Odyssey House preschoolers sing "Feliz Navidad"

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season, from our family to yours!

Our winter newsletter is now available

The latest edition of Odyssey House News is now online, featuring stories about our recovery month celebrations, new programs and services, playground build, and more. Download it here and let us know what you think.

Teen theatre project gets funded for third consecutive year

The Odyssey House Theatre Project for adolescents in treatment will start a new season of performance, writing, and production skills training in early 2011, thanks to a $38,500 grant from the Elizabeth and Barets O. Benjamin Charitable Foundation. This is the third grant the Foundation has made to this innovative theatre project that teaches teens with substance abuse and related disorders how to express themselves through creative writing and performance.

The 2011 grant will support a three-month-long intensive writing and acting curriculum that culminates in the production of an original play written and performed by the teens for a professional stage. The program also includes field trips to expose the students to a variety of NYC live theatre productions, a series of summer workshops, and program evaluation.

This year’s 2010 Odyssey House Theatre Project participants wrote and performed an original play called “When you Shake the Tree,” which looked at what it means to be a teenager forced to grow up fast in a city where drugs, drink, and sex are all in the family. Broadway veteran Norm Lewis, who recently starred in the hit show “Sondheim on Sondheim,” is closely involved in the project as acting coach, spokesperson, and mentor. Norm calls the teens’ work “a surprisingly vibrant shake up of family life: the secrets, the hurts, and the healing.”

Odyssey House President Dr. Peter Provet emphasized this pioneering project would not be possible without the support of the Foundation’s Trustees. “Their commitment to providing underserved youth with creative outlets available to more affluent teens is increasingly rare in the nonprofit world. For our young people, who typically come from families and communities on the margins of society, the program offers significant benefits that carry over in their engagement in treatment and overall improved self-esteem. We owe a debt of gratitude to the Foundation for not only bringing this project to life, but for staying with it as it grows.”

South African delegation visits Edgecombe program

Odyssey House's Edgecombe Residential Treatment Program recently hosted an 11-member delegation from the South Africa Department of Correctional Services. Darrin Brown, director of Edgecombe, said the delegation, led by Correctional Services National Commissioner Tom Moyane, was particularly interested in the collaborative design of the program as well as our re-entry efforts related to community reengagement.

The visit was part of a seven day tour that included visits to a maximum security facility, a community corrections office, a juvenile center, a female facility, and a pre-release center. South Africa Minister of Correctional Services Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula previously visited Edgecombe and other DOCS facilities in April 2010, after which she decided to return with a group of regional commissioners that are central in conceptualizing and driving the implementation of departmental transformation programs aimed at better service delivery.

Above: The South African delegation with Edgecombe staff.

Above right: Commissioner Tom Moyane and Edgecombe Director Darrin Brown.

The Edgecombe Residential Treatment Program is a comprehensive substance abuse treatment program designed to reduce the risk of re-incarceration. It is a collaborative effort by Odyssey House, NYS Division of Parole, NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services, and NYS Department of Correctional Services. Click here for more information.

Breaking the cycle of violence

Last month, in recognition of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Odyssey House collaborated with the Center for Anti-Violence Education (CAE) to provide a series of workshops for more than 100 clients and staff. The workshops, held at the Manor and MABON, covered topics such as safety and prevention strategies, de-escalation of violence, conflict resolution exercises, group discussion, and self-awareness/self-care and healing exercises.

Providing education around alternatives to violence is essential in treatment programs as many clients have complex histories of trauma and abuse, and previously have had little opportunity to address them. Bringing CAE to Odyssey House presented an opportunity to do something fresh and new while providing essential information to help increase safety and control over certain behaviors.

The feedback from the participating clients was overwhelmingly positive and showed that the information resonated with them. Some specific comments include: "I will try to use words instead of fighting," "I feel that I learned skills for a lifetime," "I'll be more aware of the role my reactions can have with regard to disputes or conflict," and "It made me realize that fighting doesn't resolve anything."

Founded in 1974, CAE is a Brooklyn-based organization that develops and implements violence prevention programs for children, teens, women, LGBTQI individuals, people living with HIV/AIDS, people in recovery, survivors of domestic violence, and other at-risk communities.

