Check out our 2015 Annual Report

Sustaining a Commitment to Recovery

Our 2015 Annual Report is now online! The report includes information on our treatment and housing services, an overview of our health and wellness programs, and a look at the key events of 2015. Read the report here and let us know what you think.

Deaths and broken lives from drug overdoses

In today's edition of The New York Times, Odyssey House President Dr. Peter Provetcomments on a recent article ("Drug Overdoses Propel Rise in Mortality Rates of Whites," front page, Jan. 17) on the rising death rates for young white adults, driven by the opioid epidemic.

Deaths and Broken Lives from Drug Overdoses To the Editor:   The dramatic increase in drug overdose deaths is not new to drug treatment. For several years treatment providers have been racing to save the lives of young Americans addicted to opioids as what started as a surge in prescription drug abuse morphed into a full-blown opioid epidemic. It is also not news that intensive residential and outpatient treatment services are in short supply, and what resources are available in many parts of the country are often prohibitively expensive for the vulnerable populations who need them the most. That today's vulnerable addicts now include growing numbers of young white Americans highlights the tragedy of opioid addiction as a great equalizer. Decades of experience treating young people from inner-city communities ravaged by drugs has shown us that recovery is a multistep, time-consuming process that, for the fortunate ones who are helped quickly enough, starts with overdose-prevention injections and detox, and continues with medically assisted treatment, behavior therapy and continuing community-based support. Anything less just doesn't work and is merely a Band-Aid that will inevitably lead to the loss of more young lives - tragically, lives we know how to save.   PETER PROVET President and Chief Executive Odyssey House

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!

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.

Doing well by doing good: A day of service at Odyssey House

On July 26^th, approximately 50 staff members from international branding firm Siegel+Gale joined Odyssey House to paint a mural and the playrooms at the Manor Family Center. The images and mural painted by Siegel+Gale bring a touch of whimsy to the playrooms and create a relaxing space for the facility’s residents.

Siegel+Gale co-CEO David Srere said the idea for the day of service is rooted in the heritage of the company: doing well by doing good. He said, “This kind of day, when you’re using your skills, passions and talents to contribute to something that is really important and larger than any one of us, is a critical, fundamental underpinning of what Siegel+Gale is all about.”

When considering how they could contribute to Odyssey House, Howard Belk, co-CEO of Siegel+Gale, said that art seemed like a natural fit. “One of the tools that Odyssey House uses to help their clients overcome their challenges is art,” said Mr. Belk. “So we went to art because we’d seen the power of it already. And we’ve created these fun and light-hearted murals to lift the spirits of the residents here.”

Odyssey House President Dr. Peter Provet discussed the significance of the day of service by recognizing the value of partnerships. “This kind of corporate connection validates the work we do,” Dr. Provet said. “It gives our staff and clients a belief that they are not alone, that others care for the struggle they’ve gone through and the commitment they’re making by being at Odyssey House, and so we thank Siegel+Gale enormously for being there for our clients, their families, and for our entire organization.”

Odyssey House first connected with Siegel+Gale three years ago when they helped us refresh our visual identity with a vibrant, award-winning logo. Since then, Justin Peters, global executive creative director at Siegel+Gale, who led the logo design project, joined the Odyssey House Boards of Trustees and hosted the 10^th anniversary reception for the Odyssey House Art Project. 

See all the photos from the day on our Flickr page.

Our 2012 Annual Report is now available

Commitment to a Cause

Helping people with substance use disorders and mental health challenges rebuild their lives requires a special kind of commitment. It’s a commitment that demands resiliency, gives hope, rewards effort, and embraces challenges. It’s the kind of commitment that puts people first and expects the best from everyone.

By setting a standard of commitment, OdysseyHouse has created a culture of achievement and expertise that stimulates personal growth and encourages resourcefulness. This year's annual report explores how Odyssey House is maintaining high treatment standards - built on evidence-based practices and decades of clinical experience - in the face of a changing environment.

