Betty Ford Center

The Betty Ford Center is a well known drug and alcohol rehabilitation center located in Rancho Mirage, California and Irving, Texas. This center provides treatment processes to both the addict and to the family system.

The Betty Ford Center is an indispensable service for those who suffer from addiction to alcohol and drugs. The addict however, is not the only person affected by the disease. The family system is as affected by the addiction emotionally, financially and physically as the addict.

The Betty Ford Center provides treatment options ranging from clinical diagnosis to children to residential programs. Attaining a healthy lifestyle is the number one goal for everyone and because of this, they also offer intervention procedures and assistants to help educate, decrease fear and overcome barriers to treatment.

Betty Ford Center offers 6 distinct programs at their facilities. These programs are an inpatient detox and treatment (30 days), Residential Day Treatment (30-60 days in off-campus housing, following inpatient treatment), Intensive Outpatient Program (an 8 week program, 5 evenings a week), Clinical Diagnostic Evaluation (diagnostic assessment for professionals to determine whether or not they meet the DSM-IV criteria for "Substance Dependence"), Family program (education program to provide assistance in healing for family members), Children's program (4-day program for the children of families that are suffering from addiction).

Similar companies to the Betty Ford Center include Crossroads Antigua, Hazelden, ValueOptions

The Betty Ford Center was founded by former fist lady Betty Ford and Leonard Firestone in 1982, following Mrs Ford's own chemical dependency treatment. The treatments provided are gender specific as the Betty Ford Center reserves half of its facility for men and the other half for women. Men and women are housed in separate halls during their stay. Program costs range from smaller amounts for children and larger sums for residential.

Author: D. Travis, Alcohol & Addiction Recovery Service Writer