addiction

The Narcan Experiment

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Odyssey House President Dr. Peter Provet comments in The New York Times on a recent report (“If This Were an Overdose, Would You Help?” news article, May 10) on a controversial proposal to install lockboxes containing the opioid overdose antidote naloxone on the streets of Cambridge, MA. Dr. Provet argues that the public administration of naloxone could become a turning point in the opioid epidemic.

To the Editor:

The public administration of naloxone has the potential to be a turning point in the opioid epidemic. While overdose deaths continue to multiply throughout the country, a tipping point has yet to be reached regarding political resolve to fund treatment and a groundswell of public concern and compassion.

This experiment in Massachusetts to address the deadly consequences of addiction by empowering the public to administer a lifesaving dose of naloxone may be just what we need to get citizens involved in addressing our morass of addiction.

Ultimately, a vast number of lives will be saved only if the public comes to view addiction as a chronic relapsing disease that requires treatment that is coordinated, comprehensive and compassionate.

PETER PROVET, NEW YORK
The writer is president and chief executive of Odyssey House.

In just one week…

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THE GRAND OPENING OF THE GEORGE ROSENFELD CENTER IS ONLY ONE WEEK AWAY!

We invite you to join us on Thursday, May 11th to celebrate the grand opening, tour the campus, and learn more about the services we offer. Click here for more information and to register. See below for directions.

The George Rosenfeld Center for Recovery (GRCR) is a residential behavioral health treatment center for women, families, and older adults located on Wards Island. Since 1967, Odyssey House has established a strong tradition of providing a place of sanctuary for clients and families to focus on overcoming addiction, develop coping skills, and build lifelong recovery.

In keeping with this tradition, and the treatment services offered throughout the Odyssey House system, residential care at GRCR embraces a holistic continuum of evidence-based behavioral health care, including medication-assisted treatment; counseling, group therapy, and case management services; educational and vocational training; and peer-supported recovery and housing programs.

 

Directions to the George Rosenfeld Center for Recovery

By public transportation: Take the Lexington Avenue 4/5/6 to 125th Street and transfer to the M35 bus at 125th Street and Lexington Avenue (in front of Duane Reade). Download the bus schedule here.

By car: All vehicular access is via the RFK Triborough Bridge. Once on the Queens-bound leg of the RFK Triborough Bridge, stay to the far right and follow signs to Randall’s Island.

If navigating with Google Maps, please use “13 Hells Gate Circle, New York, NY 10035″ as your destination or click here for the GPS coordinates. MTA Bridges & Tunnels charge a toll of $8.50 to access the Island, but there is no toll upon exiting.

Download maps of our location and parking areas.

By foot: The 103rd Street Footbridge in Manhattan is open to pedestrians and cyclists 365 days per year, 24 hours per day, and connects the East River Esplanade/FDR Drive at 103rd Street with the southern end of Randall’s Island Park.

Wellness services for women and seniors

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At the George Rosenfeld Center for Recovery (GRCR), women and older adults live and learn in a peer-driven environment that provides family-like structure and support. Supervised by a caring team of counselors, teachers, and health care personnel, clients receive the individualized support and attention they need to live a healthy life—free of drugs and alcohol.

Once clients complete our residential program, we work with them to find transitional or permanent housing, stay connected to an Odyssey House peer support group, and access outpatient services. The continuum of care services help women and older adults develop sustainable connections and maintain their recovery.

TREATMENT SERVICES FOR WOMEN

Mother addiction recoveryHelping women and families rebuild their lives is a priority. Our gender-specific treatment programs for women (including pregnant women and mothers caring for young children) feature a range of services that strengthen the family unit while supporting individual recovery.

For women with children, the GRCR features a Department of Health-licensed early educational center capable of providing services to children up to 6 years old.  The center has five classrooms, two of which offer Early Head Start Services through a collaboration with Northside Center for Child Development, a playroom, and a library.

Learn more about the range of comprehensive recovery services for women.

TREATMENT SERVICES FOR OLDER ADULTS

We created the Odyssey House ElderCare Program to address the behavioral health care needs of men and women 55 years old and older. Older adults with substance use disorders often face unique challenges. Some of our clients have tried to hide their addiction their whole lives. Others turned to drugs or alcohol in the face of later-life challenges—from losing jobs or spouses to dealing with the physical pain and loneliness of getting older.

However their lives got off track, Odyssey House helps older people find a better way forward. As part of our ElderCare residential program at the GRCR, clients live and work with older New Yorkers who have said enough is enough. Family members are encouraged to participate in group sessions, seminars, and other therapeutic activities to help rebuild relationships.

Learn more about the range of comprehensive recovery services for seniors.

