Upcoming Youth Prevention Conference reflects Hazelden Betty Ford's growing focus on keeping healthy kids healthy

Sept. 21 virtual event to coincide with nonprofit's launch of integrated and expanded Prevention Solutions division
Learn About Hazelden Betty Ford

Center City, Minn. (September 17, 2021) – Fostering a culture of prevention in schools and communities requires developing and expanding systems that nurture youth health, strengthen families, and bolster school and community wellbeing—and the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation's Youth Prevention Conference on Sept. 21 during National Recovery Month will facilitate meaningful sharing of prevention science and practices.

Joseph Lee, MD, president and CEO of Hazelden Betty Ford—the nation's largest nonprofit provider of addiction treatment, co-occurring mental health care, recovery resources and related prevention and education services—and a triple-board certified physician, will deliver the keynote address.

At the virtual Youth Prevention Conference, participants will learn how to:

  • develop a systems approach to comprehensive prevention planning, implementation and outcomes;
  • define opportunities to keep healthy kids healthy;
  • explore data-driven, effective methodologies for increased student wellness in school and community settings; and
  • engage children, teens, and young adults in prevention strategies that work for them.

The conference launches Hazelden Betty Ford's integrated and expanded Prevention Solutions division, which unifies the organization's portfolio of prevention programs and resources to create the best solutions and customer experiences. The portfolio includes evidence-based curricula, school- and community-based substance use prevention programs, community engagement and parent education opportunities, surveys and assessments to identify student attitudes and behaviors, specialized programming for families and for children who grow up with addiction in the home, on-site staff trainings, workplace wellness initiatives and more.

"We understand that prevention must be at the forefront of our strategic aim if we are to help more people lead healthy and happy lives, free from addiction," said Dr. Lee. "By bringing together our many services, products and solutions into a single, prevention-based ecosystem, we can protect and uplift entire systems and societies."

The Youth Prevention Conference offers continuing education (CE) credits for live participants, and will be available for on-demand viewing.

About the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is a force of healing and hope for individuals, families and communities affected by addiction to alcohol and other drugs. As the nation's leading nonprofit provider of comprehensive inpatient and outpatient addiction and mental health care for adults and youth, the Foundation has treatment centers and telehealth services nationwide as well as a network of collaborators throughout health care. Through charitable support and a commitment to innovation, the Foundation is able to continually enhance care, research, programs and services, and help more people. With a legacy that began in 1949 and includes the 1982 founding of the Betty Ford Center, the Foundation today is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in its services and throughout the organization, which also encompasses a graduate school of addiction studies, a publishing division, an addiction research center, recovery advocacy and thought leadership, professional and medical education programs, school-based prevention resources and a specialized program for children who grow up in families with addiction.