A new program with the New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) has allowed Odyssey House to expand its outpatient services to additional families and children in the Bronx. The partnership places a Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) from Odyssey House into the ACS facility.
This cutting edge service approach integrates coordinated care to the children and families affected by substance abuse in the child welfare system. The benefits of such a partnership include seamless care and safety coordination as well as the elimination of barriers in accessing substance abuse treatment.
The enhanced services were introduced at a joint meeting of regional managers and key staff from ACS, Odyssey House, and New York State Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) on July 18th. 
Pictured from left to right: Ronald Bridges, Deputy Director, Bronx Division of Child Protection (DCP); Ranji Lachmansingh, Clinical Supervisor, Odyssey House Outpatient Services; Dr. Gary Harmon, Vice President & Director of Research and Grants, Odyssey House; Charita Thomas, Acting Borough Commissioner, Bronx DCP; John Tavolacci, EVP & Chief Operating Officer, Odyssey House; Frances Carrero, Deputy Director of Administration, ACS; Lisa Bolling, Deputy Director, FSU; Ana Garcia, Child Welfare Coordinator, Odyssey House Outpatient Services; Monette Sachs, Director, Division of Substance Abuse Policy and Planning, ACS; Sharon Cadiz, Director, Clinical Consultation Program, ACS; Robert Anderson, Director of Adolescent, Outpatient and Admissions Services, Odyssey House; and Lureen McNeil, Deputy Director of NYC Operations and Director of NYS Recovery Services, OASAS
To the Editor:
While addiction has been recognized as a brain disease for many years, it is reassuring to see the medical establishment embrace addiction research and treatment in its training institutions.
Comparing substance use disorders to other chronic illnesses like diabetes and asthma is apposite, but doesn't tell the whole story. A vital distinction exists between treatment and recovery.
Treatment, whether residential or outpatient, is a discrete, time-limited experience. Recovery must be a lifelong process whereby individuals establish themselves within a community of their peers and together live out the principles learned in treatment.
Recognizing this difference is essential when developing an educational model. It's not continuing medical treatment that addicts need most, but a supportive recovery network to ensure their continued success once treatment is completed.
PETER PROVET
President and Chief Executive
Odyssey House
New York, July 12, 2011
Click here to read the original article, "Rethinking Addiction's Roots, and Its Treatment" (July 11, 2011), on The New York Times website.
Odyssey House was featured in an article by The Wall Street Journal about the Carver Community Garden in East Harlem. Earlier this spring, the Manor Family Center acquired two plots at the garden and, with the help of residents and their children, planted a variety of vegetables. More information on Odyssey House's participation in the garden and how it is being used as an educational tool for parents and children will be in our upcoming summer newsletter. Click here to read the full article.
Josiah Viacava, playing in Carver Community Garden, which is tilled by locals on East 124th Street. Josiah lives in the Odyssey House Family Center with his mother.
"Seeking Wholeness," an exhibition of mandala-inspired artwork, opened at the Haven Art Gallery in June. This is the sixth exhibition by members of the Odyssey House Art Project, composed of individuals in residential treatment for substance use and/or mental health disorders. This year's show explores mandalas as symbols of recovery and the search for spiritual wholeness. Artists, including the children of residents in treatment, were encouraged to use a variety of media, including painting, photography, needlepoint and a hand cranked spinning wheel, to capture the spirit embodied in these ancient images and portray how they continue to resonate and guide individuals in search of balance and wholeness.
Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning "circle." In various spiritual traditions, mandalas are used as a spiritual teaching tool, for establishing a sacred space, and as an aid to meditation. Preeminent psychologist Carl Jung saw the mandala as "an archetypal image whose occurrence is attested throughout the ages. It signifies the wholeness of the Self." He encouraged his patients to create them as "movement towards psychological growth, expressing the idea of a safe refuge, inner reconciliation and wholeness."
Artists interpreted the meaning of mandalas in different ways. Jose, an ElderCare client, created a visual interpretation of the baby boomer experience in the form of a clock. Using cut-out photos he created a circular timeline starting from 1945 to today. A self-taught artist, Jose gradually stopped making art until he joined the Odyssey House Art Project. “I was gratified to find I still had that creativity in me,” he said.
Fred, who entered our adult program in October 2010, found the art program to be one of the most rewarding and satisfying experiences he’s had at Odyssey House. He says it provides balance to the clinical aspect and gives him something to look forward to every day. More than that, the art program has helped him relieve stress and given him a new perspective. “Art has a redemptive power,” he said. "No matter how dark your past is, you can use it to create something beautiful.”
“Seeking Wholeness” will be open through December 23, 2010 at the Haven Art Gallery, 239 E. 121st Street in Harlem. View additional selections from the exhibition on our website.
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