Counseling and Psychology Programs at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation
Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation appears in our ranking of the 30 Most Affordable Master’s in Addiction and Rehabilitation Counseling.
Though some think of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation only as a place where those with addictions can seek help, it also offers a few educational opportunities for students. It offers training for students studying psychology or counseling at a college or university. There are clinical practicums and internships for doctoral students and those who completed a doctoral program. The foundation also has residency opportunities for those who need to finish the training necessary to become a doctor.
Two degree programs are available from the foundation too, including a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Addiction Counseling: Advanced Practice. This program takes place on-campus in Minnesota and allows students to take classes on the Center City and St. Paul campuses. Courses are available both at night and on weekends. Full-time students spend 20 months to finish their degrees, but there are options designed for part-time students too. One unique feature of the program is that students begin their clinical training in their first semesters and continue their training as they take advanced classes.
Students in the addiction counseling program will work in cohorts and see the same faces in all their classes, which the foundation believes will help foster a sense of community among majors. They take 11 to 15 credits of classes every semester. Those courses include Lifespan Development, Lifestyle, and Vocational Development and Professional Practice Synthesis. More than 10 electives are available for students who want to look at subjects not covered in their courses. They can do extra internships for credit or take electives that include Clinical Supervision, Human Sexuality, Eating Disorders, Foundations of Addiction and Drug and Alcohol Counseling and Grief, Loss and Death.
Also available is an online master’s degree program in integrated recovery for co-occurring disorders, which focuses on the treatment of patients who have a mental health disorder as well as an addiction. Students take 60 credits of courses and do internships over two years. Though all of their courses are online, they need to complete two residencies in Minnesota. Each session lasts for four days and takes place in Center City. Students can live outside of Minnesota and still enroll in this program.
Featured Programs
The foundation asks students to take nine to 13 credits during each of their six semesters. They’ll take one elective in several semesters and pick from courses that include Behavioral Addictions, Grief, Loss and Death, Advanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Advanced 12 Step Facilitation. Lifespan Development, Treatment and Recovery Planning for Co-Occurring Disorders and Evidence-Based Practice for Co-Occurring Disorders are some of the required classes in the online program. Though students do not need to do internships, they have the option of doing one in place of an elective. The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation also offers professional development courses for students who have their licenses and degrees to practice in the counseling field.
About the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation
The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is an organization devoted to the treatment of individuals struggling with addictions to drugs and alcohol. It was established in 2014 after the Hazelden Foundation merged with the Betty Ford Center. Hazelden opened in 1949 in Minnesota and quickly became one of the nation’s top treatment centers. Betty Ford met with some of the counselors and workers there before she established the treatment center that bears her name. In addition to offering treatments for patients, the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation also offers educational opportunities for students at the graduate and doctoral levels, including residencies and professional training. Those programs help students become licensed in different states as addiction counselors.
Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation Accreditation Details
With accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation can help students get financial aid. This accreditation shows that the training students receive and the courses they take will apply to the fieldwork they need to do to get licensed in Minnesota or another state. The HLC accredited both of the foundation’s programs in addiction studies.
Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation Application Requirements
The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation Graduate School will only accept students who did not have any drug or alcohol problems within the last two years. This is because the foundation believes that those students should focus on their sobriety and avoid the stress of attending graduate school. The main requirement for incoming students is a completed bachelor’s degree.
Students applying to the residential program need to apply by the middle of April to start in the fall. The foundation has a deadline near the first of July for students who want to start the online program in the fall. They need to fill out an information request first with a full name, email address, and phone number. A representative from the foundation will then contact the student and send an email to access the application. The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation charges a $40 to $60 application fee and requires official transcripts, an admissions essay of 750 to 1,000 words and three letters of recommendation. Students also need to interview in person or over the phone and pass a background check, which includes a form that students must sign to guarantee that they did not have sexual contacts with their former patients.
Tuition and Financial Aid
At the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, graduate students pay $799 for each credit that they take and a $70 technology fee each semester. They also need to purchase a subscription to a site that they’ll use in their classes for either $9.95 per month or $59.40 per year. Those in the on-campus program are responsible for purchasing liability insurance for $105 a year, which comes from the American Counseling Association.
The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation hands out more than $300,000 in financial aid to students every year. Those accepted by the foundation need to complete the Impact Scholarship Application, which helps them qualify for a $5,000 scholarship. California residents can get up to $10,000 in extra scholarships through one of the foundation’s programs. Students also receive $500 if an alumnus referred them to the foundation and up to $3,300 if they qualify for the Post 9/11 GI Bill. The psychology and counseling programs at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation will also accept federal loans and external grants.