Working in Recovery: How do we know what works? We ask questions

By Gary Harmon, Ph.D.
Vice President, Director of Research & Grants

As the substance use disorder field continues to evolve and move closer to a medical model, Odyssey House is poised to remain a leader.  The ability of the agency to retain the essential elements of treatment from its roots over 45 years ago, combined with cutting-edge and new research-supported treatment, has led to a model that we know works. 

Personally, I take great satisfaction in the quality of the services we provide and the excellent treatment outcomes that are produced.  Since my role often involves viewing our clients, programs, and services as data on a computer screen, I always make sure to remember that every number represents a person; someone who came to Odyssey House in need of help; someone with a dream or hope of a better life.  Keeping that important principle in mind helps to ensure that I never stop asking that very important question:  “How do we know what we do works?” 

Entering into the substance use disorder field six years ago, I was eager to apply my background in public health to one of the greatest problems facing our society.  I have worked with disadvantaged and disenfranchised populations for my entire career but this field presented an entirely new set of challenges and barriers.  It was clear from the start that our clients and residents were not only battling with drugs and alcohol, but most were also beset with poverty, trauma, mental illness and homelessness.  One of the reasons that I was attracted to Odyssey House was the organization’s approach to research and data.  Employing a full-time director of research and grants signaled to me that the agency had a value for exploring what was most effective for our clients and residents.  At that time, the agency had begun to implement several Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs), and was participating in a National Institute on Drug Abuse Clinical Trial Network research study. 

The acceptance of new, data-driven interventions shows that Odyssey House is staying ahead of the field in terms of best practices and the most effective treatment services, and the commitment to research and implementation of EBPs has only grown. We now employ more than 12 different data-driven interventions throughout the agency, and we have recently participated in several clinical trials with both New York University and Columbia University. As an evaluator on several grant projects supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, I have seen from the data that the programs we implement are effective.

The first questions I asked of my colleagues upon entering the field was, “What do we do?” and “How do we know what we do works?” Although simple questions, it was clear to me that the answers were much more complex and the results more rewarding.

Working in Recovery is an occasional series of guest blog posts by Odyssey House clinical, administrative, and research experts.

Working in Recovery: Running residential programs

Comprehensive treatment with wraparound medical, educational, vocational, and housing supports

By Justin Mitchell, Vice President & Director of Adult Residential Services

From our humble beginnings of 17 individuals coming together to form a community focused on living drug free, Odyssey House has developed into a multi-service entity providing a safe haven for the neediest New Yorkers. From the newborn child to the elderly man or woman, Odyssey House is equipped to meet the specific needs of a wide range of clientele struggling with substance use disorders, mental illness and homelessness.

Today’s Odyssey House has adopted an increased focus on evidence-based services, including parenting and trauma interventions; licensed early educational services such as Early Head Start; adult basic education; on-site medical and dental clinics; and an ever-expanding supportive housing portfolio. 

I joined Odyssey House in 2002 as a rehabilitation counselor with the goal of assisting clients in developing the skills necessary to reintegrate into their community and become productive members of society. Over the past 10 years I have had the chance to work in various positions and departments within Odyssey House, providing me with a unique opportunity to affect change on a client, a staff, and an organizational level.

Today, I am responsible for the residential treatment programs that are core to Odyssey House’s 46 year history. It is my job to ensure that the 500 adults and children we serve every day receive the best quality treatment; maintain compliance with various city, state and federal regulations; and develop methods to enhance our treatment programs to meet the changing needs of our clientele. 

During my years at Odyssey House, I have learned that the clients most successful at staying clean are the ones who are most committed to the treatment process. Odyssey House, at its foundation, remains a self-help program that encourages individuals to maximize their time in treatment to address a wide range of social, physical and spiritual needs. I expect, and encourage, clients to take an active role in their recovery, creating individualized treatment goals that include abstinence from drugs and alcohol, educational and vocational milestones, employment, financial self-sufficiency, and independent housing.  

