30 YEARS LATER WE'RE STILL IN THE SAME STUDIO B BUT THE SET HAS CHANGED SEVERAL TIMES.

MOVING ON, MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH.

IT ALSO MARKS THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE HAZELDEN BETTY FORD FOUNDATION, ORIGINALLY KNOWN AS JUST HAZELDEN, THE MINNESOTA BASED NON-PROFIT IS A NATIONAL LEADER IN TREATING ADDICTION AND MENTAL HEALTH.

DR. JOSEPH LEE HAS BEEN LEADING HAZELDEN BETTY FORD FOR NEARLY THREE YEARS.

DOCTOR, WELCOME BACK.

VERY EXPANSIVE QUESTION.

WHAT'S CHANGED IN YOUR FIELD SINCE 1949?

>> OH, MAN, SO MUCH.

ERIC AND CATHY, IF WE GO BACK TO 194D, AT THAT TIME, UNIVERSALLY ADDICTION WAS SEEN AS A MORAL FAILING.

THERE WASN'T A PLACE FOR IT IN MAINSTREAM SOCIETY OR MAINSTREAM MEDICINE.

AND A GROUP OF PIONEERS BOUGHT A FARM FROM THE POWER FAMILY OF MARS AND POWER FAME AND THE FARM WAS CALLED HAZEL'S DEN AFTER ONE OF THE OWNERS AND IT BECAME OUR NAMESAKE.

A LOT HAS CHANGED IN 75 YEARS TO ALMOST NO TREATMENT AND ACCEPTANCE TO REALLY BEING STANDARD BEARERS OF TREATMENT.

AND PEOPLE THAT IN OUR CORE WE BELIEVE WE ARE A SOCIAL REFORM MOVEMENT.

CHANGING HEARTS, BUILDING COMMUNITIES, BUILDING HOPE.

>> Cathy: SO NOW THAT THIS ADDICTION'S BEEN KIND OF RECLASSIFIED FROM BEING A SOCIAL CONDITION TO MORE OF A MEDICAL ONE, THAT REDUCES SI SIGMA, DOESN'T IT?

>> YEAH, YEAH, THERE'S STILL A LONG WAYS TO GO FIGHTING STIGMA, ISSUES OF PARITY IN POLICY AND WHATNOT.

BUT I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE WORKED TOGETHER TO SET THE STAGE TO HAVE PEOPLE ACCEPT ADDITION AS A TREATABLE MEDICAL CONDITION.

IN FACT WE PUBLISH OUTCOMES EVERY YEAR SCIENTIFICALLY AND PEOPLE WITH ADDICTION ACTUALLY HAVE A BETTER PROGNOSIS THAN OTHER CHRONIC ILLNESSES LIKE DIABETES OR HEART DISEASE IF THEY GET HELP.

>> Eric: CAN YOU GIVE US SOME DEPTH ON THE FENTANYL EPIDEMIC?

IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S REALLY -- IS EXPLODING TOO STRONG A WORD, OR?

>> WELL, THERE'S UPS AND DOWNS IN IT.

FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS WE'VE HAD EXPLOSIVE OVERDOSE INCREASES.

IN THE PAST YEAR WE'VE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF A DIP.

I DON'T THINK WE'D CALL THAT A WIN YET.

AND THERE'S NEW DRUGS COMING ON, NOW PEOPLE ARE USING ANIMAL TRANQUILIZERS AND SEDATIVES AND MIXING IT INTO FENTANYL.

AND AS YOU KNOW I WORKED WITH YOUNG PEOPLE FOR A LONG TIME.

>> Eric: CHILD PSYCHIATRIST, YEAH.

>> WE HAVE A LONG WAYS TO GO.

LEARNING HOW TO BETTER ADDRESS THIS AS A SOCIETY.

POLICIES HAVE CHANGED, STATES HAVE TRIED DIFFERENT METHODS TO CONTROL IT, SOME SUCCESSES, SOME FAILURES BUT WE'RE LEARNING.

>> Cathy: WHAT'S ALSO CHANGED OF COURSE IS THAT ADDICTION'S BEING TREATED WITH MEDICATIONS WHICH WASN'T DONE IN THE PAST, RIGHT?

HOW MUCH OF A GAME-CHANGER IS THAT?

>> IT'S A TREMENDOUS GAME-CHANGER AND IT'S TAKEN A LONG TIME TO GAIN ACCEPTANCE.

PART OF IT HISTORICALLY A LOT OF PEOPLE IN RECOVERY WERE REJECTED FROM MEDICINE.

BUT WE'VE CREATED A BRIDGE AND SO AT HAZELDEN BETTY FORD WE BELIEVE THE GOLD STANDARD FOR OPIOID ADDICTIONS IS MEDICATIONS AND THERAPY.

YOU CAN USE ALL THE TOOLS AT OUR DISPOSAL TO GIVE PEOPLE THEIR LIVES BACK.

>> Eric: HOW DO YOU GET AT PEOPLE THAT NEED HELP AND MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT IT OR THINKS IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE?

WHAT ABOUT THAT OUTREACH COMPONENT?

