Category: treatment

Working in Recovery: How do we know what works? We ask questions

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By Gary Harmon, Ph.D.
Vice President, Director of Research & Grants

As the substance use disorder field continues to evolve and move closer to a medical model, Odyssey House is poised to remain a leader.  The ability of the agency to retain the essential elements of treatment from its roots over 45 years ago, combined with cutting-edge and new research-supported treatment, has led to a model that we know works. 

Personally, I take great satisfaction in the quality of the services we provide and the excellent treatment outcomes that are produced.  Since my role often involves viewing our clients, programs, and services as data on a computer screen, I always make sure to remember that every number represents a person; someone who came to Odyssey House in need of help; someone with a dream or hope of a better life.  Keeping that important principle in mind helps to ensure that I never stop asking that very important question:  “How do we know what we do works?” 

Entering into the substance use disorder field six years ago, I was eager to apply my background in public health to one of the greatest problems facing our society.  I have worked with disadvantaged and disenfranchised populations for my entire career but this field presented an entirely new set of challenges and barriers.  It was clear from the start that our clients and residents were not only battling with drugs and alcohol, but most were also beset with poverty, trauma, mental illness and homelessness.  One of the reasons that I was attracted to Odyssey House was the organization’s approach to research and data.  Employing a full-time director of research and grants signaled to me that the agency had a value for exploring what was most effective for our clients and residents.  At that time, the agency had begun to implement several Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs), and was participating in a National Institute on Drug AbuseClinical Trial Network research study. 

The acceptance of new, data-driven interventions shows that Odyssey House is staying ahead of the field in terms of best practices and the most effective treatment services, and the commitment to research and implementation of EBPs has only grown. We now employ more than 12 different data-driven interventions throughout the agency, and we have recently participated in several clinical trials with both New York University and Columbia University. As an evaluator on several grant projects supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, I have seen from the data that the programs we implement are effective.

The first questions I asked of my colleagues upon entering the field was, “What do we do?” and “How do we know what we do works?” Although simple questions, it was clear to me that the answers were much more complex and the results more rewarding.

Working in Recovery is an occasional series of guest blog posts by Odyssey House clinical, administrative, and research experts.

Working in Recovery: Running residential programs

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Comprehensive treatment with wraparound medical, educational, vocational, and housing supports
By Justin Mitchell, Vice President & Director of Adult Residential Services

From our humble beginningsof 17 individuals coming together to form a community focused on living drug free, Odyssey House has developed into a multi-service entity providing a safe haven for the neediest New Yorkers. From the newborn child to the elderly man or woman, Odyssey House is equipped to meet the specific needs of a wide range of clientele struggling with substance use disorders, mental illness and homelessness.
Today’s Odyssey House has adopted an increased focus on evidence-based services, including parenting and trauma interventions; licensed early educational services such as Early Head Start; adult basic education; on-site medical and dental clinics; and an ever-expanding supportive housing portfolio. 
I joined Odyssey House in 2002 as a rehabilitation counselor with the goal of assisting clients in developing the skills necessary to reintegrate into their community and become productive members of society. Over the past 10 years I have had the chance to work in various positions and departments within Odyssey House, providing me with a unique opportunity to affect change on a client, a staff, and an organizational level.

Today, I am responsible for the residential treatment programs that are core to Odyssey House’s 46 year history. It is my job to ensure that the 500 adults and children we serve every day receive the best quality treatment; maintain compliance with various city, state and federal regulations; and develop methods to enhance our treatment programs to meet the changing needs of our clientele. 

During my years at Odyssey House, I have learned that the clients most successful at staying clean are the ones who are most committed to the treatment process. Odyssey House, at its foundation, remains a self-help program that encourages individuals to maximize their time in treatment to address a wide range of social, physical and spiritual needs. I expect, and encourage, clients to take an active role in their recovery, creating individualized treatment goals that include abstinence from drugs and alcohol, educational and vocational milestones, employment, financial self-sufficiency, and independent housing.  
But my job at Odyssey House is not merely an administrative one. I have a central belief that our role as models for right living can have the greatest impact on clients. As staff we are here to inspire hope in our clients: hope that by making a commitment to honest reflection and meaningful change, one can regain control and redirect the path of their lives. By demonstrating patience, positive communication skills, a strong work ethic, and genuine care and concern, we provide an example of how to be good family members, parents and citizens. Every day, we demonstrate how to give back to our community. 
In treatment, every day provides a new opportunity to be successful. As we continue to think about how long-term residential treatment fits into a changing health care environment, it is important to remember that for our clients, success may come slowly and can take many forms. For our young adults it may be achieving their GEDs; for clients struggling with mental illness it can mean the independence of community-based housing; for our mothers it can mean family reunification; and for our elderly it can be gaining a sense of integrity as they recover from a lifelong addiction.  