But my job at Odyssey House is not merely an administrative one. I have a central belief that our role as models for right living can have the greatest impact on clients. As staff we are here to inspire hope in our clients: hope that by making a commitment to honest reflection and meaningful change, one can regain control and redirect the path of their lives. By demonstrating patience, positive communication skills, a strong work ethic, and genuine care and concern, we provide an example of how to be good family members, parents and citizens. Every day, we demonstrate how to give back to our community. 

In treatment, every day provides a new opportunity to be successful. As we continue to think about how long-term residential treatment fits into a changing health care environment, it is important to remember that for our clients, success may come slowly and can take many forms. For our young adults it may be achieving their GEDs; for clients struggling with mental illness it can mean the independence of community-based housing; for our mothers it can mean family reunification; and for our elderly it can be gaining a sense of integrity as they recover from a lifelong addiction.  

Working in Recovery is an occasional series of guest blog posts by Odyssey House clinical, administrative, and research experts.

Download our new brochures!

Learn more about Odyssey House's programs and services in our new brochures. You can download them from our Admissions page or email us at admissions@odysseyhouseinc.org to order a hard copy set. Give us your feedback in the comments or on our Facebook page.

New program to enhance adolescent treatment in the Bronx

Odyssey House Outpatient Services is introducing a new evidence-based program for adolescent boys (12-17 years) with substance use disorders. Called the Seven Challenges, the program will be incorporated into our existing BUY-In program, which was recently awarded a three-year, $1.3 million contract by the NYS Office of Alcoholism & SubstanceAbuse Services (OASAS).

The Seven Challenges program is designed to motivate a decision and commitment to change – and to support success in implementing the desired changes. The program helps young adults address their drug problems as well as their co-occurring life skill deficits, situational problems, and psychological problems.

Odyssey House kicked off the program with a community meeting to introduce the program to referral sources. Attendees included representatives from OASAS, the Bronx Borough President’s office, Bronx Futures, and Bronx Community Services.

Seven Challenges is intended to avoid power struggles between the client and counselor, instead focusing on encouraging honesty. Richard Barr, director of training and support for Seven Challenges, said, “It is an empowering model – designed to help adolescents make thoughtful decisions: internally motivated and committed. We want clients to take charge of their own lives.”

Robert Anderson, director of adolescent, outpatient and admissions services for Odyssey House, said, “We are very excited about this opportunity to implement yet another evidence-based practice of the quality that Seven Challenges exhibits. The training was very valuable and we look forward to providing to great services to the youth we serve.”

Odyssey House wins grant to expand adolescent outpatient services

The Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) announced Odyssey House as the downstate recipient of a three-year, federally funded grant to expand adolescent services. Odyssey House President Dr. Peter Provet said: "We are proud to fulfill our mission of treating vulnerable populations of adolescents with substance use disorders and their families by expanding our Bronx-based outpatient programs, and are grateful to NYS OASAS and SAMHSA for their support in helping to meet the needs of a community we are dedicated to serving."

In selecting Odyssey House, Commissioner Gonzalez-Sanchez, commented on the high needs of the adolescents in our Bronx outpatient program and their involvement in "multiple systems that include juvenile justice, child welfare, or mental health." 

For more information, please read the OASAS press release here.

Odyssey House welcomes a new board chairman

Odyssey House is pleased to announce the election of Richard O’Connor to chairman of the Odyssey House Board of Trustees. Mr. O’Connor, vice president of marketing at CVS Caremark, has served on the Board of Trustees as vice chairman from 2010 and has held positions on the strategic planning and finance committees since joining the board in 2002.

Mr. O’Connor said he sees his role as one of championing the holistic approach to recovery and rehabilitation pioneered at Odyssey House for people with substance use disorders and mental illness.


Passing the torch. George Rosenfeld (right),
retiring as board chairman after ten years,
congratulates Rick O'Connor (left)
on his election to the chairmanship.

