Call to action: Support Medicaid coverage for substance abuse treatment

Medicaid coverage of most substance abuse treatment programs, including Odyssey House, is in danger thanks to the IMD exclusion. This exclusion bars Medicaid from paying for community-based residential treatment at facilities of 16 beds or more. While the IMD exclusion originated in the 1960s as a means of ending the warehousing of patients in large psychiatric hospitals, today it is a significant barrier to providing care for our most vulnerable citizens.

After intensive and sustained advocacy by Treatment Communities of America, in early January Congressman Alcee Hastings (D-FL) is prepared to introduce legislation that would reform the IMD exclusion to allow for Medicaid reimbursement of residential treatment for substance use disorders (SUD). 

This is a significant milestone but the work is not done. We now need to build support and momentum for the effort by securing cosponsors for Congressman Hastings’ legislation.

Please take a few minutes to call your Member of the House of Representatives to urge them to cosponsor Congressman Hastings’ IMD exclusion reform legislation that will be introduced in January.

You can reach your Representatives via the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121. If you’re not sure who your Representative is, you can search by zip code here.

In the midst of the current opioid crisis, there is a huge shortage of treatment beds and many barriers to accessing treatment.  We can end one of those barriers by supporting the Hastings bill. 

THANK YOU!

#GiveHope on #GivingTuesday

Today is the day! It's the day that you can make a big impact on Odyssey House and on the mothers and children in our programs.  With your help, we'll raise funds to provide welcome baskets to new mothers entering our Manor Family Center, filled with all the supplies a new mother needs, as well as winter coats and accessories for the children in our programs. If you make a gift online TODAY, we will earn matching funds from our partner, Network for Good - making your support go even further. How can you be part of it? Here are a few simple ideas: Consider making a gift on #GivingTuesday. Help us get the word out on social media, using @OdysseyHouseNY and the hashtag #GivingTuesday. Take photos to post on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and share your support for Odyssey House. Do something kind for another person. Today's the day to #givehope to mothers working to rebuild their lives at Odyssey House.

DONATE NOW

Holiday Toy & Book Drive!

With the holidays approaching, our thoughts turn to the families in our care, including the many infants, toddlers, and preschoolers living with their parents in residential treatment.

Please join us in making a difference in a child’s life this season by contributing to a toy and book drive benefiting the children in our programs.

Holidays are a difficult time for families in recovery. Your support makes a big difference in the lives of parents who are working to rebuild their lives, and the small children whose developmental needs are also being served. Your gifts will be distributed at our annual Odyssey House Family Center holiday party on December 15th, bringing families together in a healthy, nurturing way to celebrate the spirit of generosity and sharing.

We welcome your donation of new, unwrapped toys and books for young children up to age 7. We are asking that all donations and/or contributions be submitted to the Odyssey House Family Center (219 East 121st Street), to the attention of Ms. Aries Young, Deputy Director of Early Educational Services, by Friday, December 11th. Or to schedule a pick-up, please contact Carolyn Abrams at cabrams@odysseyhouseinc.org or 212-361-1660.

Renowned Mexican choir brings song & dance to the Manor

Last month, Odyssey House hosted a performance by the Mexican student choir Estudiantina La Salle with special guest, renowned tenor Mauricio Trejo, at our Manor Family Center. The performers, 15 men and two women dressed in traditional costumes, played a mixture Mexican folk songs, pop tunes, and love songs. 

The performers were just as moved by the experience as the clients were. Mr. Trejo, right, an alumnus of the Estudiantina La Salle choir, said, “My soul was happy, my heart uplifted, and the image that will remain is all the people at the house becoming one.” 

Estudiantina La Salle is acclaimed for their exciting performances in Mexico, the United States, Japan, and Europe. In celebration of the choir’s 50th anniversary and Mexican Independence Day, they traveled to the United States to perform in New York City and Philadelphia. 

The clients and staff in attendance participated enthusiastically, singing and clapping at their seats, and dancing with the performers. 

The concert was arranged by Pro Musicis, an organization that brings musicians from around the world to perform in prisons, hospitals, centers for the disabled, substance abuse treatment facilities, assisted living units, and homeless shelters—for audiences who seldom, if ever, have the chance to hear live classical music.