Working in Recovery is an occasional series of guest blog posts by Odyssey House clinical, administrative, and research experts.

New program to enhance adolescent treatment in the Bronx

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Odyssey House Outpatient Services is introducing a new evidence-based program for adolescent boys (12-17 years) with substance use disorders. Called the Seven Challenges, the program will be incorporated into our existing BUY-In program, which was recently awarded a three-year, $1.3 million contract by the NYS Office of Alcoholism & SubstanceAbuse Services (OASAS).

The Seven Challengesprogram is designed to motivate a decision and commitment to change – and to support success in implementing the desired changes. The program helps young adults address their drug problems as well as their co-occurring life skill deficits, situational problems, and psychological problems.
Odyssey House kicked off the program with a community meeting to introduce the program to referral sources. Attendees included representatives from OASAS, the Bronx Borough President’s office, Bronx Futures, and Bronx Community Services.
Seven Challenges is intended to avoid power struggles between the client and counselor, instead focusing on encouraging honesty. Richard Barr, director of training and support for Seven Challenges, said, “It is an empowering model – designed to help adolescents make thoughtful decisions: internally motivated and committed. We want clients to take charge of their own lives.”
Robert Anderson, director of adolescent, outpatient and admissions services for Odyssey House, said, “We are very excited about this opportunity to implement yet another evidence-based practice of the quality that Seven Challenges exhibits. The training was very valuable and we look forward to providing to great services to the youth we serve.”

Odyssey House wins grant to expand adolescent outpatient services

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The Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) announced Odyssey House as the downstate recipient of a three-year, federally funded grant to expand adolescent services. Odyssey House President Dr. Peter Provet said: “We are proud to fulfill our mission of treating vulnerable populations of adolescents with substance use disorders and their families by expanding our Bronx-based outpatient programs, and are grateful to NYS OASAS and SAMHSA for their support in helping to meet the needs of a community we are dedicated to serving.”
In selecting Odyssey House, Commissioner Gonzalez-Sanchez, commented on the high needs of the adolescents in our Bronx outpatient program and their involvement in “multiple systems that include juvenile justice, child welfare, or mental health.” 

For more information, please read the OASAS press release here.

Odyssey House welcomes a new board chairman

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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.

The Spring 2012 newsletter is now available

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Odyssey House Newsletter Spring 2012

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 (pdf) and let us know what you think in the comments or on our Facebook page.

It’s Poor Policy to Test Drug Welfare Recipients

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Dr. Peter Provet urges lawmakers to reconsider legislation requiring welfare recipients to take drug tests and calling instead for greater treatment and prevention funding.

States consider drug testing welfare recipients” prompts the question: Why stop at poor people who receive public benefits? For example, why not test all students in state-funded schools and mothers who give birth in publicly funded hospitals?

In Arizona and Missouri, an individual is tested if there is reason to believe he or she is a substance abuser. The legislation proposed in Colorado would test all applicants for the state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. This stigmatizes poor families and is ultimately a losing battle. Money should be dedicated to more prevention, education, treatment, and broad public-relations campaigns that extol the benefits of a wellness lifestyle and drug-free life.

Testing might seem like an easy and convenient solution. But it is often counterproductive, expensive and a poor substitute for sound public policy.

Peter Provet, president & CEO; Odyssey House; New York City
Odyssey House is a non-profit social services organization.

Taxing Medical Marijuana

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In a letter to The New York Times, Dr. Peter Provet urges municipalities that collect taxes from medical marijuana businesses to direct some of that additional revenue to under-funded treatment and prevention programs.

To the Editor:

“Struggling Cities Turn to a Crop for Cash” (news article, Feb. 12) doesn’t mention a major issue of concern that has to be considered before claims of attractive financial benefits from taxing medical marijuana can be made.

In the states mentioned – California, Colorado, Maine and Oregon – 3.2 million people are not receiving the treatment services they need for drug abuse and dependence. California alone accounts for 2.3 million people with untreated substance abuse disorders.

Before hard-pressed municipalities, in these and other states around the country, look at medical marijuana as a new source of tax revenue to finance essential services, taxpayers should be given the opportunity to consider allocating some of this money to under-supported treatment and prevention programs.

This will not mitigate the effects of untreated substance abuse, but it will help send a clear message to young people that marijuana, prescribed or not, has addictive potential that too often requires intensive treatment.

PETER PROVET
President and Chief Executive
Odyssey House
New York, Feb. 13, 2012

To see additional comments on this issue by Peter B. Bensinger, former administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Robert L. DuPont, former director and founder of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, please click here.

Odyssey House wins housing award

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Housing support for homeless families with substance use disorders

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.”

Click here to read the full press release.