Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation - Rancho Mirage, California

Terra P.

Betty Ford was absolutely amazing. Communication between staff could be a little better but my experience there was life-changing Daisy Lane was definitely a must in my recovery. The difference between residential and Daisy Lane is so different. The two hour process group a day was definitely my favorite and most beneficial it treats the root of your problems not just the addiction. Also having freedom to go have sober fun with peers is a nice way to ease yourself back into going home. I was cash pay being my insurance did not work outside of my state unless it was an emergency. I chose to cash pay anyways to get the best treatment possible. They were very respectful and I definitely had more say in how long I stayed. I ended up staying an extra week and I am so glad I did. Betty Ford was worth every penny. I can’t wait to go back for the alumni reunion in November and see some of my sober friends that I made there. But I will say you get out of rehab what you put in. The relapse rate is so scary and real. So you have to go for all the right reasons and you have to want it or no rehab will help you. The hard work starts when you get home and out of the Betty Ford bubble. Rehab will help you start your new sober path but only YOU can fix YOU!!!

Jeremy M.

A unique experience. I was there for almost 3 months and i highly disagree with being in a coed atmosphere not being able to talk to the opposite sex. Not realistic, not real life. Other then that i met some great people. I highly advise going to Daisy Lane which was a better experience than living on the campus.

Michael H.

Detox was comfortable, I felt the nurses went out of their way to make things easy. Once I left detox, a nurse helped me find my unit and I was introduced to the men in my unit at lunch. I sat down and during this first lunch sat uncomfortably as sexist and homophobic jokes were tossed around. When I get back to my unit, I learn my assigned counselor was out on leave and that there was no plan or schedule to have me meet 1on1 with a counselor during my first week. I’m told my “buddy” and roommate could help me navigate the facility and the schedule. My first few days relied on the support from another patient who had no interest in helping me. In the evening 10th step, I learned I was the only non-alcoholic and no one in my unit could offer any insight beyond alcoholism. Every session and every group meeting gave me the impression that unless I embraced a Protestant God that I would have a hard time. Every concern I had about step 3 I brought up to my group or the on call nurse was brushed off. I left after 3 days and found a smaller facility that didn’t feel like such a machine. BFH play a numbers game and it seems if you’re 50 years old or older, straight, Christian alcoholic, that this facility could be a good fit for you. But if you don’t fit that mold, I’d recommend looking elsewhere.

Andrew L.

Coming to The Betty Ford Center was the best decision I ever made in my life. I would recommend anyone who is struggling with addiction and is seeking help towards recovery. It’s been a life changing experience for me and I have no regrets coming here

Adam T.

After staying here almost a full month as a cash payee I have begun to question the overall ethics that this facility operates under. While I have attended almost every lecture, group decision, and meeting we are asked to attend while in treatment here I have still not been approved to move to another facility where my treatment will be deescalated from a 24/7 on site treatment facility. I have fully participated and have sat in the front row for almost all of these educational presentations during my time here. I have seen many of my peers who have participated less and how have been here less time approved for transfer. I still remain here for some reason. It seems the ultimate deciding factor here is the fact that I am not going thru insurance and therefore they have no one to justify this heightened state of treatment which costs significantly more. This really is a stain on the overall reputation of this facility and certainly calls into question the ethics of the organization in my personal opinion. Shame on you.

PHILLIP M.

It was a great experience! The only thing is I can’t get in touch with the physician that was handling my case . I can’t remember his full name but he goes by dr. Alex . Would like to get his email. I would like to ask him a question about the medication he prescribed me.Thank you ! Could you get back to me with and answer. That’s at the Rancho Mirage facility .

Lindsay M.

I was at Betty Ford in Palm Springs in March, 2024. I completed the detox and Residential program and have been sober ever since. I was a shell of a human walking into Betty Ford. Alcohol had taken over my life and things were unraveling quickly. I have been to another rehab facility and Betty Ford is far superior in their knowledge and treatment of addiction. A lot of treatment centers seem to provide education on the disease, but do not provide much insight on how to treat the disease. Betty Ford provided a lot of insight and education on how to treat the disease outside of a residential program. I really liked living in a hall with other patients. Everyone works together to keep the hall clean and your hall does a 10th step meeting every evening. I also appreciated the specialty groups, although, when it is just an average of a 21 day program, it takes awhile to be evaluated for the specialty groups you will be recommended for. The campus is large and beautiful. There is a lot of opportunity for exercise and a very nice gym on campus. Most all of the staff is in recovery themselves. I think some rehab centers have gone too far in being “luxury” and while this can be a nice vacation, I never found a luxury treatment center to be the answer to long term sobriety. Betty Ford has a nice balance in being a nice treatment center, but it is also hard work and takes some effort and accountability on your part.Betty Ford is a true community and even after discharge, I have received follow up phone calls to ensure I am doing okay.
Pros:
-Knowledgeable staff
-Large campus(you don’t feel trapped or like you are in a hospital)
Excellent groups
-Food is pretty decent
-You get to keep your cell phone and belongings(this was huge for me as I have kids i wanted to stay in contact with) I have been in an treatment center where they take your phone and credit cards. I felt like a prisoner. Betty Ford does a nice job of letting the patient keep some autonomy in treatment.
-Lots of opportunity for recreational time
The program is set up to provide support and a community feel.
-AA/NA/CA speakers each night. Although I was tired by this time of night, the speakers were excellent! I especially loved the alumni speakers on Friday evenings.
-Betty Ford Center has been around a long time. They know their stuff and it’s evident. No one is forced to be there and you truly are free to leave if it’s not the right fit. I also think they do a nice job screening incoming patients, ensuring it’s the right fit and keeping the Betty Ford Center safe for current patients.

Things I felt could use improvement:
-everyone is a assigned a counselor, but you will not receive therapy at Betty Ford. Many people who struggle with addiction also have underlying mental health issues. While residential treatment is not the place to dive into deep traumas, I do think the center as a whole can do a better job of offering more individual mental health support.
- some of the techs really struggle. One in particular seemed to love drama and seemed to stir a lot of drama up with other staff and patients.
- the nursing staff on the residential side seemed really burnt out. Some of them were just downright rude.
- the after care coordinator was not very knowledgeable. I live out of state(like many people who come to Betty Ford do) and she met with me for maybe 5 minutes and indicated they are “under staffed” in the after care coordination department. After care is crucial for someone leaving such a high level of care.

Overall, I highly recommend Betty Ford to anyone struggling with an addiction. I was there for alcohol abuse. Every treatment center is going to have pros and cons, but after being out of treatment for almost 60 days and remaining sober, it is evident I gained lots of tools to live my life sober. Sadly, lots of treatment centers feel like a business, but Betty Ford did not. It felt like a community and they really did care. Like anything, you will get out of it what you put into it.

Tim S.

The staff in amazing and the program is very good. I did not think that my individual counselor was very good. She (Darrien)was short and did not respect my decisions about my treatment plan. SHe was job shadowing and was more focused on that then dealing with us patients. Others agreed with me.