Going the distance

Odyssey House Lafayette Avenue client Ashley's marathon journey was profiled by News 12's Jessica Cunnington. Check out the fantastic clip and remember to support the Odyssey House Marathon Team on Sunday, November 1st!

Celebrating Recovery Month: 10th Annual Run for Your Life

More than 1,000 people came out to Icahn Stadium on September 19th to show their support for men and women in treatment for substance use and mental health disorders at the 10th Annual Run for Your Life 5K Run & Recovery Walk. WPIX reporter Jay Dow emceed the event, which also featured fitness competitions, zumba lessons, and children’s races and activities. 

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, though unable to attend, sent a message of support: “My administration has made it a priority to provide all our residents with access to quality health care, and in these efforts, it is essential that we address every facet of a person’s well-being, including their mental health. Under the leadership of First Lady Chirlane McCray and the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, we are working to build a more inclusive mental health system that meets the needs of all New Yorkers. Odyssey House is an important ally in this mission, offering care and support to those suffering from mental illness, struggling with substance abuse disorders, or living with HIV/AIDS. Through its holistic counseling and rehabilitation programs, medical services, vocational training, housing assistance, and more, this organization helps individuals and families improve their lives and regain their dignity. Today’s event will enable Odyssey House to continue in its important work and celebrate the progress that its clients have achieved on the road to good health. I applaud this organization’s commitment to strengthening communities across our city."

Participants included clients from other NYC-based treatment agencies, friends and family of people in recovery, as well as representatives from the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) and our corporate partners. If you were unable to make it, visit our Flickr page to see the photos.

Thank you to everyone for making Run for Your Life such a successful event! 

NEW! Run for Your Life auction

Stop by the sponsor tent at Run for Your Life on September 19th for a chance to win some great prizes! We'll be auctioning off gift certificates to New York's hottest restaurants and more. Here's a peek at some of the items you'll be able to bid on:

• $100 gift certificate to Kilo, a hip neighborhood wine and tapas bar in Hell's Kitchen
• $200 gift certificate to Trading Post, a classic American restaurant and bar, nestled into a gorgeous cobblestone corner of the Financial District
• $75 gift certificate to Republic in Union Square, to get your noodle fix
• Dinner for 2 at Acqua, a rustic Italian restaurant in the historic South Street Seaport (valued at $200)
• $150 gift certificate to The Gander, a New American restaurant by one of NYC's "more inventive young chefs," Jesse Schenker
• $150 gift certificate to MarkJoseph Steakhouse, a "classic unbuttoned steakhouse" in the South Street Seaport
• Dinner for 2 at Scarpetta, a New York Times Critics' Pick serving Italian food that is "at once refined and soulful" (valued at $250)

We'll be adding more items as we get closer to the race, so check back regularly. The only way to win is to be there, so join us at Run for Your Life on September 19th to celebrate recovery. Register today!

Our Summer 2015 newsletter is now available!

The Summer 2015 edition of Odyssey House News is now available online. Read about our renovated medical clinic, latest art show, new services and more. Check it out and let us know what you think in the comments or on our Facebook wall. Click here to read it (pdf). If you'd like to receive a copy in the mail, please email your contact information to info(at)odysseyhouseinc.org.

And don't forget to join us on September 19th for our 10th Annual Run for Your Life celebration!

"Housing & recovery are joined at the hip"

In today's edition of The New York Times, Odyssey House President Dr. Peter Provet comments on a recent article examining New York City's response to an earlier investigative report (A Choice for Recovering Addicts: Relapse or Homelessness, May 30, 2015) on the deplorable conditions of three-quarter homes. 

 

Housing for Addicts

To the Editor:

Your investigative report on "three-quarter" homes (front page, Aug. 3) exposes flaws in a system that places vulnerable people with substance abuse and/or mental disorders in living situations with providers who at best do nothing to support their recovery, and at worst propel them toward drug use and chaos through crowded, substandard living conditions.

It is troubling to all of us who provide treatment services that people who leave our programs with the tools to live sober and independent lives are just one bad placement away from falling back into addiction. But the fact is that housing and recovery are joined at the hip.