Odyssey House develops healthy eating program with support from Aetna

Aetna is continuing its support of Odyssey House with the development of a new initiative called Creating Healthy Eating Families (CHEF). This new program will provide hands-on nutrition and cooking classes for mothers living with their children in the Odyssey House Family Centers. The $25,000 grant will allow us to focus on improving the basic nutrition and eating habits of mothers and children, including crafting individual obesity prevention plans to establish goals in the areas of food selection, eating behaviors and frequency of exercise.

This is the third grant by Aetna to Odyssey House, and the second in two years to support our health and wellness programs. Last year, we created a health literacy program aimed at improving overall physical health and quality of life for young families in treatment.

To learn more about CHEF, read the full press release here.

Dr. Provet on the risks of caffeinated alcoholic drinks

The New York Times published a letter to the editor by Odyssey House President Dr. Provet on the dangers caffeinated alcoholic beverages pose to underage drinkers. Read the letter below and let us know what you think. To read the original article, click here.

November 3, 2010
The Risks in Alcoholic Drinks

To the Editor:

In "Doctors Point to Caffeinated Alcoholic Drinks' Dangers" (news article, Oct. 27), alarming reports of inebriated students ending up in emergency rooms are the tip of the iceberg.

The broader problem is the number of young people who are being manipulated by targeted marketing strategies into abusing this dangerous mix of chemical antagonists that could irreversibly damage their still-developing brains.

Treatment centers across the country repair the lives of thousands of troubled teenagers whose
multiple dysfunctions can be traced back to abuse of inexpensive alcoholic beverages explicitly created to entice the lucrative and impressionable youth market.

This latest business twist, adding a high dose of caffeine to mask the effect of alcohol in sweetened drinks, has long-term consequences: heavy alcohol use in adolescence has been found to lead to a reduction in attention and executive brain functioning.

How many more young people will fail to reach their full potential before we take Four Loko and beverages like it off supermarket shelves?

Peter Provet
President and Chief Executive Officer
Odyssey House

What do you think of this trend? Do you think the beverage companies are deliberately marketing to underage consumers?

Odyssey House in the news

Coverage of this year's Run for Your Life event, as well as news of Odyssey House staff member Jeremy King's selection as CASAC-T of the Year, were featured in the October edition of New York Nonprofit Press. You can download a pdf of the issue here.


The 2010 Recovery Rally on September 25th at Randall's Island in NYC kicked off with a presentation by OASAS Commissioner Karen Carpenter-Palumbo (left) of "CASAC-T of the Year Award" to Jeremy King, clinical information systems coordinator at Odyssey House. Alongside them, left to right, are Odyssey House President Dr. Peter Provet and OASAS Executive Deputy Commissioner Kathleen Caggiano-Siino.

Additionally, news that Odyssey House was awarded a three-year, $1.2 million SAMHSA grant to create a recovery support network was covered by New York Nonprofit Press, Addiction Professional and Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly. Find out more about this innovative program here and read the coverage here.

Manor Family Center gets a new playground

Last Saturday, more than 250 volunteers from KaBOOM! , Kraft Foods and New York Academy of Medicine, in addition to volunteers from local universities and community organizations, joined Odyssey House staff and clients to build a new playground at the Manor Family Center.

New York's First Lady Michelle Paige Paterson kicked off the build with some inspiring words about the importance of play. Watch this short video to see what she had to say and to get a glimpse of what the day was like.

Here's a preview of photos of the day's activities. More will be posted on our Flickr page soon.

NY First Lady Michelle Paterson & Odyssey House President Dr. Peter Provet.

Mixing cement for installation.

Installing one of the slides.

Painting the mural.

Thank you to our volunteers for your hard work!

Refreshing our visual identity

A few months ago, Odyssey House began working with premier branding company Siegel+Gale to explore new ways to communicate our unique offerings in a fresh and engaging way. The result is a new logo in five brilliant colors, reflecting the vibrancy and diversity of people and services Odyssey House encompasses. Take a look at this short video to see what the new Odyssey House logo is all about, and let us know what you think of our new look.

Building a peer support system for people in early recovery

Odyssey House has been awarded a three-year, $1.2 million grant by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to fund enhanced services for individuals and families in recovery from alcohol and substance use disorders. The new program, called the Odyssey House Recovery Oriented Care System (OHROCS), will deliver recovery support services using the evidence-based Therapeutic Community peer mentoring model that includes coaching, personal recovery plans, peer-to-peer support groups and incentives.

Dr. Peter Provet, president of Odyssey House, said, "A peer support system that builds on techniques individuals learn in treatment offers an exciting opportunity to extend the reach of recovery services to where people live and work."