Opening soon: The George Rosenfeld Center for Recovery

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WELLNESS SERVICES FOR WOMEN & OLDER ADULTS

 

Recovery happens in a dignified setting

The George Rosenfeld Center for Recovery (GRCR) is a multi-generational behavioral health treatment center with a focus on intensive substance abuse services for women and older adults. The 231-bed residential complex is located on Wards Island, within a 480-acre city park that, conjoined with Randall’s Island, lies in the East River between East Harlem, the South Bronx and Astoria, Queens.

The GRCR officially opens in spring 2017 following a major restoration undertaken in partnership with New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS). The renovation project reclaimed and enhanced the original historic structure, built in 1915 as a hospital for psychiatric patients, to create a modern family treatment center for women and children and older adults 55 years of age and older.

In keeping with treatment services offered throughout the Odyssey House system, residential care at GRCR embraces a holistic continuum of evidence-based behavioral health care. Individually developed treatment plans incorporate a range of services including medication-assisted treatment; counseling, group therapy, and case management services; educational and vocational training; and peer-supported recovery and housing programs.

 

Just as everyone’s life journey is different, so is finding the best path to recovery.

Odyssey House has a strong tradition of providing a place of sanctuary for clients and families to focus on overcoming addiction, develop coping skills, and build lifelong recovery. And because everyone has different needs, we personalize our residential and outpatient treatment programs to each person who walks through our doors.

We believe that integrated behavioral health care—a holistic form of treatment that addresses physical, psychiatric, social, and spiritual well-being, as well as family relationships and education—is the most effective approach to achieving a healthy recovery.

A safe and supportive environment is a fundamental part of the treatment experience. Residents are encouraged to relate to others and foster a feeling of safety that helps them focus on their recovery and learn about their addiction. An environment that reflects respect and dignity helps clients engage in their community and reduces feelings of institutionalization that can inhibit individual growth and learning.

“I was given a second chance.”

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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. Here is Hamilton’s story, a resident of the Leadership Center for transitional-age men.

“Six months ago, if you had told me I’d be going to college, I would have called you a liar.” When Hamilton, 24, came to Odyssey House, he was homeless and doing anything he could to get more heroin. But after a near-fatal overdose, he made a decision to turn his life around.

young man heroin recoveryBorn to heroin-addicted parents, Hamilton started using marijuana and drinking at age 12. “I always felt different from the other kids growing up and was searching for an escape from my reality,” he says. By age 14, he was in his first treatment program. Hamilton spent the rest of his adolescence cycling through juvenile detention and treatment programs.

He was 18 when he tried heroin for the first time. “From that day until the day I entered Odyssey House, it completely controlled my life. Everything I did was to get more heroin.” After being arrested in New Hampshire, his father bailed him out under one condition: that he get help. Hamilton agreed but didn’t take it too seriously. Before entering treatment, he went out to get high one last time, overdosed, and was revived by naloxone.

After his near death experience, Hamilton realized he’d been given another chance and decided to commit to treatment. He struggled in the beginning, but after a few weeks of attending group meetings and one-on-one sessions with his counselor, he began to understand the depth of his drug problem. “The staff at Odyssey House believed in me until I could believe in myself,” he says.

In treatment, Hamilton has rebuilt a number of relationships with his loved ones. The guidance and support of his father, in recovery himself since Hamilton was six years old, has been particularly invaluable. “He’s been through what I’m going through, and he doesn’t judge me.”

Seeing the positive effects of recovery in his life motivates Hamilton to push himself further. A cross-country runner growing up, Hamilton joined the Run for Your Life team and is planning to run the NYC Marathon this year. “I feel free when I run,” he says. “It improves my mood, and it’s great to get out and meet people in the other programs and share our experiences.”

Hamilton also earned his high school equivalency diploma and enrolled in the Borough of Manhattan Community College. He plans to study human services. “I was given a second chance and I feel it’s my duty to help kids like me get their second chance. Without Odyssey House, none of this would be possible and I am forever grateful.”

New community and outreach center expands recovery services in the Bronx

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This spring, Odyssey House will be expanding its recovery services in the Bronx with the opening of a new Recovery Community and Outreach Center (RCOC), providing a community-based, non-clinical setting that is safe, welcoming, and alcohol/drug-free. The center will promote long-term recovery through skill building, recreation, wellness education, employment readiness, civic restoration opportunities, and other social activities.

Dr. Peter Provet, president of Odyssey House, said, “We’re pleased to build on the success of our Bronx-based services and provide individuals and families on the road to recovery with the services they need, where they need them most – in their own community.”

Recovery center staff will help individuals and families navigate the addiction treatment system and secure insurance coverage. The center will provide an opportunity for individuals and families to connect with peers who are going through similar challenges so that they can benefit from shared experiences and commitment to common goals for recovery.

