Category: Press Releases

NYS OASAS Launches New Initiative to Help Connect More New Yorkers to Addiction Services in New York City

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$190,000 to Support Peer Engagement Specialists in East Harlem

The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (NYS OASAS) today announced more than $190,000 in funding was awarded to two NYS OASAS-certified addiction treatment providers, Odyssey House and Mount Sinai Behavioral Health System, to support a new peer engagement specialist initiative in East Harlem in New York City. The program, developed by NYS OASAS, is part of Governor Cuomo’s multi-pronged approach to aggressively address substance use disorders in the state. This collaborative effort will focus on reducing street drug use, lowering potential for overdoses and other drug-related emergencies, and addressing community concerns about drug abuse, including the use of synthetics, heroin, and opioids, with a focus in East Harlem.

“A reversal from an overdose is a second chance,” said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, co-chair of Governor Cuomo’s Combat Heroin and Prescription Opioid Addiction Task Force. “That moment when a person with a substance use disorder is in crisis is an opportune time for us to step in to make sure that that individual is connected to the addiction treatments services he or she needs. This program will help those connections happen in East Harlem.”

Peer engagement specialists, who are knowledgeable about the alcohol and substance use disorder treatment system, will work with Emergency Department (ED) personnel in the hospitals serving the area to help establish connections to addiction treatment and other supports after an opioid overdose reversal or after discharge from another substance use-related ED visit. The two peer engagement specialists, one from each substance use disorder treatment program, also will conduct outreach to connect individuals in 125th Street Corridor with addiction treatment services and mental health and other support services. They will also lead community education events about addiction.

“Connection to addiction-focused care is always critical, but is particularly so after an alcohol or drug-related crisis,” said NYS OASAS Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez. “Connecting a person to treatment after an overdose reversal is crucial to getting them started on the path to recovery, and can help prevent relapse and lower the risk for a potential subsequent overdose. These peer professionals can be the warm hand that individuals need to guide them into treatment so that they can get the help they need and hopefully join the millions of Americans who are living a healthy life in recovery.”

The peer engagement specialists will provide outreach to vulnerable individuals in East Harlem, focusing on the area between 96th and 138th Streets from 5th Avenue East. Their main tasks will be referring individuals for substance use disorder treatment, providing information regarding addiction to individuals, and assisting individuals with accessing treatment. The PESs will also connect with Emergency Departments, community-based organizations, soup kitchens, religious centers, and neighborhood health care and addiction treatment providers. They will also conduct presentations to help increase local knowledge about substance use disorder treatment and support services that are available in the community. They will also track referrals to treatment and support services, and collect other pertinent data to assess the efficacy of the project. NYS OASAS will oversee the initiative.

Dr. Peter Provet, President of Odyssey House, said, “When a community works together to fight drug abuse, individual lives are saved and everyone’s lives are improved. Local partners armed with local knowledge who share a commitment to the neighborhood they live and work in are an essential part of the glue that keeps families together, the streets safe, and businesses and neighborhoods thriving. I am proud to partner with NYS OASAS and Mount Sinai Behavioral Health System on this essential street outreach initiative that extends awareness of treatment services to people in need throughout East Harlem. The peer engagement specialists who will lead this effort understand the importance of reaching people before they overdose because, even with the increased prevalence of naloxone (the opioid reversal medication), emergency services, treatment providers, and hospital detox centers, cannot reach everyone in time to avoid a tragic death. This initiative is a big step forward in protecting the health of New Yorkers struggling with addiction.”

“Mount Sinai is proud to partner with OASAS and Odyssey House in this important initiative,” said Sabina Lim, MD, MPH, Vice President and Chief of Strategy, Behavioral Health, Mount Sinai Health System. “Peer professionals have a critical and invaluable role in the path to recovery for people with substance use disorders. They provide meaningful and proactive connections for people with substance use disorders at a critical time. Effective intervention when the potential for change may be at its greatest will help improve access and continuity of care to treatment and support services. We look forward to working more closely with our partners, to help make a substantive impact in the lives of people with substance use disorders in the communities we serve.”

“The peer engagement specialist initiative is an important step towards combating the substance use disorders that are becoming all too common,” said New York State Senator José M. Serrano. “This important program will allow drug prevention and recovery resources to be readily available, help these individuals remain on a healthy track, and educate the community on the dangers of drug addiction. Many thanks to the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services for recognizing the seriousness of this issue, and providing a crucial step to recovery.”

“The OASAS Peer Engagement program represents the type of creative and effective effort necessary to address the challenges created by street drug use,” Assemblymember Robert J. Rodriguez. “This important initiative will help connect those in need with the services necessary to get them into recovery and reduce the number of overdoses on our streets. I am proud to have been an integral part in securing the support necessary to see this program come to fruition. I salute and congratulate Commissioner Sanchez and the staff of OASAS on the program launch today.”