>> YEAH, WELL, ACCESS IT IS A CHRONIC ISSUE IN THIS COUNTRY BECAUSE ADDICTION TREATMENT IS SIMPLY UNDER-RESOURCED AND SO WHILE IT'S RECOGNIZED AS A DISEASE, IF YOU GO TO ANY FANCY HOSPITAL, THE ADDICTION CENTERS, THE MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS, THEY'RE USUALLY IN THE BACK ANNEX, NOT THE FANCY PARTS OF THE HOSPITAL AS YOU WILL.

SO AS A MATTER OF RESOURCES, ACCESS IS REVERY CHALLENGING.

IN TERMS OF THE INDIVIDUAL AMBIVALENCE THAT PEOPLE HAVE ABOUT GETTING TREATMENT, THERE ARE MANY THERAPIES THAT WE EXERCISE LIKE MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING, YOU'VE HEARD MECFS PHRASES LIKE "MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY'RE AT" SO WHATEVER THE JOURNEY IS, NO WRONG DOOR, SURROUNDING THEM WITH LOVING FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES, AND IT WORKS.

>> Cathy: ISSUIC MENTIONED FENTANYL, OBVIOUSLY THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE BEEN ON THE FRONTLINE WITH, RIGHT?

BUT I'M WONDERING WITH MORE STATES LEGALIZING CANNABIS FOR RECREATIONAL USE ARE YOU EXPECTING TO RUN INTO ISSUES SAY WITH FOLKS WHO ARE YOUNGER WHO MIGHT BE SEEKING TREATMENT IN THE FUTURE IN IS >> YEAH, THE DIFFERENT PREDOMINANT DRUGS THAT CHANGE WITH GENERATIONS, THEY'LL ALWAYS CHANGE.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S HAPPENED IN THE COUNTRY DUE TO THE ADOPTION OF MORE LIBERAL POLICIES REGARDING MARIJUANA IN PARTICULAR, I THINK THE ADVENT OF THESE POLICY CHANGES WERE IN THE RIGHT SPIRIT.

TRYING TO REVERSE SOME OF MAYBE THE INJUSTICES OF THE WAR ON DRUGS, FOR EXAMPLE.

BUT THE REAL WINNERS ONZ THAT POLICY CHANGERS HAVE BEEN COMMERCIAL ENTITIES WHO ARE PEDDLING CANNABIS HAS ALCOHOL TO PEOPLE WHO RE ALREADY CONSUMING TOO MUCH.

AND THAT'S BEARING OUT AND THAT WILL AFFECT YOUNG PEOPLE.

I DON'T THINK IT WILL BE THE SAME AS THE OPIOID CRISIS WE'RE FACING NOW, BUT IT'S A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT LETTING INDUSTRIES AND ECONOMIES DICTATE THE CONSUMPTION OF PEOPLE WHO ARE VULNERABLE.

>> Cathy: YOU MENTIONED OUTCOMES.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT YOUR SUCCESS RATE, WHAT DO YOU SAY TO PEOPLE?

CAN YOU QUANTIFY SUCCESS RATES?

>> YEAH, ACTUALLY THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF RESEARCH DONE.

AND UNFORTUNATELY THERE ARE TRAGIC THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN ADDICTION.

OVERDOSES HAPPEN AND ALL OF THAT.

AND IT CAN TAKE MANY TRIES FOR A PERSON TO GET A YEAR OF SOBRIETY TOGETHER OR A YEAR OF RECOVERY TOGETHER.

BUT IF YOU LOOK LONG-TERM THE PROGNOSIS IS ACTUALLY QUITE FAVORABLE AND PEOPLE JUST NEED TO CONTINUE TO ENGAGE.

AND SO A LOT OF STIGMA SAYS A PERSON ENTERED OUTPATIENT THERAPY OR RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT AND MAYBE THEY RETURNED TO SE AND THEY SAY THAT TREATMENT FAILED.

WELL, NOT SO.

WE WOULDN'T SAY THAT FOR A PERSON TRYING TO GET THEIR BLOOD SUGAR UNDER CONTROL AND THEY COULDN'T.

IT IT'S NOT A FAILURE, IT'S AN EPISODE AND YOU STAY ENGAGED AND WHEN YOU O THAT LONGITUDINALLY OVER YEARS YOU HAVE MORE ND MORE SUCCESS.

>> Eric: DIVERSITY, EQUITY, HOW ARE YOU DOING ON THAT SCORE?

I'VE GOT 30 SECONDS FOR YOU TO DO IT, SORRY.

>> THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF OUR MISSION.

HISTORICALLY WE KNOW WE NEED TO BROADEN OUR BANNER TO SERVICE MORE PEOPLE.

OUR BOARD IS MORE DIVERSE, OUR LEADERS ARE MORE DIVERSE AND WE'RE PUTTING OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS.

WE'VE CREATED PROGRAMS IN OUR GRADUATE SCHOOL TO START A PATHWAY FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN MARGINALIZED SO THEY CAN BECOME COUNSELORS AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN MANY COMMUNITIES.

>> Cathy: YOUR BIG GALA IS COMING UP THIS FALL WITH ROB LOWE YOU MENTIONED.

>> SEPTEMBER 13TH, ROB LOWE WHO'S A BIG RECOVERY ADVOCATE WILL BE EMCEEING.

AND A MESSAGE OF GRATITUDE TO MINNESOTA OUR SOCIAL REFORM MOVEMENT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT