Betty Ford Center :: Recovery :: John Schwarzlose

John Schwarzlose is the Chief Executive Officer of the Betty Ford Center. He was hired by Mrs. Ford in 1982 to develop the treatment program for the Center and has been the chief executive ever since. John received his Masters of Science in Psychology at Northern Illinois University in 1972. In 1974, he became Chief Clinician for the Alcohol Treatment Program for the County of Peoria. In 1978, John he was hired by Hazelden to open a 35-bed inpatient treatment center at Proctor Community Hospital in Peoria and also served as a treatment consultant for the Minnesota-based treatment facility. He received his Masters of Business Administration from the University of Illinois in 1982, and he's certified as both a counselor and a Charter Fellow of the American College of Addiction Treatment Administrators. He has served on many national boards and testifies frequently in front of Congressional committees and subcommittees.

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Betty Ford Center is 29 Today
October 4th, 2011 / / John Schwarzlose
Today is the 29th Anniversary of the opening of the Betty Ford Center. On October 4, 1982, two women and two men were admitted to the Betty Ford Center, and the adventure of treatment and recovery began. Almost 97,000 patients later, the Center sets the standard for quality care. The history of the Betty Ford Center is part of the life story of our founder, former First Lady Betty Ford. After completing her own treatment for chemical dependency at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Long Beach, Mrs. Ford talked to her friends about the need for an alcohol treatment center that emphasized...

Betty Ford 1918 – 2011
July 9th, 2011 / / John Schwarzlose
Patients often affectionately refer to the Betty Ford Center as “Camp Betty.” That would always bring a smile to Betty’s face. At the Center, she was never Mrs. Ford. She was Betty. To reflect on Betty Ford is a daunting task. One of the principles she embraced was to never give up on an alcoholic or addict. She not only promoted that principle but lived it. After everything life threw at her, Betty never quit. Betty created the Betty Ford Center as a unique place of healing. Her quiet strength and determination allowed the Center to change the face of addiction...

Underage Drinking Statistics are Sobering
March 14th, 2011 / / John Schwarzlose
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) says that 30 percent of U.S. eighth graders drink alcohol, and 20 percent binge drink, according to a March 4 story in HealthDay. In that light, it's particularly chilling to learn (also from HealthDay) that Federal statistics show that underage drinkers are responsible for about 546 visits to emergency rooms each day. The Betty Ford Center has reached out to all three School Districts located in the Coachella Valley for all of our twenty-nine years. We believe serious efforts to discuss prevention needs to start in the 5th and 6th grades. We...

Addiction, Treatment and Recovery

John Schwarzlose

Help is available. So is hope.