“Substance abuse has become a crisis throughout the country, and addiction prevention services are some of the most vital programs we can offer in the fight to stave off this public health epidemic,” said New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “Drug-related emergencies affect our communities and fill our medical centers at an unsustainable rate, and by meeting them at their level by providing peer engagement specialists both in the hospital and on the ground, we can work to ensure that outreach is targeted to the places where it will be most effective. This is a problem that has been felt in El Barrio/East Harlem and around the city, and I applaud OASAS for collaborating with residents to solve this critical issue.”

New Yorkers struggling with an addiction, or whose loved ones are struggling, can find help and hope by calling the state’s toll-free, 24-hour, 7-day-a-week HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (Short Code 467369). Available addiction treatment including crisis/detox, inpatient, community residence, or outpatient care can be found using the NYS OASAS Treatment Availability Dashboard at FindAddictionTreatment.ny.gov or through the Access Treatment page on the NYS OASAS website. Visit the #CombatAddiction web pages at oasas.ny.gov/CombatAddiction to learn more about how you can help to #CombatAddiction in your community. Visit www.combatheroin.ny.gov for more information on addressing heroin and prescription opioid abuse, including a Kitchen Table Tool Kit to help start the conversation about the warning signs of addiction and where to get help. For tools to use in talking to a young person about preventing alcohol or drug use, visit the State’s Talk2Prevent website.

New Odyssey House Peer Mentoring Program Targets Parolee Recidivism

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OdysseyHouse has been awarded a two-year, $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to implement a pre- and post-release mentoring and recovery program for parolees at the Edgecombe Correctional Facility (ECF) in Northern Manhattan. The program builds on the successful peer-mentoring model Odyssey House provides as part of its outpatient services and the intensive 45-day in-prison treatment program it currently operates at ECF for technical violators of parole.

The new mentoring program will provide services for up to 200 parolees and create a bridge from prison to community living during the critical re-entry period when many inmates are at risk of relapse.

Since the ECF program was established in 2008 through a joint effort with New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), New York State Department of Corrections (DOCS), New York State Division of Parole, and Odyssey House, more than 3,660 inmates have participated in a holistic program designed to reduce recidivism and dependence on alcohol and/or drugs. An estimated 80 percent of state prison inmates have histories of drug or alcohol abuse, and approximately two-thirds of offenders in re-entry are re-arrested within three years of release, with 52 percent returning to prison for a technical violation or a new crime.

As part of the Edgecombe Peer Mentoring Program (EPMP), Odyssey House counseling advocates, who are Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselors, will work on-site at the prison to provide group recovery services. These groups will enhance treatment services currently offered by Odyssey House to assist inmates in creating a crucial support network that will be in place as they leave prison. This approach will provide a seamless continuum of service for parolees by linking them to a network of peer mentors who will serve as their recovery coaches as they adjust to sober lifestyles in their communities. The post-release component will be provided by volunteer recovery coaches consisting of individuals who have completed treatment and are in sustained recovery. All peer mentors will have received training in evidence-based programs including: Recovery Coaching; Thinking for Change; and Motivational Enhancement Therapy.

Dr. Peter Provet, president and CEO of Odyssey House, said he was excited to be partnering with the Department of Justice and NYS agencies in this innovative program that directs resources at reducing recidivism. “We know we can break the cycle of addiction and incarceration when treatment, law enforcement, and criminal justice agencies work together to provide real alternatives that help people with substance use disorders find a new way of living that supports recovery, offers work and life skills, and protects against relapse and recidivism.”

Odyssey House Wins Award to Provide Peer-Run Services for Older Adults

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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.”

The goal of this project is to facilitate and expand older adults’ access to community-based Long Term Services and Supports (LTSS) and ongoing support through the utilization of intensive case management and peer recovery coaching. The expected outcomes from this project are to: keep older adults residing in their homes in the community; increase engagement in the recovery process; improve retention; reduce depression and drug use during and after treatment; and improve social connectedness, quality of life, and self-image.

The New York State BIP Innovation Fund supports projects that help mitigate barriers to communitybased Long Term Services and Supports to reach the maximum number of people, in the most integrated setting and cost effective manner. The focus of the BIP Innovation Fund is to:

  • Increase the number of individuals served in non-institutional settings;
  • Improve access to community-based LTSS services;
  • Ensure stakeholders have a dynamic role in creating service solutions that have a lasting impact on regional LTSS delivery system;

Promote provider expertise by offering opportunities to “think differently” about how to best address barriers in transitioning from institutional to community-based settings, or assisting individuals to remain living within their communities.