Odyssey House is one of five sites selected by the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, each of which will receive $350,000 annually over five years to provide health, wellness, and other critical support to individuals and families who are recovering from a substance use disorder. These model recovery centers are a key piece of Governor Cuomo’s aggressive, multi-pronged approach to addressing substance use disorders in New York State.

“Addiction devastates the lives of too many New Yorkers and their families, but recovery from addiction is attainable with the right support,” Governor Cuomo said. “New Yorkers in every part of the state will now have the recovery-focused resources and supports they need to make their recovery possible, bringing us another step closer to a stronger and healthier New York for all.”

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.

‘The Drumbeat of Bad News’ on the Opioid Toll

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In today’s edition of The New York Times, Odyssey House President Dr. Peter Provet comments on “New Mothers Derailed by Drugs Find Support in New Hampshire Home” (News, Dec. 12), on the devastating toll the opioid epidemic is inflicting on families.

The drumbeat of bad news on the toll the opioid epidemic is taking on communities across America just keeps getting worse. But the statistic cited in your article that as of 2012 a baby is born suffering from opioid withdrawal every 25 minutes is most sobering.

We have not seen such a collapse of families since the crack epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s. What we learned then, and need to remember today, is that when we connect pregnant women with treatment services that keep the mother and child together, we save two lives.

What’s different now is that many of the families affected are from rural and suburban communities, where access to treatment is limited, if not nonexistent. In urban centers like New York City, treatment organizations have developed supportive networks that connect at-risk people with services that both save lives and protect communities.

As we look to a new president with so much unknown about the direction his administration will take on containing the opioid epidemic, we hope that he will be open to listening to lessons learned decades ago: that treatment, not punishment, is the surest and cheapest cure for addiction, and that what works in the cities will also work in the suburbs and rural America.

Dr. Provet on the Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health

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It couldn’t be clearer. The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health (The New York Times, Nov 17) is a wake-up call that we are facing a public health challenge that is ‘taking an enormous toll on individuals, families, and society.’ The financial costs of alcohol and illicit drug use combined are $442 billion. But the personal costs are much, much greater. At least 85 people a day (some reports say over 100) are dying from opioid-related overdoses.

Addiction costs infographicIt can’t go on. The death rate from what is a preventable, and treatable disease, is unconscionable. The financial costs are unsustainable.

Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy makes a strong case for at last treating addiction as a public health not criminal justice issue. This is critical. Stigma and punishment combined have stopped people from getting help; have tied up our law enforcement agencies in a vicious and dangerous cycle of recidivism; and have claimed the lives of thousands and thousands of young Americans.

Let’s bring addiction out of the shadows of shame and commit to treating it like any other medical or mental health issue.

Giving thanks every day

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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 would like to introduce you Marjorie, a member of our Tinton Avenue supportive housing community who has been a part of Odyssey House for almost four years and is celebrating her fifth year of sobriety.

Supportive housing tenantAlmost four years ago, at the age of 50, Marjorie had a major psychotic breakdown, leading to hospitalization and a diagnosis of schizophrenia. On top of that she was also struggling to maintain a fragile sobriety. For over 30 years, Marjorie had found solace in illegal drugs as a way to cope with her traumatic childhood. Realizing her situation was critical, she knew if she was going to save her life it was now or never. She grabbed hold of that chance.

After several relapses and treatment attempts, Marjorie started on the road to recovery in 2013 when she was admitted to the Odyssey House Harbor, a transitional mental health housing program. During her time at the Harbor, Marjorie improved her physical and mental well-being and began to regain her confidence. She made such progress in following her treatment that she was offered permanent housing at Odyssey House Tinton Avenue the following year.

Since moving into Tinton Avenue in 2014, Marjorie has been a conscientious tenant and neighbor. She handles her responsibilities as a tenant with respect and enthusiasm; participates in group activities; and provides helpful insights to her fellow tenants.

Outgoing and approachable, one of her neighbors describes her as “woman who cares passionately for everyone.” Another adds, “Marjorie is known for being supportive of her neighbors who are struggling with addiction and mental illness and freely lends her time and compassion so we don’t feel alone.”

When asked what she wants to do with her life, Marjorie is clear: she hopes to become a peer counselor and put her experience and professional training to work to the benefit of others who, like her, have struggled against enormous odds to lead independent lives.

In her pursuit to become a peer counselor, Marjorie completed training in overdose prevention and recovery coaching at our outpatient services and established a peer support network at Tinton Avenue.

She’s also made it a priority to continue her journey of recovery. She attends Narcotics Anonymous meetings and is a regular attendee at the Odyssey House-sponsored outpatient recovery network where she participates in therapy sessions, smoking cessation workshops, and yoga classes, and stays involved in her local church.

This year Marjorie achieved something she never thought possible: graduating from the Resource Training Center as a Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor Trainee (CASAC-T).

Living in a secure and safe community surrounded by people who support her recovery is something Marjorie gives thanks for every day.