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.

Save the date for Run for Your Life 2012!

Join us on September 29th at Icahn Stadium for music, entertainment, children’s activities and more in commemoration of National Recovery Month! The fun begins at 9 am with children’s races. Registration opens Monday, July 2nd at odysseyhouseinc.org.

Using addiction treatment techniques to tackle obesity

Odyssey House President Dr. Peter Provet comments on the Institute of Medicine's recent report on America's obesity epidemic and its similarity to addictive disorders.

The Institute of Medicine Report on the obesity epidemic in America is welcome news. It may be the wakeup call the country requires to seriously address this public health disaster. We need an education and prevention campaign that focuses on children and adults, supports parents, and funds treatment services to help those struggling to live healthier lives.

Sound familiar? To those of us who work with substance abusers it is analogous to the heroin epidemic of the 1960s and 70s, crack and cocaine in the 80s and 90s, and methamphetamine and prescription drug abuse today.

Then, as now, thousands of people were sick and in danger of dying, and Americans were scared of losing whole generations to an addictive disorder. No one would claim high fat foods and sugar saturated beverages are the same as heroin, cocaine and other illicit drugs of abuse, but overeating to the extent it damages one’s health, family, and work life matches the diagnosis of addiction and warrants a national treatment response.

At Odyssey House today, we are addressing some of these challenges with proven addiction treatment techniques of group support, role modeling, and fitness activities that promote health and protect against relapse. We now have the opportunity to use what we have learned from earlier addiction epidemics to confront obesity.

Peter Provet, Ph.D.
President & CEO
Odyssey House

Click here to read the Institute of Medicine report, "Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention: Solving the Weight of the Nation," in full.

Marijuana use on the rise among teens

A new report by the Partnership at Drugfree.org found marijuana use increasing among teenagers. According to the survey, nearly 1 in 10 are smoking pot 20 or more times a month, increasing from 5 percent in 2008 to 9 percent in 2011.

“These findings are deeply disturbing as the increases we’re seeing in heavy, regular marijuana use among high school students can spell real trouble for these teens later on,” said Steve Pasierb, President and CEO of The Partnership at Drugfree.org. “Heavy use of marijuana – particularly beginning in adolescence – brings the risk of serious problems and our data show it is linked to involvement with alcohol and other drugs as well. Kids who begin using drugs or alcohol as teenagers are more likely to struggle with substance use disorders when compared to those who start using after the teenage years.”

To read the Associated Press article about the research findings, click here. The full survey results can be found on Drugfree.org.

Odyssey House operates two gender-specific facilities for young adults with substance use disorders. If you or someone you care about is struggling with substance abuse, contact our Admissions Department at (212) 987-5100.

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.