Celebrating 10 Years of Discovery Through Art

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Odyssey House and global strategic branding firm Siegel+Gale celebrated ten years of creating art by members of the Odyssey House Art Project, men and women coping with substance abuse, mental illness, and homelessness.  This was the first curated show of paintings, photographs, and masks from an art collection a decade in the making.

Dr. Peter Provet, president of Odyssey House, said: “The creation of art plays a critical role in the rejuvenation of the human spirit and provides a way of reaching sensitive issues embedded in the human psych. We encourage unschooled artists in treatment to identify archetypal themes such as childhood, family, and spiritual wholeness.

 
 

“This new show explores ‘Home’ as a place where we reside spiritually, physically and psychologically.  All too often home for our clients is a transitory and undefined place of dysfunction that limits their ability to lead fulfilling and healthy lives. Developing a new vision of ‘Home’ is central to a strong recovery. Reaching a place of security and well-being within themselves prepares our clients to complete treatment and craft a functional and socially responsible life.”

“This exhibition reveals the stories of a community of resilient individuals in recovery, and brings to light a body of work with power enough to engage and inspire us all,” said Justin Peters, Global Executive Creative Director. “Given Siegel+Gale’s focus on helping organizations and individuals reach their true potential, we’re truly honored to host this celebration of creativity and join in marking the ten-year anniversary of this program.”

To see more photos from the reception, visit our Flickr page.

Celebrating Ten Years of Discovery Through Art

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CELEBRATING TEN YEARS OF DISCOVERY THROUGH ART

November 13, 2012: Odyssey House and global strategic branding firm Siegel+Gale celebrate ten years of creating art by members of the Odyssey House Art Project, men and women coping with substance abuse, mental illness, and homelessness. This is the first curated show of paintings, photographs, and masks from an art collection a decade in the making.

Opening night: Tuesday, November 13, 6-9pm, Siegel+Gale, 625 6th Avenue, NYC

Dr. Peter Provet, president of Odyssey House, said: “The creation of art plays a critical role in the rejuvenation of the human spirit and provides a way of reaching sensitive issues embedded in the human psych. We encourage unschooled artists in treatment to identify archetypal themes such as childhood, family, and spiritual wholeness.

“This new show explores ‘Home’ as a place where we reside spiritually, physically and psychologically. All too often home for our clients is a transitory and undefined place of dysfunction that limits their ability to lead fulfilling and healthy lives. Developing a new vision of ‘Home’ is central to a strong recovery. Reaching a place of security and well-being within themselves prepares our clients to complete treatment and craft a functional and socially responsible life.”

“This exhibition reveals the stories of a community of resilient individuals in recovery, and brings to light a body of work with power enough to engage and inspire us all,” said Justin Peters, Global Executive Creative Director. “Given Siegel+Gale’s focus on helping organizations and individuals reach their true potential, we’re truly honored to host this celebration of creativity and join in marking the ten-year anniversary of this program.”

Odyssey House has an active and vibrant expressive arts program. Creating art helps clients find new ways to access feelings and a new medium to express these feelings. Many clients, who were socially and culturally isolated by their addiction and mental illness, are encouraged to become engaged in the creative process. For all in treatment at Odyssey House, developing positive socialization skills and discovering untapped creativity are integral to their continued growth and commitment to recovery. www.odysseyhouseinc.org

Odyssey House Announces Election of Richard O’Connor to Chairman of the Board of Trustees

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New York, NY – 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 abuse disorders and mental illness.

“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.”

Odyssey House Wins Housing Award

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Housing support for homeless families with substance use disorders

January 26, 2012: 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.”

The continuum of family services offered by Odyssey House extends through intensive residential and structured outpatient programs to supervised, community-based, peer-led recovery services. The emphasis throughout the organization’s provision of services is to support individuals and families in making a healthy and sustainable transition to independent and productive lives. The programming goals for families eligible for permanent housing under this new award are to ensure housing stability in a safe and supportive environment; improve family functioning and stability; promote family health and wellness; and enable families to achieve the maximum possible recovery and integration into the community.

One of the biggest barriers to achieving a sustained recovery for many people who enter treatment at Odyssey House is where they will live following treatment. Almost 60 percent of residents are homeless upon admission. For homeless families where the parent (typically the mother, but Odyssey House also serves fathers who have custody of their children) is in need of residential treatment and it is determined to be in the best interests of the young children to keep the family unit together, entering a residential treatment program can disqualify the family for homeless services and jeopardize their chance to receive housing.

This innovative supportive housing program will help remove this barrier by allowing families in treatment, who meet the Department of Homeless Services criteria based on the family’s lodging history, to still qualify for subsidized permanent supportive housing, and thereby address the profound problems of substance abuse and homelessness.

Odyssey House has a strong record of success in developing and operating supportive housing and has consistently demonstrated an ability to effectively provide these services for the neediest homeless New Yorkers.

