Feb 17, 2022
Turning Point’s Dr. Peter Hayden recognized for leadership in African American community
Peter Hayden, PhD, founded Turning Point, Inc., in 1976 with a vision to help African Americans struggling with the disease of addiction. Forty-six years later and the Minneapolis organization has served more than 24,000 people. That’s just one reason Turning Point received the inaugural “Diversity, Inclusivity and Racial Equity Award” from the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP), and why the award now bears Dr. Hayden’s name.
“It’s such an honor to be recognized in this way,” Dr. Hayden said. “When I first initiated my own recovery from addiction, I never imagined earning a PhD or creating something like Turning Point that would endure so long and impact so many people. For me, it’s always been about our clients and our wonderful team at Turning Point, so I share this humbling recognition with all of them. It means even more to know this award will serve to inspire and recognize others who are doing great work to help people from historically underrepresented and marginalized backgrounds.”
With a guiding mission to provide substance use disorder treatment and other key support services to help people achieve wellness and live self-supportive lifestyles, Turning Point is an African American agency that provides culturally-specific substance use disorder treatment, housing, support services and training to adults. In 2015, the University of Minnesota identified Turning Point’s approach to culturally specific treatment for African Americans as an industry best practice. Turning Point also collaborates regularly with the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, a well-known national system of care, to share knowledge, tools and best practices and improve both organizations’ abilities to provide quality, accessible care to more people.
“With communities of color experiencing significant disparities in access to quality culturally competent care, as well as addiction outcomes, organizations like Turning Point and leaders like Dr. Hayden are crucial to the nation—not only because of the direct care they provide, but because of the experience they have to share with the rest of health care,” said Dr. Joseph Lee, president and CEO of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. “In Minnesota, for example, African Americans are twice as likely as white residents to experience a drug overdose. We have a lot of work to do collectively to change that, and I’m grateful for Dr. Hayden’s leadership and partnership, and thrilled that this honor will continue to lift up important voices and organizations like his in the years ahead.”
NAATP presented Dr. Hayden and Turning Point with its inaugural Diversity, Inclusivity and Racial Equity Award at a national conference late last year, and announced this month that, moving forward, the award will carry his name. Nominations for the 2022 “Dr. Peter Hayden Diversity, Inclusivity and Racial Equity Award” are now open. Criteria for the award—which honors individuals or organizations that have made diversity, inclusivity and equity a priority in clinical and operational practices—include diversity among staff, leadership, and governance; organization-wide and community training initiatives (e.g., anti-racism, gender inclusivity, social justice); implementation of culturally responsive clinical or recovery support programs; and demonstration of, or advocacy for, equitable access to services for communities that have faced exclusion or marginalization.
“Dr. Hayden’s leadership and community-centric approach have had a monumental impact not only on Turning Point’s programming and clients but also on the professionals throughout the country who see him as a leader and inspiration for the work they do,” said Marvin Ventrell, CEO of NAATP. “Turning Point’s grassroots efforts are a model for best practices in culturally specific substance use disorder treatment, and we are pleased to honor Dr. Hayden’s vital legacy for years to come.”
This year’s “Dr. Peter Hayden Diversity, Inclusivity and Racial Equity Award” will be presented at the NAATP national conference to be held May 7-9 in San Diego.
To hear more from Dr. Hayden, listen to his recent appearances on NAATP’s All Ears on Addiction podcast—Colors of Recovery—and Hazelden Betty Ford’s Let’s Talk Addiction and Recovery podcast—A Candid Conversation about Race, Recovery and Personal Transformation.
Click here to read a recent Treatment Magazine article titled - Peter Hayden: Breaking Barriers in Addiction Treatment
About Turning Point Inc.
Turning Point Inc. is an African American agency that provides culturally-specific substance use disorder treatment, housing, support services and training to adults. Our mission is to provide substance use disorder treatment and other key support services to help people achieve wellness and live self-supportive lifestyles. Turning Point was founded to meet the culturally-specific needs of African Americans utilizing a comprehensive, circle-of-sobriety program model. We have eight facilities in the Twin Cities, including our primary treatment center, a recovery center, a community meeting space, a resource library, two apartment buildings, a low-income family housing site and a "board-and-lodge" site. Turning Point's operations also include a Culturally Specific Service Center, which provides assistance to partners and collaborators such as the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. In 2015, the University of Minnesota identified Turning Point's approach to culturally-specific treatment for African Americans as an industry best practice. Learn more at OurTurningPoint.org.