Within long-term recovery, however, stable housing is necessary but not sufficient. Quality outpatient and recovery services are essential to maintaining successes achieved in what can otherwise devolve into a chronic relapsing disorder. That some corrupt providers may exist should not obscure the fact that hundreds of others offer critical community-based services that allow thousands in recovery to flourish.

PETER PROVET

President and Chief Executive

Odyssey House

New York, April 3, 2014

Poetry and medicine

A poem by Odyssey House Medical Director Dr. Anne Lifflander was recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Volume 314, Number 4). Let us know what you think!

The Questioning Clinician

Is tender loving care-able
A measurable variable?
And do we have the power to detect
What could happen if we reject
The linear limits of cause and effect?
And try to avoid, if we are able
Only counting what we can label
Or would we simply lose our seat at the table?

Graduates look to the future

Passing the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (the high school equivalency exam that replaced General Educational Development test in NYS) enables Odyssey House residents of any age to reach a higher platform of educational achievement and gain numerous personal, financial and social benefits. Today, Odyssey House held a graduation ceremony for 33 residents who earned their high school equivalency diplomas to celebrate their success.

Elyssa Gersen-Thurman, director of work readiness for HOPE Program, congratulated the graduates for their perseverance: “Prepping for this exam while actively engaged in the recovery process is an endeavor that requires dedication and stamina that would make most people give up.” Ms. Gersen-Thurman urged them to continue on with their education, reminding everyone that “learning does not have to take place in a classroom or school, or even cost money.”

April S., the graduate speaker from the Manor Family Center,  described how her education was derailed after a car accident in high school left her with traumatic brain injury and short-term memory loss, and unable to walk or talk for three months. After regaining her ability to walk and talk, April attempted to return to school but was beset with difficulties stemming from the accident. Now a mother of two, April used her time in treatment to get her degree and be a good role model for her children.

April (left) credits her support system, including friends like Cheryl (right), for encouraging her to work on her recovery and pursue a high school equivalency diploma.

“Last year I asked my daughter what she wanted to be when she grew up and she said, ‘I want to be just like you, Mommy.’” I knew then I had to go back to school and show my children that they can accomplish anything they want if they work hard and believe in themselves,” April said.

Odyssey House’s Vocational Rehabilitation Services, in partnership with the New York City Department of Education and Project Restart, provides on-site educational services available to all residential clients and administers the TASC four times a year.

What is Your Spirit Animal?

“What is Your Spirit Animal?,” the eighth exhibition by members of Odyssey House Art Project, opens on Thursday, July 9th. Please join us for a festive reception with great food, refreshing beverages and more, while you view exciting new artwork by our clients.

For this year's show, members of the Odyssey House Art Project explored spirit animals as a means of expression. Click here to learn more and see a preview of the artwork.

Odyssey House Haven Art Gallery

Thursday, July 9, 4 - 7 pm

239 E. 121st St, New York, NY

RSVP!

Last year, Odyssey House opened Soundview Avenue, a NewYork State Office of Mental Health-funded supportive housing building that provides permanent housing in the Bronx for 56 single, low income adults living with special needs. To mark our one-year anniversary of providing services, we held a breakfast for our tenants, neighbors, and community partners.

We had a great turnout from the community, including representatives from the 43^rd Precinct Community Council, the Soundview Residence Council, Urban Health Plan, and Leake & Watts. Dr. Sidney Hargrave, vice chair of the Bronx Community Board #9, said, “Odyssey House has been a partner with Community Board 9 for years. Thank you for being a beacon in this community. This is one of the best residences in our district.”

 Ruth S., a tenant who moved into Soundview Avenue in January 2014, addressed the crowd to talk about her experiences in the shelter system and how her life has turned around since moving in: “I felt insecure, hopeless and sad all the time – I isolated myself and my mental illness worsened. It’s comforting to have my independence back and stability in my life. Odyssey House has made me feel better; for the past year, I have felt safe.”

Save the date! Run for Your Life celebrates 10 years

10th Annual Run for Your Life

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Join us at Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island for music, entertainment, children’s activities and more in commemoration of National Recovery Month! The fun begins at 9:30 am with children’s races. Online registration will open in July.