To learn more about OHROCS, read the press release here.

Run for Your Life photos & video now online

Check our our slideshow of photos from the 5th Annual Run for Your Life and let us know what you think. If you have pictures of your own that you'd like to share, post them to our Facebook page or send them to info@odysseyhouseinc.org.



Watch a video of Odyssey House President Dr. Peter Provet and OASAS Commissioner Karen Carpenter-Palumbo kicking off the 5K race.

Teens continue their theater training

The Odyssey House Theatre Project (OHTP), following their debut of "When You Shake the Tree" at Theatre Row, picked up again this summer for a six week workshop series. Each week, Odyssey House teens, including some clients new to the project, continued studying the craft of acting and writing through a rigorous three-hour immersion class, giving OHTP the opportunity to build upon their initial success at Theatre Row while cultivating future talent for next year's project.

In support of this summer series, OHTP attended several productions, including an innovative staging of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" by the Hudson Warehouse in Riverside Park. Artistic director Nicholas Martin Smith set the play in present day Afghanistan, illuminating the traditional conflict in the story amidst the back drop of America's presence on foreign soil, and in the process demonstrating how a play written in the 16th century could be relevant today. After the performance, producer Susane Lee, Nicholas Martin Smith and the entire cast hosted a private Q&A for the OHTP.


Hudson Warehouse's production of Romeo and Juliet

And if you missed the performance of "When You Shake the Tree," check out these clips on the OHTP YouTube channel.

And the CASAC-T of the Year award goes to...

Jeremy King, clinical information system coordinator at Odyssey House! Jeremy was one of five recipients of New York's annual addiction professionals awards. The awards are given by the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) to individuals "whose work prevents substance abuse and offers the hope of recovery to the 2.5 million New Yorkers suffering from drug, alcohol or gambling addiction."

OASAS Commissioner Karen Carpenter-Palumbo presented the award to Jeremy at the Run for Your Life event on September 25th, praising him for his contributions to quality improvement projects and tobacc0-free initiatives, and for becoming a role model and mentor to clients training for the NYC marathon in the Run for Your Life program.

Accepting the award, Jeremy said, "I would like to thank Commissioner Carpenter-Palumbo for the recognition today as well as the leadership of Odyssey House - including Dr. Peter Provet, John Tavolacci and Jeff Savoy - for their innovative spirit and progressive mindset. Most importantly, though, I want to thank the Odyssey House clients for providing me with the inspiration for my continued success in this field. It is your collective determination, strength, and commitment to the recovery process that makes my work meaningful and enjoyable."

Please join us in congratulating Jeremy on his distinguished award!

Improving health literacy for families in treatment

Earlier this month, Odyssey House clinical staff conducted a Health Literacy seminar for our Family Center clients. Nearly three dozen mothers and fathers participated in the event, which served as the final component of the Aetna Foundation-funded Health Education and Literacy Program (OH HELPS).

During the seminar, learning was reinforced through practical and interactive exercises in taking temperatures, dosing medication, and seeking medical help. Each participant received an OH HELPS goodie bag that included a cold kit, a digital thermometer, and a first aid kit. The day closed with an entertaining version of "Baby Talk" Jeopardy that enabled the participants to demonstrate their newly improved levels of health literacy.

OH HELPS was developed with funding from Aetna. Odyssey House partnered with the Community Pediatrics Department at Columbia University Medical Center to develop and deliver the initial curriculum that focused on basic health care topics, including: "When and How to Use an Emergency Room," "Treating Colds and Flus," "Immunization," and "Basic Home Health Procedures." These sessions were delivered over the course of the year by second year pediatric inters from Columbia University Medical Center and Odyssey House staff.

The final half-day seminar served as a means to strengthen our clients' family-focused and practical health literacy, and to celebrate the successful implementation of the OH HELPS program into our Family Centers. Odyssey House will continue to conduct these seminars on a quarterly basis.

Celebrating recovery in New York

Last Saturday, thousands of recovery supporters and treatment programs from across the state joined Odyssey House to celebrate recovery at the 5th Annual Run for Your Life 5K, part of the 3rd Annual New York Recovery Rally.

More photos and videos to come, but in the meantime check out this clip from WABC-TV Eyewitness News on the day's events.



Thank you to all of our sponsors, participants and volunteers for making our 5th race such a success! Your support makes a real difference in the lives of families struggling to get back on their feet; teenagers working towards a brighter future; and senior citizens determined to live a dignified drug-free life. See you next September!

Make your bid to support Odyssey House

The online portion of the Odyssey House Run for Your Life 2010 auction is now open and will run through September 25th, with the live event taking place at our 5K race at Icahn Stadium. Auction items range from vacation getaways to sports memorabilia to luxurious spa services, all guaranteed to delight and surprise.

Now is your chance to not only get all the great items you want, but to do it knowing you are helping support our organization and mission. Proceeds from the auction support our programs that provide a safe, supportive residential community with an emphasis on beginning drug-free lives, family reunification, and educational and vocational training.

Place your bid
Whether you're looking for something unique for yourself, searching for a gift for a special someone, or looking to add a little adventure to your life, you're sure to find something in our auction. Every bid helps support our cause.

Tell your friends
The success of this online auction depends on spreading the word to as many people as possible. We need your help. Please Refer a Friend and encourage them to participate so they don't miss a single moment of the fun and excitement!

Register for the Run for Your Life 5K
This FREE fun-filled community event will include children's activities, free t-shirts, refreshments and entertainment. Bring your family and friends!

Monkey bars and spiral slides: a new playground for the Manor

The kids at the Odyssey House Manor will soon be getting a state-of-the-art playground to call their own. Partnering with Kraft Foods Foundation and the New York Academy of Medicine, KaBOOM! has selected Odyssey House as one of their community partners once again.

To get the project started, we held a Design Day on August 19, where the kids had the opportunity to draw their dream playground. Elements from their drawings will be incorporated into the design of the playground. Check out the video and slideshow below to see some of the kids' ideas.

On Saturday, October 9th, volunteers from Odyssey House, Kraft Foods, New York Academy of Medicine and the community will build the playground in one day. If you're interested in volunteering, please send an email to info@odysseyhouseinc.org.

How do we measure success? Read our annual report to find out

In our 2009 annual report, "Measuring Success," we present the key measurements that help us ensure the delivery of effective, high-quality services for the people we serve. Take a look and leave your feedback in the comments section - we'd love to hear from you!

Register today for Run for Your Life!

Online registration for the 2010 Run for Your Life 5K on September 25th is now open. Click here to register for FREE! Don't forget to bring your friends and family members and support men, women and children in recovery.

Summer 2010 newsletter is now available online

Visit our website to view the summer 2010 edition of Odyssey House News. In this edition, you'll read about the Park Avenue opening, a new program for mothers in treatment, introductions to new board members and much more!

The challenges of treating teens

Below is Odyssey House President Dr. Peter Provet's response to an article posted on TIME.com questioning the effectiveness of adolescent drug treatment (see "Does Teen Drug Rehab Cure Addiction or Create It?" June 16, 2010). Read his response and let us know what you think in the comments.

Maia Szalavitz presents a provocative criticism of adolescent drug treatment in America and questions admissions policies that lump teens together regardless of individual circumstances. This is an anathema to good treatment, which should always start with a careful assessment of the severity substance abuse has and its impact on the teen’s behavior at school, at home, and among his or her peer group. Teens should ideally be surrounded by those who are at similar levels of disturbance, whether in outpatient or residential treatment.

If Szalavitz had expanded her article to include interviews with adolescent treatment providers, she would have found most agree that 12-Step programs are not ideally suited for teens. Messages of powerlessness are too easily interpreted by adolescents as passivity, which is a disincentive to adolescent drive, and because their religious and spiritual identities are just forming, they are typically too immature for the 12-Steps’ adamant calling.

Family therapy must be the crux of adolescent drug treatment and in a large therapeutic community (TC) such as Odyssey House, we have developed programs that combine family and individual therapy with group treatment. Group work is important however – if not critical – because of its constructive impact on teens’ success, as positive peer pressure replaces negative peer demands. Teens who follow the rules, pursue their education, behave respectfully towards others and authority figures, and subscribe to an accepted social and moral set of principles are placed in positions of authority and emulated by the group.

In sum, quality improvement pertaining to adolescent drug treatment incorporating group work must continue. So let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

THIRTEEN honors Odyssey House residents at GED graduation

Eight Odyssey House residents participated in THIRTEEN's annual GED graduation ceremony on June 22nd. More than 120 graduates from THIRTEEN's GED adult education program were honored at the ceremony, which was held at the Scholastic Auditorium.




Speakers included Dr. Ellen Bergman, superintendent of Mt. Pleasant Blythedale Schools; NYC Councilmember Robert Jackson; Jann Coles from the NYC Department of Education; and Paul Kim from the Mayor's Office of Adult Education.

THIRTEEN is a flagship station of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) for New York City offering unique cultural and educational programming, including GED Connection.

Ribbon cutting officially opens new supportive housing program

A ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday marked the official opening of Park Avenue, our new supportive housing program in East Harlem. More than 100 Odyssey House employees, supporters and community members attended the celebration, which featured speeches by Adolfo Carrion, Regional Administrator, US Department of Housing & Urban Development; Odyssey House President Dr. Peter Provet; and New York State Office of Mental Health officials Michael Newman (Director, Bureau of Housing Development & Support) and Caren Abate (Assistant Housing Director, NYC Field Office).

Mr. Carrion, a former Bronx borough president and a longtime proponent of supportive housing, thanked Odyssey House for "helping people live their lives in more productive ways," a sentiment echoed by Park Avenue tenant Jack C., who said the program has given him the opportunity to improve his life. Jack, who has struggled with depression and substance abuse for many years, called his new home his "oasis." He continued, "For the first time in a long time, I know better days are ahead and I'm optimistic for the future."

See earlier posts for more information about the program. Check out photos of the building and ribbon cutting ceremony on Flickr.

Park Avenue ribbon cutting: Wednesday, June 23rd

Odyssey House will officially open Park Avenue on Wednesday, June 23rd at 10 am. Adolfo Carrion, Regional Director, US Department of Housing & Urban Development, will be on hand for the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Open for occupancy since March, Park Avenue is a new 50-unit, single occupancy building for men and women with special needs. The building provides a supportive, independent living environment for individuals who have overcome many life challenges, including mental illness, drug and alcohol abuse, and homelessness. The tenants have all completed treatment for mental illness problems and are able, with minimal support, to live in community-based housing.

The building has a number of amenities designed to allow tenants to live independently, including a well-furnished gym, laundry room, multi-purpose meeting room, communal dining room, and lounges on each floor to encourage socialization. The landscaped backyard features an art installation by the Odyssey House Art Project, "Becoming Whole," which explores life's journey of discovery from infancy through adulthood.

The project was developed by Odyssey House with capital and operational funding from New York State Office of Mental Health and capital from low-income housing tax credits. The land was acquired from New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development through ULURP. The building was designed by Urban Architectural Initiatives and built by Rende Contracting Corporation.

Photos of the building, including the art installation, are available on Flickr. Read about the construction of the building here.

OHTP debuts "When You Shake the Tree"

The Odyssey House Theatre Project returned to Broadway last weekend with a new ensemble and a daring original play. An ensemble comprised of Odyssey House teens, directed by PossibleArts artistic director Tom Demenkoff, performed "When You Shake the Tree," at the Studio Theatre on 42nd Street. The play was written by the teenagers during a three-month theater immersion workshop. The project gave them an opportunity to find their voices, flex their bodies, and open their minds through improvisation, playwriting, music and art.

Exposed to an intensive program similar to the training process of a professional ensemble, members of the Odyssey House Theatre Project embarked on a journey of self-discovery and creative discipline. The result is a bold new play that takes a fresh perspective on trouble at home. Broadway star Norm Lewis, who mentored the teens, called the play "a vibrant shake up of family life: the secrets, the hurts and the feelings."

The workshop was funded by a generous grant from the Elizabeth and Barets O. Benjamin Foundation. For more information on the project, including a blog chronicling the teens' journey, visit the Odyssey House Theatre Project website.

Save the date! Run for Your Life, 9/25/2010

Our 5th Annual Run for Your Life 5K Fun Run/2 Mile Walk will be held on Saturday, September 25th at Icahn Stadium. More information will be posted on our website in June. See you there!

Join us on May 10th for Your Story Matters Day

Celebrate Your Story Matters Day with Odyssey House, the Office of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), NYS legislators and hundreds of recovery supporters this Monday in Albany. We'll be sending a number of our residents to this second annual recovery rally and press event, hosted by OASAS.

Your Story Matters Day celebrates New Yorkers who are living successful, meaningful lives in recovery and highlights their dedication to breaking the cycle of addiction. It's an important part of OASAS's Your Story Matters campaign, which seeks to reduce stigma and raise awareness that "prevention is proven, treatment works and recovery is real."