“Over the ten years I have been closely involved with Odyssey House I have seen the agency grow into a multi-faceted social services organization that offers a continuum of care for some of the most vulnerable members of our society. Many of the individuals who turn to Odyssey House for help with substance abuse and mental health problems have been homeless, suffer from physical and mental trauma, and have educational deficits that severely limit their job prospects and ability to take care of themselves and their family.

“I am excited to be a part of this mission and look forward to continuing the organization’s role as a leader in the field of recovery for a broad population of teens, families, senior citizens, and people with medical and mental health problems. I am also honored to be following in the footsteps of George Rosenfeld who retired as chairman following ten years of innovative leadership.”

Peter Provet, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Odyssey House, said, “Rick has been an invaluable member of our board for ten years. We are delighted with his election to Chairman of Odyssey House. He brings an extensive background in health care, wellness, and the treatment of intellectual and learning disabilities to our recovery-based organization, both as a skilled communicator and a strategic business thinker.”

Visit our YouTube channel to watch a short tribute to George Rosenfeld's tenure as chairman.

The Spring 2012 newsletter is now available

The Spring 2012 edition of Odyssey House News is now available online! Read about our new housing programs, get an update on OHROCS (Odyssey House Recovery Oriented Care System), and more. Check it out and let us know what you think in the comments or on our Facebook page.

Drug testing welfare recipients

In a letter to USA TODAY, Dr. Peter Provet urges lawmakers to reconsider legislation requiring welfare recipients to take drug tests and calling instead for greater treatment and prevention funding.

It's poor public policy to test welfare recipients for drugs

USA TODAY's article "States consider drug testing welfare recipients" prompts the question: Why stop at poor people who receive public benefits? For example, why not test all students in state-funded schools and mothers who give birth in publicly funded hospitals?

In Arizona and Missouri, an individual is tested if there is reason to believe he or she is a substance abuser. The legislation proposed in Colorado would test all applicants for the state's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. This stigmatizes poor families and is ultimately a losing battle. Money should be dedicated to more prevention, education, treatment, and broad public-relations campaigns that extol the benefits of a wellness lifestyle and drug-free life.

Testing might seem like an easy and convenient solution. But it is often counterproductive, expensive and a poor substitute for sound public policy.

Peter Provet, president & CEO; Odyssey House; New York City
Odyssey House is a non-profit social services organization.

Taxing medical marijuana

In a letter to The New York Times, Dr. Peter Provet urges municipalities that collect taxes from medical marijuana businesses to direct some of that additional revenue to under-funded treatment and prevention programs.

To the Editor:

"Struggling Cities Turn to a Crop for Cash" (news article, Feb. 12) doesn't mention a major issue of concern that has to be considered before claims of attractive financial benefits from taxing medical marijuana can be made.

In the states mentioned - California, Colorado, Maine and Oregon - 3.2 million people are not receiving the treatment services they need for drug abuse and dependence. California alone accounts for 2.3 million people with untreated substance abuse disorders.

Before hard-pressed municipalities, in these and other states around the country, look at medical marijuana as a new source of tax revenue to finance essential services, taxpayers should be given the opportunity to consider allocating some of this money to under-supported treatment and prevention programs.

This will not mitigate the effects of untreated substance abuse, but it will help send a clear message to young people that marijuana, prescribed or not, has addictive potential that too often requires intensive treatment.

PETER PROVET
President and Chief Executive
Odyssey House
New York, Feb. 13, 2012

To see additional comments on this issue by Peter B. Bensinger, former administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Robert L. DuPont, former director and founder of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, please click here.

Odyssey House wins housing award

Housing support for homeless families with substance use disorders

Odyssey House has been selected by the New York State Office of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) to receive $499,000 in annual funding to provide 20 permanent supportive housing apartments with case management and vocational services staff for families who were homeless when they entered an Odyssey House intensive residential facility, and are now scheduled to complete that course of treatment.

This innovative housing model will target chronically homeless families; families at serious risk of becoming chronically homeless; and other currently homeless families, in which the head-of-household has a substance use disorder.

The award was announced by New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, who called the initiative “another component of the New York/New York III Agreement that has brought together many State and City agencies and departments in a multi-year effort to address homelessness.”

Odyssey House has significant experience working with families in residential and outpatient treatment settings as well as supportive housing programs. At any one time up to 210 women and children live in specially equipped family accommodations in one of the organization’s treatment centers. The comprehensive services provided include: intensive substance abuse, mental health, and family counseling; medical and dental care; vocational, educational, legal, and housing support; and onsite licensed childcare services that include nurseries and early Head Start programs.

Dr. Peter Provet, President and CEO of Odyssey House, welcomed the Governor’s support for families in treatment and added: “As our understanding of what it means to be in recovery evolves, and we develop programs that address the bio-psycho-social needs of families in treatment, the provision of safe, affordable housing is a key component of a holistic approach to treating substance abuse disorders.”

Click here to read the full press release.

NJ Governor calls for “a transformation of the way we deal with drug abuse and incarceration”

Odyssey House President Dr. Peter Provet responds to NJ Governor Chris Christie's remarks on compulsory treatment for incarcerated drug offenders in his State of the State speech, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s position on mandatory treatment for non-violent drug offenders has been called “unusually forgiving.” His emphasis on treatment and rehabilitation is striking, particularly given such a position typically carries little political capital. Governor Christie is to be commended for his compassion and understanding of an issue that pervades entire communities in New Jersey and across the country. But in-prison treatment is only a piece of what is required to address substance abuse. Several states are making inroads in dealing with criminality and substance abuse. In New York, correctional and treatment agencies are working together on a range of programs that target drug abuse inside prison and upon release. Treatment within a prison is a necessary start, but what happens when former inmates go home determines how many lives and how much money are saved. With the overwhelming majority of inmates in need of treatment (85 percent according to national statistics), Governor Christie has hit on an urgent need that starts in prison but must continue into our communities.

Peter Provet, Ph.D.
President and CEO
Odyssey House New York

Teaching doctors how to treat addiction

In his letter in today's New York Times, Odyssey House President Dr. Peter Provet comments on a recent article that discusses efforts by medical schools to increase physician training in addiction treatment.

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.

Rachel's journey from addict to advocate

Rachel entered Odyssey House Lafayette Avenue when she was 18 years old. While in treatment, Rachel earned her GED, completed vocational training, and gained custody of her daughter. Now 22, she is training to become a substance abuse counselor and is an advocate for young women in the juvenile justice system.
Click here to read Rachel's story.

Odyssey House Lafayette Avenue offers a gender-specific approach for achieving lasting sobriety so they can get back on track with schooling and other life goals. Girls live and learn in a peer-driven environment that provides family-like structure and support. Supervised by a multi-disciplinary team of counselors, teachers, and health care personnel, girls receive the individualized support and attention they need to grow into healthy young women.

Obama: Drug abuse is a public health issue

Odyssey House welcomes President Obama’s position that drug abuse should be treated as a public health problem; that drug policy has been too focused on arrests, incarceration, and interdiction; and that he favors demand reduction but not legalization.

President Obama explained his stances on drug policy during a recent YouTube question-and-answer session.



The President said, “I am not in favor of legalization. I am a strong believer that we have to think more about drugs as a public health problem. When you think about other damaging activities in our society - smoking, drunk driving, making sure you're wearing seatbelts - typically we've made huge strides over the last 20, 30 years by changing people's attitudes. And on drugs I think that a lot of times we have been so focused on arrest, incarceration, interdiction that we don't spend as much time thinking about ‘how do we shrink demand?’”

He said he would like to see more resources could go towards drug rehabilitation so that those looking for help from a treatment program do not have to wait for months for assistance, and that there should be a way of steering nonviolent, first-time drug offenders “into the straight and narrow,” through drug courts or similar programs.

Odyssey House has long viewed substance use disorders as a public health issue and offers tailored treatment programs for a diverse range of individuals and families.