Three Odyssey House employees honored by New York State

We are pleased to announce that OASAS has selected THREE of our staff members as winners of New York's Annual Addictions Professionals'Awards. Congratulations to Justin Mitchell, Annise Weaver and Tracy Moore on their awards! In recognition of all the honorees, Governor Cuomo issued a proclamation designating September 20, 2014 as "Addictions Professionals Day."

Justin Mitchell (left) and Annise Weaver (right) with
Odyssey Foundation Board Chairman George Rosenfeld.

• Justin Mitchell – Licensed Mental Health Counselor of the Year Mr. Mitchell, Vice President, Director of Adult Residential Programs, is responsible for the oversight of treatment services targeting vulnerable populations such as women with young children and the elderly, assisting his clients with their recovery while serving as an advocate for each individual’s dignity and personal integrity. Since becoming a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in 2006, Mr. Mitchell has provided direct care services in such diverse settings as opioid treatment programs, intensive residential rehabilitation, community mental health centers, community-based cognitive rehabilitation counseling and supportive housing for individuals with substance use disorders and serious mental illness. 

• Annise Weaver – Certified Rehabilitation Counselor of the Year As the Director of Vocational & Educational Services, Ms. Weaver provided oversight for the care of approximately 1,100 clients in residential, outpatient and housing programs annually. Under her leadership, 284 clients obtained employment, 243 were enrolled in vocational skills trainings, and 66 clients obtained a GED in 2012-14. She has developed sub-specialties within her field of practice, supervising the rehabilitation counseling of special populations such as adults over fifty-five years of age, single mothers with young children, and transition-aged youth. Ms. Weaver's accomplishments led to her promotion to Senior Director of Admissions and Residential Support Services in April 2014. 

• Tracy Moore – CASAC Trainee of the Year In his role as a Substance Abuse Counselor, Mr. Moore has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to providing high quality, holistic treatment services to the individuals he serves through both group and individual counseling.  He has a unique ability to establish a healthy therapeutic alliance with his clients and a professional sensitivity to their needs, including those with co-occurring mental health disorders, histories of traumatic experience and criminal justice involvement. Mr. Moore has worked hard to strengthen his clinical acumen by seeking out and achieving certification in the following evidence based practices: Motivational Interviewing, Thinking for Change, Seven Challenges, and Medication Assisted Treatment modalities.

Each September in observance of National Recovery Month, OASAS acknowledges addictions professionals across New York State who provide exceptional services ranging from chemical dependence prevention, treatment and recovery, to problem gambling services for persons and communities in need. This marks the fifth consecutive year an Odyssey House employee has received an Addictions Professional Award, for a total of nine awards.

Celebrating Recovery Month: 9th Annual Run for Your Life

More than 1,000 people came out to Icahn Stadium on September 20th to show their support for men and women in treatment for substance use and mental health disorders at the 9th 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 most important responsibilities as Mayor are to protect the health and safety of New Yorkers and provide people across the five boroughs with access to the resources they need to live good and fulfilling lives. For nearly five decades, Odyssey House has done just that, helping those struggling with substance abuse and people living with HIV/AIDS and mental illness to improve their lives...I am proud to join with all those gathered here at Icahn Stadium in applauding Odyssey House for its commitment to helping those in need, and together, we look forward to even more New Yorkers benefiting from its important work.”

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, check out this short news clip by Jay Dow, and visit our Flickr page to see the photos.

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

Dr. Provet on Robin Williams

Robin Williams' death tragically underscores how depression combined with substance abuse create a common ground for suicide. Fame, fortune - and in Mr. Williams' case, comedy - cannot prevent such self-inflicted tragedy.

Stigma still pervades meaningful societal consideration of suicide. Akin to substance abuse, it is commonly seen as an individual's choice and as such engenders less empathy and concern than other forms of mental illness.

Science is illuminating important truths - both pertaining to the frequency and demographics of suicide and its biological/genetic basis. For example, suicide is a leading cause of death among people with substance use disorders. It has been convincingly demonstrated that mood disorders, such as depression and manic-depressive illness, also greatly increase the risk of suicidal behaviors. Prevention strategies must continue to explore and identify the genetic, biological, hormonal, and social correlates of suicide.

Mr. Williams gave so much of his life to making others feel joy and laughter.  Hopefully, his death will encourage us to learn far more than we currently know about suicide and help us to reduce the increasing frequency of this voluntary, final act.

Peter Provet, Ph.D.
Odyssey House President & CEO
Board Member, National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention

In the news: Recovery services for older adults

News 12 Bronx interviewed Mary Callahan, program director of Odyssey House Outpatient Services, as well as clients about the $445,000 grant we just received from the NYS Department of Health. The grant will allow us to implement a peer mentoring track for older adults (Serving Older Adults Recovery System, or SOARS), providing case management services and improving access to community-based recovery resources for up to 90 ElderCare clients over 14-16 months. 

Check out the press release to learn more about this innovative program (pdf).

Odyssey House wins award to provide recovery services for older adults

Odyssey House has received a $445,000 grant from the New York State Department of Health to implement a peer mentoring track for older adults (Serving Older Adults Recovery System, or SOARS), based out of the Bronx-based Outpatient Services program. SOARS will allow Odyssey House to provide case management services and improve access to community-based recovery resources for up to 90 ElderCare clients over 14-16 months. The grant was awarded through the New York State Balancing Incentive Program (BIP) Innovation Fund.

There are growing demands for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment for older adults.  Emergency Department (ED) admissions for illicit drugs and alcohol have been steadily increasing for the last several years among this population. From 2004 to 2010, the number of ED visits for drug use and misuse has grown 187% for adults ages 55-64 and 104% for those ages 65 and older. These data, coupled with national surveys that show older adults suffer the most from depression, isolation, and chronic medical conditions, point to the need for a program which addresses SUD recovery in the context of overall physical and mental health.

The SOARS program will deliver a continuum of support services for older adults utilizing both intensive case management and peer-based recovery coaching. Odyssey House Case Managers will work one-on-one with clients as they transition out of residential treatment, connecting them to community-based services to help them remain out of institutional care. In addition, clients will be paired with a volunteer Recovery Coach, who will serve as a peer mentor to assist in identifying and engaging in community-based recovery supports. The SOARS program will strengthen the continuum of care, complementing the current ElderCare substance use disorder (SUD) treatment program operated by Odyssey House and serving to expand Odyssey House Recovery Oriented Care System (OH ROCS).

Dr. Peter Provet, president of Odyssey House, said, “We're pleased to be able to build on the success of our OH ROCS program and extend our peer-based recovery services to older adults where they need them most – in their own community.” 

Read the full press release (pdf) to learn more about this innovative program.