Category: recovery month

Reaching recovery goals through running

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In celebration of our 50th anniversary, each month we will be sharing a story that highlights one of our programs or treatment populations. This month, we are profiling Ryan, who is training for the New York City Marathon as a member of our Run for Your Life Team.

 

woman recovery runner rehab
Ryan on a training run with team leader Andre Matthews (left) and her teammates.

After a two-decade struggle with a crack cocaine addiction, Ryan, 34, is ready to live the healthiest life she can. Since returning to Odyssey House last year, Ryan has been working to make better choices for herself and make this time in treatment her last.

During her first time at Odyssey House in 2013, Ryan admits that she wasn’t as committed as she needed to be to maintain her recovery. After leaving the program, she found herself returning to her old habits and she relapsed. Today, she has strengthened her resolve: “I know now that I have to change every aspect of my life, to focus on becoming a better me.”

With her new mindset, Ryan quit smoking, is eating healthier, and training to run the New York City Marathon for a second time. “The first time was to see if I could complete it, but this year it is about setting a personal best.” She credits much of this motivation to the Run for Your Life team, the Odyssey House-sponsored running group that promotes healthy living habits and keeps in contact with a network of recovery peers through twice-weekly training runs in Central Park.

“This is more than a team, it’s my second family,” Ryan says, something that is particularly important to her as her family resides in New England. The team keeps her dedicated to her sobriety and healthy lifestyle. “We help push each other towards success.” As a returning marathoner, she has taken on a leadership role within the team, mentoring the new runners and encouraging them to stick with it.

In addition, the therapeutic effects of running have helped Ryan with her anxiety and given her confidence to apply herself to bigger opportunities. She is in the process of becoming a Certified Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor: “I want a career in helping people who have gone through similar situations to my own,” Ryan explains. “I know I can do anything I put my mind to, especially with the support of my team.”

Run for Your Life registration is now open!

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Recovery run 2016Registration is now OPEN for our 11th Annual Run for Your Life 5K Run & Recovery Walk! Register by Friday, July 29th for a special early bird rate and celebrate recovery with Odyssey House on September 24th.

The theme for Recovery Month 2016 is “Join the Voices for Recovery: Our Families, Our Stories, Our Recovery,” which highlights the value of peer support by educating, mentoring, and helping others. It invites individuals in recovery and their support systems to be change agents in communities, and in civic and advocacy engagements.

Get more information.

Register Now!

I can’t make it but I would like to support recovery.

We hope to see you in September!

Our Winter 2016 newsletter is online

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Odyssey House Newsletter Winter 2016


The Winter 2016 edition of Odyssey House News is now available online. Read about our newest supportive housing building, client success stories, grant renewals, and more. Check it out and let us know what you think in the comments or on our Facebook wall. Click here to read it (pdf). If you’d like to receive a copy in the mail, please email your contact information to info(at)odysseyhousenyc.org.

Celebrating Recovery Month: 10th Annual Run for Your Life

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More than 1,000 people came out to Icahn Stadium on September 19th to show their support for men and women in treatment for substance use and mental health disorders at the 10th 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 administration has made it a priority to provide all our residents with access to quality health care, and in these efforts, it is essential that we address every facet of a person’s well-being, including their mental health. Under the leadership of First Lady Chirlane McCray and the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, we are working to build a more inclusive mental health system that meets the needs of all New Yorkers. Odyssey House is an important ally in this mission, offering care and support to those suffering from mental illness, struggling with substance abuse disorders, or living with HIV/AIDS. Through its holistic counseling and rehabilitation programs, medical services, vocational training, housing assistance, and more, this organization helps individuals and families improve their lives and regain their dignity. Today’s event will enable Odyssey House to continue in its important work and celebrate the progress that its clients have achieved on the road to good health. I applaud this organization’s commitment to strengthening communities across our city.”

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, visit our Flickr page to see the photos.

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

Our Winter 2015 newsletter is now available!

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The Winter 2015 edition of Odyssey House News is now available! Read about our expanded peer mentoring programs, recovery month celebrations, new board members, and more. Click here to read it (pdf). Check it out and let us know what you think in the comments or on our Facebook wall. If you’d like to receive a copy in the mail, please email your contact information to info(at)odysseyhousenyc.org.

Three Odyssey House employees honored by New York State

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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

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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! 


 

Run for Your Life registration is now OPEN!

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Registration is now OPEN for the 9th Annual Run for Your Life 5K Run & Recovery Walk! Register by Friday, August 1st for a special early bird rate and celebrate recovery with Odyssey House on September 20th. 

This year’s Recovery Month theme, “Join the Voices for Recovery: Speak Up, Reach Out,” encourages people to openly discuss mental and substance use disorders and the reality of recovery. It aims to foster public understanding and acceptance of the benefits of prevention, treatment and recovery from behavioral health conditions. 


Fundraise for Odyssey House 

Whether you walk, run, volunteer or just watch, we encourage everyone to raise funds. All donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law. Create your own FREE fundraising page on Crowdrise or FirstGiving. You can also download a pledge form (pdf). Proceeds from Run for Your Life support our programs that provide a safe, supportive residential community with an emphasis on beginning drug-free lives, family reunification, and educational and vocational training. 

We look forward to seeing you in September!