Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

“Words are not enough to express my gratitude for everything you have done for me. I appreciate you for who you are and all you do for people. Thank you for the bottom of my heart for helping me find myself, believe in myself and help others to do the same. I'm honored to know you and have you in my life.”

“Nothing I did made any difference, until I decided to send my son to Hazelden.”

“I could finally see that drugs and alcohol were ruining everything. Once I realized where my life was going, I was so extremely grateful to be in a place where I could get help. There was a solution for me. Things could be different. I was thirsty for this new knowledge. That's how I started to learn about my addiction and how to start living again.”

“I would never send anyone I loved anywhere else but here.”

“When I came to Hazelden, I had nowhere to turn. The staff there showed me how to open doors to a life of spiritual growth and happiness that I had never known. I now use these tools in everyday life and share them with others in recovery who are in need of hope as I was 8 months ago.”

“Prior to my 26 days at Hazelden Betty Ford, I felt that I had a strong religious background but didn't know spirituality as I do now. It is a comfort to have discovered my spirituality. I find peace in my connection to my Higher Power, receiving many signs of hope, joy and beauty. Every person could benefit with the program offered to obtain inner peace.”

“When I came to Hazelden I was spiritually and emotionally bankrupt. I had a mountain of problems to which I could see no solution. By using my counselor as my higher power, and following the directions given to me by her and by the rest of the staff, slowly, one day at a time, the problems have worked out. I owe my life to Hazelden and I am eternally grateful for the solutions I found there.”

“Family week saved my sanity, gave my husband and I tools to deal with our daughter's addiction, and gave us the opportunity to talk with others facing the same challenges. I have never been in a room with so much fear, anger, anguish and guilt but I believe most of us ended with hope and strength.”

“The personalization. The flexibility. The understanding that not everyone is in the exact same place. The way they approach each person is specialized . . . that's something I really valued.”

“The best part of the program was being able to put into practice what we were learning in the classroom.”

“They've been able to connect me with every population I've thought I'd like to work with while I'm here.”

“An added bonus was the opportunity to gain experience through being on the units—shadowing clinicians and working one-to-one with patients.”

“It's been exciting for me to see the treatment field evolve over the years, bringing together the best of science and Twelve Step practices to help more people. The Graduate School continues to set the highest standard, preparing students to effectively address all aspects of addiction.”

“The professors are approachable and seem invested in the success of each student, and I love that my class is about five-to-six individuals and we are really close. The fact that we can experience working on the units and then bring back that information and lessons learned firsthand to the classroom is very positive.”

“I chose the graduate school because it is known as a world leader in the field of treatment and addiction. I wanted to incorporate my clinical experience with my coursework.”