Caring for Every Child’s Mental Health

Last week, the Odyssey House Manor Family Center joined communities across the country in celebrating the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day to highlight the importance of caring for every child’s mental health. This year marked the 10th anniversary of Awareness Day and focused on the needs of children, youth, and young adults with mental and substance use disorders and their families.

To commemorate Awareness Day, the Manor Family Center held a book reading and activity for the children and their mothers. The book, Our Gracie Aunt by Jacqueline Woodson, concerned young children coping with their mother’s mental illness. They then participated in an art project where they illustrated different emotions.

Children react to a passage from Our Gracie Aunt.

 “Awareness Day is an opportunity for us to celebrate the positive impact that we can have on the lives of children, youth and young adults when we are able to integrate positive mental health into every environment,” said Dr. Peter Provet, president and CEO of Odyssey House. “When we focus on building resilience and social-emotional skills in young children from birth, we can help young children, youth, and their families thrive.”

Our 2014 Annual Report is now available

Our 2014 Annual Report is now online! The report includes infographics on our treatment services and populations, an overview of our growing portfolio of supportive housing programs, and a look at the key events of 2014.

Most importantly, this report also features profiles of clients who believe in sharing their recovery. They have overcome addiction, mental illness, homelessness, and trauma. For them, and the thousands of people we help each year, we are proud to say Odyssey House is where recovery lives. Read the report here.

A mother in recovery

In honor of Mother's Day, we are sharing Samantha's story. Samantha is in treatment with her two young children at our Family Center of Excellence. 

When Samantha entered Odyssey House mere days after giving birth to her second child, she was looking for a second chance – to be a better mother, to secure a brighter future, to achieve a sustainable recovery. 

A few years earlier, Samantha had spent 13 months in another treatment program for opiate addiction. She was clean for four years before relapsing. “I didn’t have the right attitude the first time around. I didn’t think I needed to be there.” But now, as a mother of two young children, ages eight months and three years, recovery took on a whole new significance. 

“It’s not just about me anymore. I’m committed to recovery in a way I wasn’t before – I’m far more open-minded and receptive to treatment. If I don’t stay clean, I’ll lose everything and I’m not going to let that happen. I have two lives depending on me.” 

Though the process has been overwhelming at times, being in treatment with her children has kept Samantha motivated. “The nursery has been incredibly helpful, and the parenting groups are amazing. I’ve learned healthy coping skills, appropriate discipline techniques, and patience.” 

As Samantha nears the end of her treatment at Odyssey House, she has been preparing for the future – training to become a home health aide and seeking assistance with housing. “When I leave here, it’ll be the first time having a place of my own. I can’t wait to have a fresh start, and to demonstrate to my kids why it’s important to put your best foot forward and do the right thing.”

In the Odyssey House Family Center of Excellence, mothers learn how to break the cycle of substance abuse and create a nurturing home for their children. Mothers and their young children live together in bright, comfortable quarters as part of a community that is safe, supportive and enjoyable. Click here for more information.

Supportive housing building receives LEED Silver certification

Last year, Odyssey House opened Soundview Avenue, a New York State Office of Mental Health-funded building that provides permanent housing in the Bronx for 56 single, low income adults living with special needs. Designed to be our first eco-friendly building, Soundview Avenue incorporates environmentally sustainable and energy-efficient design, construction, operation, and maintenance practices. We are pleased to announce that Soundview Avenue, a LEED-certified project, has now achieved Silver level certification, a first for a NYS Office of Mental Health-funded supportive housing program.

LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is a certification program by the US Green Building Council that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices. To receive LEED certification, building projects satisfy prerequisites and earn points to achieve different levels of certification. Key green design features that contributed to our Silver certification include drought-resistant landscaping; water-saving fixtures; daylight and occupancy sensors; low-VOC paints and materials; Energy Star appliances; and bike storage.

In the news: Binge drinking & older adults

Many people hear "binge drinking" and think primarily of college students. But a recent CDC report found that the age group most likely to die of alcohol poisoning is actually white men, ages 35-64.