Over the last 20 years, the organization has opened eight new housing programs using both congregate care and scatter-site models, providing population-specific and mixed-use programs for the mentally ill, substance abusers and people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA).

Odyssey House’s comprehensive system of housing services includes:

  • Family Re-Entry – individual, furnished, two-bedroom apartments for parents and children in full-time residential treatment, 24-hour supervision, and full access to Odyssey House services
  • Odyssey House Harbor – a 60-bed, congregate care residence for homeless dually-diagnosed men and women with severe mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders
  • Odyssey House Haven – a 63-unit, permanent supportive housing program for chronically homeless people living with HIV/AIDS and for the medically frail
  • 25 Shelter Plus Care units – transitional housing for parents and children, as well as special needs populations
  • 45 units of scatter-site supportive housing
  • Odyssey House Park Avenue – a 50-bed, extended stay licensed housing program for low-income adults with serious mental illness, chemical addiction who would otherwise be homeless

Currently, Odyssey House has two new supportive housing projects in development, providing a further 58 and 65 apartments in the South Bronx with construction commencement slated for early 2012.

Foundation Funds Third Odyssey House Theatre Project for Teens in Treatment

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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.”

 

Odyssey House is a New York City-based nonprofit organization that provides residential and outpatient treatment for men, women, and children with substance abuse, mental illness, and related problems. Services include: family and individual counseling; criminal justice interventions, housing, vocational, educational, and job placement support; primary medical and dental care; wellness and recreational curricula.

Odyssey House Develops CHEF Healthy Eating Program with support from Aetna

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Odyssey House is pleased to announce that Aetna is supporting the development of a new health and wellness initiative called the Creating Healthy Eating Families (CHEF) curriculum. 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 Odyssey House 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.

Odyssey House treats women identified as being the most at-risk of obesity and developing obesityrelated health problems. Most women in our programs are 20-34 years old (the age range that has the fastest growing rate of obesity), mostly ill-educated, and come from impoverished families and communities. Among women, the age-adjusted prevalence of obesity in racial and ethnic groups is higher among African-American and Hispanic women than other groups. More than 90 percent of the approximately 200 women in the Odyssey House Family Centers come from these two groups. In addition to the documented racial disparity, minimal healthy food options in lower socioeconomic neighborhoods, poverty, excessive postpartum weight retention, and recovery from substance abuse, all contribute to increased risk of obesity. The CHEF program will promote behaviors to improve diet and exercise.

Odyssey House President Dr. Peter Provet said he was grateful to Aetna for its ongoing commitment to supporting health and wellness services for individuals and families with substance abuse problems. “This is the third grant awarded to Odyssey House by Aetna, and the second to incorporate diet and exercise among our treatment population. With obesity among the top public health concerns facing today’s children, programs such as Odyssey House, where families live with us for several months, offer a unique opportunity to educate parents on the importance of choosing healthy foods for their families.”

About Aetna

Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 35.8 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities and health care management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com. To learn more about Aetna’s innovative online tools, visit www.aetnatools.com.

About Odyssey House

Odyssey House provides quality substance abuse treatment, mental health, medical, dental and housing services to vulnerable New Yorkers. Family-focused residential and outpatient treatment meets the needs of women with children, adolescents, young adults, the mentally ill, the homeless, people living with HIV/AIDS, and senior citizens. For further information on Odyssey House, please visit www.odysseyhousenyc.org.

Odyssey House Offers New Peer-Run Services for People in Early Recovery

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October 8, 2010: Odyssey House, a non-profit substance abuse treatment, mental health provider and supportive housing agency, 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 abuse. 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.

The goal of the OHROCS program is to support people in the early stages of recovery. Volunteer mentors (who receive a small stipend) are paired with individual mentees and work closely with them to achieve the recovery goals defined in the mentees’ recovery plan. Peer support practices that engage clients in the recovery process as they transition to independent, sober living are proven to reduce drug use during and after treatment and improve social connectedness, quality of life, and self-image.

Dr. Peter Provet, president of Odyssey House said today: “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.

“With this new program, people new to recovery will have access to a network of experienced peers who have successfully navigated the transition from treatment to independent, sober living. While this service is not new to Odyssey House – our alumnae group has long offered valuable support to people leaving treatment – the additional resources afforded by this grant, such as a paid stipend, will help us recruit and keep individuals who have a lot to offer. Treatment is already a bargain compared to the significant costs attributed to untreated addiction, from loss of income, increased use of social and medical services, and the high price of criminal justice services. By extending our services with this low-cost recovery network we will provide the taxpayer with even greater savings.”

The OHROCS program will serve 330 individuals in early recovery and will be based at Odyssey House Outpatient Services, 953 Southern Blvd., Bronx, New York.