Two former Odyssey House residents were selected to share their inspiring stories as part of the campaign - LaQuanda and Kristina. Read their stories here or post one of your own.

If you'd like to join us, download the flyer here. And if you can't make it, check back after the event for photos!

Teens attend town hall meeting on prescription drug abuse

Last week, 30 Odyssey House clients from the Teen Leadership Center attended a town hall meeting in Albany to discuss prescription drug abuse. It was a great learning experience - the teens learned how to identify prescription drug abuse and how to find and access prevention and treatment services. There were approximately 400 attendees, including treatment professionals, state agency representatives, law enforcement officials and community members. The panel discussion was lead by Jeff VanVonderen, an interventionist on A&E's Intervention; Billy Fusco, executive director of Dynamic Youth Community; District Attorney David Soares; and Brooke Schewe, Statewide System of Care Director for Families Together.

According to the panel, prescription drug abuse is a growing problem in New York State - surveys have found that 18% of high school seniors in NY abuse prescription drugs, compared to 13% nationwide. The Drug Abuse Warning Network, which tracks drug-related emergency room visits, reports that prescription drugs account for more ER visits than marijuana and heroin combined. The drugs most commonly abused by teens are OxyContin, Vicodin, Xanax and Adderall.

Sponsored by Time Warner Cable, A&E and the Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Providers of New York State, the town hall included a screening of an episode of Intervention. The meeting was filmed and will be aired on Time Warner's Local On Demand stations throughout New York sometime in June. We'll post more information as we get it. For photos from the event, visit the OASAS page on Facebook.

An evening with "Grace"

Last week, the Odyssey House Theatre Project had its first field trip to see The Book of Grace at the Public Theatre. Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks, The Book of Grace explores family dysfunction and themes of revenge and betrayal in the story of border patrol officer Vet; Buddy, the son he hasn't seen in 15 years; and Vet's optimistic second wife, Grace. OHTP director Tom Demenkoff said it was an inspiring evening:

"Walking down the steps back to the lobby, I discussed what we had just seen with our stage manager, Anna, and OHTP members. The consensus was clear: The Book of Grace was an exciting and thought-provoking play that challenged us to stretch the limits of our imagination as both writers and actors."

But the evening didn't end when the play did: Suzan-Lori Parks surprised the teens by appearing in the lobby, offering advice and signing autographs. The teens also had the opportunity to meet actor Amari Cheatom, who plays Buddy. He spent some time with the group talking about the program and even offered to spend an afternoon working out with them in Harlem.

Read more about the teens' experience on the Odyssey House Theatre Project blog.


Amari Cheatom with teens from the OHTP.

Celebrating women in recovery

Every year, Odyssey House commemorates Women's History Month with events that are aimed at boosting self-esteem and encouraging female bonding. It's an important event here as many of the women in our programs are coping with low self-esteem and a history of domestic violence or sexual abuse. This year, the Haven celebrated the achievements of women in recovery with a special event for staff, residents and their families. The program included musical performances, two inspirational guest speakers - Adrianne Walker and Betty Jean Robinson - and poetry readings from Haven residents.

At the end of the program, the "Woman of the Year" award was presented to Cynthia S., a resident who is "leading by example" and has made significant strides in her life since moving into the Haven, including reconnecting with her family and encouraging her neighbors to maintain their sobriety. Accepting the award, Cynthia said, "I have the greatest support right here in this building to help me through. Thank you so much."


Cynthia & the Haven staff

Women's History Month traces its beginnings to the first International Women's Day in 1911. The idea was first put forward at the turn of the 20th century amid rapid world industrialization and economic expansion that lead to protests over working conditions. In the US, International Women's Day came to commemorate the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. In 1981, responding to the growing popularity of the event, Congress passed a resolution recognizing Women's History Week and in 1987, Congress expanded the focus to an entire month.

Supportive housing building opens in East Harlem

Construction on our 50-unit long-term housing development on 123rd Street - named Park Avenue - has finally been completed. The residence, which officially opened for occupancy on March 9th, will provide transitional housing to individuals diagnosed with mental illness. Odyssey House will provide supportive services for the residents, many of whom will be reintegrating into the community after a period of hospitalization.

Check out some of the photos of the building, which was designed by Urban Architectural Initiatives. We'll post more when the art installations and landscaping have been completed. Photos of the construction in progress can be seen here and here.

