for the entire family. Given the mental health and addiction epidemic in our country, we need to change how we think about patient care and quality" says Dr. Lee. "Coupled with our data and research, this model will pave the way for personalized medicine. We'll also develop products from this system that will benefit the entire field."
The expanded model of care goes well beyond the industry trend of "co-occurring care" and was fully implemented across Hazelden Betty Ford's entire system this month.
Hazelden Betty Ford offers a next-generation model of care for people with mental health and substance use disorders.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10658/248640_3ea60e4ff4029ac3_002full.jpg
About the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation
The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is a force of healing and hope for individuals, families and communities affected by addiction to alcohol and other drugs. As the nation's leading nonprofit provider of comprehensive inpatient and outpatient addiction and mental health care for adults and youth, the Foundation has treatment centers and telehealth services nationwide as well as a network of collaborators throughout health care. Through charitable support and a commitment to innovation, the Foundation is able to continually enhance care, research, programs and services, and help more people. With a legacy that began in 1949 and includes the 1982 founding of the Betty Ford Center, the Foundation today is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in its services and throughout the organization, which also encompasses a graduate school of addiction studies, a publishing division, an addiction research center, recovery advocacy and thought leadership, professional and medical education programs, school-based prevention resources and a specialized program for children who grow up in families with addiction.
Ginger Plumbo
newsroom@hazeldenbettyford.org
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/248640
SOURCE: Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation
