In 1949, when a group of addiction activists broke ground on Hazelden, a place where alcoholism would be recognized, according to an early brochure, as “a disease — and not a moral deficiency,” the world was a different place.
Back then, addiction was considered shameful, and most people struggled with it quietly, rarely seeking help. But then, this new place, named for a farm on a Center City lakeside property known as “Hazel’s Den,” started to gain attention, and patients from around the country began coming to a small Minnesota town seeking a new kind of addiction treatment and community support. From there, the rest is history: Inspired by what was going on at Hazelden, other treatment centers began popping up around the state, and Minnesota eventually became known as a world leader in addiction treatment.
This year, the nonprofit, known as the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation since its merger with the former first lady’s treatment center in California, celebrates its 75th anniversary. Joseph Lee M.D., Hazelden Betty Ford’s president and CEO, said that rather than resting on its laurels, the organization he has led for three years continues to grow and shift, expanding to offer a continuum of care for people and families impacted by addiction, and to make important changes to address historic equity gaps in access to addiction treatment.
“Hazelden Betty Ford is something that was born out of nothing but the commitment of a lot of courageous people who I’m sure had dreams for something greater and all the right things in mind,” Lee told me. “I’m just the latest steward of the mission. I didn’t do the heavy lifting, but I am proud of what we’re continuing to accomplish.”
Recently, Lee and I talked about Hazelden Betty Ford’s anniversary, what he and his colleagues learned from the pandemic and his organization’s place in the history of addiction treatment. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
MinnPost: Does this 75th anniversary feel like a significant milestone?
Joseph Lee: It’s enormous because I think compared to 1949 when we were founded, there’s so much more dialogue and acceptance around addiction and treatment. There is a lot to be proud of, but there is still a lot of stigma and discrimination out there, too. There is still a lot of work to do, but I think those 75 years were well spent. I am grateful for all those who came before, and I am also grateful to be in the state of Minnesota, because a lot of the leaders here have allowed the recovery community to really flourish.
MP: There is a strong association with the state of Minnesota and Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. What kind of impact do you think that relationship has had on the way we think about addiction and recovery in this state?
JL: When you hear our civic and political leaders talking openly about their own recovery journeys or their loved ones’ recovery journeys, you realize how the attitude about addiction and recovery is very different here in Minnesota than it is in other states. We have one of the best, if not the best, recovery communities. There is an openness and acceptance in Minnesota that was inspired by our organization and by a lot of other community partners that I also want to celebrate.
MP: What are some of the core elements of Hazelden that continue to be relevant 75 years later?
JL: I say this in as humble a way as possible because I was not a pioneer. I feel like we are carrying on the legacy now, standing on the shoulders of a lot of great people who created this place and cemented our values. That legacy has been amplified by the legacy of Mrs. Ford. Our movement is a reform movement: In the recovery community there is almost a civil rights-esqe feeling now. It (was) not that long ago when people saw addiction as a moral failing. Hazelden Betty Ford has an important role to play in today’s acceptance of addiction as a medical condition. We are the largest national addiction recovery organization.
MP: If I were transported back 75 years to Hazelden’s opening days, is there anything I would recognize about the place?
JL: It would be unrecognizable. We opened our doors on May 1, 1949. We actually treated our very first patient on April 1, 1949 in Center City. There was a farm. I believe it was called Hazel’s Den. That’s where the name came from. Alcoholics Anonymous was around for about 10 years before our start. There were other movements within America that had started looking at addiction as a disease, but the founders of Hazelden were among the first to come forward to make recovery possible.
At the beginning there was just a house here. There was really nothing else. As I’m talking to you now, I’m looking out over our campus and I’m thinking about what an honor it is to continue to carry on this tremendous legacy. What exists here today would’ve been beyond the dreams of our founders.
MP: How did this place end up becoming such a huge presence in the worldwide recovery community?
JL: After a few years, what was going on here became a movement. People heard about it, about what was happening, and they started to travel to be here. They still do. The people who were making the trip in the beginning were saying, “We can find dignity here. We can find community.” Soon there were people from all over the country coming to Center City for help. Many of those people have stayed in the community. The whole thing was organic, not because of some master business plan.
There are not a lot of things like Hazelden or AA in the world. They are so grassroots, so open-source. That spreads and has integrity. In 75 years since, our brand has always been really authentic, one person helping one individual or family at a time. For a long time we didn’t advertise. People heard about us through the grapevine.
MP: Few other addiction treatment nonprofits have as long a history as Hazelden Betty Ford. What elements of the organization have contributed to its success and long history?
JL: One is leadership. Everybody talks about mental health and addiction now. They did not in 1949. There is a place in history for Hazelden Betty Ford. Our leadership helped us to grow until we got to this point.
Another element is how we have expanded to multidisciplinary care. And we’ve been known for innovation and leadership and advocacy for all the right issues for Americans with addiction.
When we merged with the Betty Ford Center, that allowed us to carry on the legacy of Mrs. Ford, who spoke very bravely about two things: her recovery and her breast cancer. It was a time when people didn’t talk about those things. There was a lot of shame.
Another part that is really special about Hazelden Betty Ford is the community we’ve built. We believe that fundamentally people need connection and they need to recover together. Addiction is a disease of isolation. We recognize that and work to build community among all of our participants. It is part of the magic that happens here.
MP: Covid forced change in the way you do things at Hazelden Betty Ford. How has that experience impacted or shifted the way you do things now?
JL: Covid was hard on health care, especially in a marginalized specialty like ours. We’re roaring back out of the pandemic. The way I look at it is (that) our mission is amplified now. We have virtual and digital products. We created unique ways to reach people.
During the pandemic we were at the back of the line for equipment and masks, but our people still showed up for work every day. People in the recovery community were meeting in parks six feet apart. I was so proud of the recovery community during the pandemic, how courageous they were. There were a lot of unfortunate things that happened during the pandemic, but I think our foundation is stronger for it. We have more capacity to reach people. I think it made us better in the long run.
MP: You stepped into your role three years ago this summer. What accomplishments are you most proud of? What historic elements of the organization are you committed to keeping intact?
JL: On a personal level I don’t really think along those lines. I’m a physician, a child psychiatrist. I help people in recovery. I am just trying to do the next right thing.
It is not lost on me that where we are now as an organization is a great opportunity. We can now reach broader audiences and we can do better with equity. It is a journey but I do believe that there is an opportunity for us to do more. I think we’ve taken a lot of great action in terms of our leadership diversity. We’ve set up a loan forgiveness plan and great pathways in our graduate school for communities that may have been marginalized. We have a long way to go there, but I think we’ve turned the corner.
MP: You are the first person of color to lead Hazelden Betty Ford. Does your appointment signal significant shifts in the way the organization sees itself?
JL: I am proud of our diversity and equity efforts. I am proud of how you see the results of those efforts in the composition of our leadership. And then we are making bold strides in other areas of equity.
For example, we put real teeth behind an alternate admission program in our grad school. We decided that you don’t have to have a bachelor’s degree to get a master’s degree here. We thought about people who may have lost some years on their way to college, people who were from marginalized communities who may not have had the opportunity to gather all the right papers, and the incredible gifts that they could offer to clients.
When it comes to equity, we’re doing it. We’re not just soap-boxing. We’re making it possible for somebody from a marginalized community to come to our grad school through an alternative process and get loan forgiveness. This is an important step.
MP: It’s been decades since Hazelden Betty Ford was the only game in town when it comes to addiction treatment and recovery. There are now many options available in Minnesota for people seeking help for substance use disorder. What are the elements that set Hazelden Betty Ford apart?
JL: The culture at the soul of this organization is what drives people here every day. We’ve really made an effort to make sure that we are value-driven and that we are tied to the community. In many ways we’ve done a great job with keeping true to that North Star: So many of our people have been personally connected to recovery or have loved ones who have been through recovery and that’s why they are so passionate about their work. It is almost like working for a cancer clinic where most of the staff are cancer survivors. That kind of empathic connection from the first contact is a magical thing about Hazelden Betty Ford: People don’t feel so isolated or alone.
We also do a lot more than treatment. We believe in the full mission. We have a grad school. We have a publishing arm. We do consulting with Native American populations. We have a research center. We have a children’s program, a family program. Our commitment has always been to the full spectrum of recovery. Our ability to add value to communities like that has been a big part of our sustainability and our success. We feel it is our responsibility to continue to be the standard in the field and we continue to do all these things because we are part of a social reform movement at our core.
MP: What are some changes or new developments at Hazelden Betty Ford that excite you?
JL: We know that right now a lot of people have fragmented health care. We are now able to offer a more full continuum, a wider sweep of services in addiction treatment. It helps add value for people who are otherwise having to turn to many different places for their care. With the range of services we offer, we are able to connect all those dots, to offer really comprehensive care for people in need. I’m super-excited about making that happen for people.
We’ve researched our outcomes for a long time. In the future we want to show that, just like other diseases, people that world-class care is available for people with addiction.There are so many things I want to highlight. It isn’t just about Hazelden Betty Ford’s 75th. It’s also about the recovery movement in America. The state of Minnesota should be proud of how forward-thinking our communities have been around creating one of the highest-regarded centers for addiction treatment in the world. So many people have gotten care in this state. Generations of people have been supported in their recovery journey. This is a time for all of us to celebrate.
Andy Steiner
Andy Steiner is a Twin Cities-based writer and editor. Before becoming a full-time freelancer, she worked as senior editor at Utne Reader and editor of the Minnesota Women’s Press. Email her at asteiner@minnpost.com.