Park Avenue

Lobby

Kitchen (for special events)

Lounge

Typical residential floor

Unit kitchen

Introducing the new Odyssey House website!

The new Odyssey House website is more user-friendly, with easier navigation, a more intuitive design and vibrant colors. Take a look at how you can browse and engage our website in whole new ways.

The redesigned website was built with a grant from the Taproot Foundation, which disburses grants of high-quality, professional consulting services, rather than monetary awards.

Give to Odyssey House, one search at a time

Help Odyssey House raise money - for free! Just start using GoodSearch (powered by Yahoo!) as your search engine and they'll donate about a penny to us every time you do a search.

In addition, when you shop through their online shopping mall, GoodShop.com, a percentage of your purchases will benefit the men, women and children in treatment at Odyssey House. You pay the same price as you normally would, but a donation goes to us. More than 900 top retailers, including Amazon.com and the Apple Store, participate in GoodShop.com.

And if you download the GoodSearch/Odyssey House toolbar, our cause will earn money every time you search and shop online - even if you forget to go to GoodSearch or GoodShop first. You can download the toolbar here.

Use GoodSearch.com today and start donating to Odyssey House without spending a dime!

VIDEO: Peter Provet on "Good Day Street Talk"

Here's the video from last Saturday's Good Day Street Talk on Fox 5, featuring Odyssey House President Peter Provet. Dr. Provet was part of a panel, which also included New York City Councilmember Peter Vallone and representatives from the Harm Reduction Coalition and the Drug Policy Alliance, discussing the NYC health department's controversial pamphlet on IV drug use.

Take a look and let us know what you think!

Hopes for the treatment field in 2010

Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly recently asked Odyssey House President Peter Provet and other prominent addiction professionals to contribute their hopes and fears for the treatment field in the new year. Here's what Dr. Provet hopes for in 2010:

Integration of substance abuse prevention and treatment into national health care reform: As the national debate on health care has been long waged on multiple fronts, substance abuse and its treatment have been barely addressed. Its costs to society, direct and indirect, are great. Greater access and availability to treatment are necessary.

Greater public and political appreciation of the impact of substance abuse on society as a whole: Substance abuse is not a "wedge" issue affecting a marginal, discrete population. Its impact on children, families, communities, and local economies is profound and must be fully recognized in order for the political and economic will to be adequately directed towards its eradication.

Continued decriminalization of substance abuse with a concomitant increase in alternative-to-incarceration programs: The abuse of drugs and alcohol must be understood and appreciated more within a medical and psychiatric framework and less within a criminal context. Sale versus use of illegal drugs must be further differentiated. Successful programs offering individuals treatment instead of prosecution and incarceration must be nationally replicated.

Legalization of the use of currently illicit substances must not be confused with decriminalization: Society must assertively use all appropriate measures to discourage substance abuse, particularly among our youth. Legal sanctions, while debatable philosophically, provide the greatest such deterrent. Treatment, work experience, and community service, thoughtfully structured and administered, should be the primary consequences of drug use, not criminal punishment.

Greater investment in the research of substance abuse and its prevention and treatment: A powerful, effective national campaign to prevent substance abuse, specifically among youth, needs to be developed and adequately funded as a long-term investment strategy. The genetic and biological underpinnings of substance abuse must continue to be researched. Behavioral treatment models, "best practices," must be refined as well as broadened.

A balanced approach to federal drug policy: Presidential leadership must be demonstrated to make substance abuse treatment a national priority and focus federal resources on demand reduction at home rather than interdiction abroad. For too many years the national funding priority has been on the world-wide eradication of drugs and their cultivation rather than on domestic abuse and treatment. Initial indications from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy are positive in this regard, though greater presidential resolve will be necessary to shift this historic imbalance.

A dangerous new trend in underage drinking: nutcrackers

Odyssey House President Peter Provet comments on reports of an illegal cocktail known as a "nutcracker" being sold to teens. A nutcracker is a potent mix of fruit punch and alcohol, usually vodka or rum, being sold in bodegas and barbershops in Harlem and the Bronx. New York Daily News Reporter Simone Weichselbaum, who broke the story over the weekend, also interviewed teens in treatment at our adolescent facility about the ease with which minors can buy them. The full article can be read here.

The report caught the attention of other news outlets as well. WCBS News and WABC News talked to Dr. Provet about teen drinking. Watch the WCBS video (with transcript) and the WABC video to see what Dr. Provet has to say about this troubling trend.