WPIX reporter Carolyn Costello spoke to Odyssey House Vice President, Director of Adult Residential Services Justin Mitchell and one of our ElderCare clients about the reasons why binge drinking is such a problem among this population.

Celebrating with your sober sweetheart

Two of the most common relapse triggers are relationships and holidays, making Valentine’s Day an especially tough day for people in recovery. There are many reasons why this day can be a trigger, including:

• You feel pressure to make the day extra special to make up for past disappointments;
• You’re single and unhappy about it; or
• You don’t know how to celebrate sober.

Here are some tips to stay clean and sober this Valentine’s Day: 

• Relax. Talk to your partner about your concerns and work together to find ways to make the day special. Lifehacker has some great tips for a stress-free holiday, whether you're in a relationship or single.
• Find new ways to celebrate. Stay in and make a dinner for two instead of going out. Have a mocktail party with your single friends in recovery. Or go to a comedy club and forget about Valentine’s Day altogether. Want more ideas? Here are 10 more.
• Get some perspective. Instead of focusing on yourself and your relationship (or lack of one), volunteer with a nonprofit, reach out to your peers in recovery, or do something nice for your community. 

Remember, Valentine's Day means loving yourself too. Have any tips of your own? Leave them in the comments!

In the news: Peer mentoring for parolees

"I'm only looking forward," - Michael Everett

The Bronx Free Press covered our new peer mentoring program for parolees in its January 21st edition. Reporter Gregg McQueen visited our outpatient clinic in the Bronx to speak with Mary Callahan, senior manager, director of Outpatient Services, and Michael Everett, a certified recovery coach, about this innovative program and how it will help reduce recidivism in participants. Check out the full article here.

Our Winter 2015 newsletter is now available!

The Winter 2015 edition of Odyssey House News is now available! Read about our expanded peer mentoring programs, recovery month celebrations, new board members, and more. Check it out and let us know what you think in the comments or on our Facebook wall. If you'd like to receive a copy in the mail, please email your contact information to info(at)odysseyhouseinc.org.

New peer mentoring program targets parolee recidivism

OdysseyHouse has been awarded a two-year, $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to implement a pre- and post-release mentoring and recovery program for parolees at the Edgecombe Correctional Facility (ECF) in Northern Manhattan. The program builds on the successful peer-mentoring model Odyssey House provides as part of its outpatient services and the intensive 45-day in-prison treatment program it currently operates at ECF for technical violators of parole.

The new mentoring program will provide services for up to 200 parolees and create a bridge from prison to community living during the critical re-entry period when many inmates are at risk of relapse.

Since the ECF program was established in 2008 through a joint effort with New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), New York State Department of Corrections (DOCS), New York State Division of Parole, and Odyssey House, more than 3,660 inmates have participated in a holistic program designed to reduce recidivism and dependence on alcohol and/or drugs. An estimated 80 percent of state prison inmates have histories of drug or alcohol abuse, and approximately two-thirds of offenders in re-entry are re-arrested within three years of release, with 52 percent returning to prison for a technical violation or a new crime. 

As part of the Edgecombe Peer Mentoring Program (EPMP), Odyssey House counseling advocates, who are Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselors, will work on-site at the prison to provide group recovery services. These groups will enhance treatment services currently offered by Odyssey House to assist inmates in creating a crucial support network that will be in place as they leave prison. This approach will provide a seamless continuum of service for parolees by linking them to a network of peer mentors who will serve as their recovery coaches as they adjust to sober lifestyles in their communities. The post-release component will be provided by volunteer recovery coaches consisting of individuals who have completed treatment and are in sustained recovery. All peer mentors will have received training in evidence-based programs including: Recovery Coaching; Thinking for Change; and Motivational Enhancement Therapy.

Dr. Peter Provet, president and CEO of Odyssey House, said he was excited to be partnering with the Department of Justice and NYS agencies in this innovative program that directs resources at reducing recidivism. “We know we can break the cycle of addiction and incarceration when treatment, law enforcement, and criminal justice agencies work together to provide real alternatives that help people with substance use disorders find a new way of living that supports recovery, offers work and life skills, and protects against relapse and recidivism.”