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 on our Facebook or Twitter.
Odyssey House and Odyssey Foundation have added four new members to their Boards of Trustees: Kimberly Hardy, Konstantin Richter, George Suttles, and Edward Watson.
“Board members are an invaluable source of support for the men, women, and children who rely on our programs to save their lives,” said Odyssey House President and CEO Dr. Peter Provet. “We are pleased to welcome new members from a wide range of professional backgrounds, including legal, government, new technology, and finance, who share our deep commitment to helping vulnerable New Yorkers.”
Kimberly D. Hardy is a Managing Director at Thacher Associates, Inc., where she specializes in developing and reviewing compliance programs for public and private entities. Prior to joining Thacher in 2014, Ms. Hardy served as Special Counsel for Regulatory Compliance and Deputy Commissioner at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), the nation’s largest municipal housing agency.
Konstantin Richter is a partner at Santiago Advisory, a financial and strategy consulting boutique. He is an expert in advising technology companies in remnant asset monetization, in unearthing new means to conceptualize life-time-value and unit costs, and in the creation of marketplaces.
George Suttles is a Senior Philanthropic Relationship Manager in the Philanthropic Solutions division of U.S. Trust, where he manages private family foundations and charitable trusts and makes grants in the areas of education, health care, medical research and social services. He advises clients in grant-making mission and strategy, governance, and nonprofit best practices.
Edward Watson, Capco Partner and Adjunct Professor at NYU, is a seasoned financial services executive who has held numerous executive level positions in the United States and Europe. He has managed multiple disciplines and held positions including CFO, Treasurer, Head of Operations, Technology and General Services at companies like Fannie Mae, Citigroup, Republic NY Securities, and BNY Mellon. In 2012 Mr. Watson was named as one of Computerworld’s Premier 100 IT Leaders and recently received the 2013 Hofstra University Alumni Achievement Award.
The NYS Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) awarded $1.75 million in grants to five New York City nonprofits to provide permanent supportive housing for homeless families struggling with addiction to drugs or alcohol.
“Permanent supportive housing programs are essential to breaking the cycle of homelessness for New York’s most vulnerable individuals and families,” said Governor Andrew Cuomo in making the announcement. “These programs provide the vital support services necessary to help families maintain physical and emotional health, sustain healthy relationships, and generally improve the overall quality of their lives.”
The five agencies identified to receive awards — and the number of units they are being allocated — include the following:
The first priority for this program is families living in the NYC Department of Homeless Services shelter system. Families living in other transitional housing settings are also considered to be a priority population, including the families of women who are scheduled to complete their course of treatment at an OASAS-certified intensive residential facility designed to serve women and their children.
These awards mark the third round of permanent supportive housing grants for families, a component of the New York/New York III (NY/NY III) housing program, which includes rental subsidies, intensive case management services, job development and employment counseling services, and clinical supervision of the direct service staff. The rental subsidies are based on HUD Fair Market Rental rates for one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments.
“Addiction to drugs and alcohol is a major cause of homelessness,” said OASAS Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez. “It’s a vicious circle; the longer people and families remain homeless, the more severe their addiction generally becomes. Safe, affordable housing and stable living-wage employment are fundamental to successful long-term recovery.”
“As we help people to reenter society after incarceration, we have learned that safe, stable supportive housing makes a life-changing difference to people who are struggling to recover from addiction and prevent recidivism,” said JoAnne Page, Fortune Society, Inc. President and CEO.
“Staten Island is desperately in need of additional affordable housing units post Sandy, and the stress of our borough post Sandy has led to acute alcohol and drug problems that have plagued our families,” said Reverend Terry Troia, Executive Director of Project Hospitality. “This supportive housing opportunity will mean critical and life sustaining housing and support for those very Staten Islanders in need.”
“We are grateful to Governor Cuomo and OASAS Commissioner González-Sánchez for their leadership and commitment to expanding permanent supportive housing options through the State’s Medicaid Redesign process,” said Tino Hernandez, Samaritan Village President and CEO.
“A safe and secure place to live is essential for families in recovery from substance use disorders,” said Peter Provet, Ph.D., President and CEO of Odyssey House. “We are honored to work with OASAS on developing housing services for people who, with minimal support, can build on the relapse prevention strategies and behavioral changes they learned in treatment.”
“Women In Need (WIN) is honored to have been selected to provide an additional 15 units of supportive housing for families in the Bronx,” said Bonnie Stone, President and CEO of Women In Need.
Recently, two of our foundation partners from Aetna – Miguel Centeno, vice president of strategic market development, and Christopher Montross, vice president and assistant controller – visited Odyssey House to see our dental clinic in action.
Last year, the Aetna Foundation awarded Odyssey House $25,000 to support our children’s dental care initiative: the Treatment, Education and Preventative-Care Program (TEPP). The program educates children, adolescents, and mothers in treatment on the importance of oral health, including healthy eating, brushing, flossing and keeping regular dental appointments.
The dental clinic offers a full range of services, including hygienic cleanings, x-rays, treatment planning, cavity filling and extractions, for both Odyssey House residents and eligible clients from other community-based organizations. Since it opened in 2007, the clinic has served more than 1,500 individuals.