Agency officials, commu-nity leaders, guests andstaff of Odyssey Housegathered in the SouthBronx this summer to celebrate the opening ofa new outpatient treat-ment center.

Located in the bustlingHunt’s Point neighborhood,Odyssey House OutpatientServices is a community-basedprogram that will serve menand women making strides torenew their lives and maketheir own contributions to so-ciety.

Odyssey House’s new out-patient program offers com-prehensive services for peoplewho are in transition from res-idential treatment as well as

those who require community-based support. Program com-ponents include: individual,group, and family treatment;health education; parentingclasses; anger management;bi-lingual services; and voca-tional and educational aid.

The men and women en-rolled in the new services—some 100 a week currently,with as many as 500 a monthexpected eventually to takeadvantage of Odyssey House’streatment services at thecenter—are working towardrecovery in a program dedi-cated to responding to com-munity needs. PredominantlyBronx residents, many pro-gram participants have cometo Odyssey House for the sup-

port they need to follow thehealthiest, most productivepath for themselves and theirfamilies.

The Outpatient Servicesprogram is concerned directlywith helping individuals leavethe struggles of drug abusebehind. Its mission is also tosupport the families of drugabusers and help heal thecommunities they live in bygiving clients the tools toobtain a lasting sobriety andbecome productive, positivemembers of their own neigh-borhoods.

“Addiction eats at theheart and soul of a communi-ty,” said Dr. William A.Gorman, the Commissioner of

Meeting Community Needs: Odyssey HouseOpens Outpatient Services

Saving lives, rebuilding families, restoring communities Fall 2004

OOddyysssseeyy HHoouussee sseerrvviicceess

Founded in 1967, OdysseyHouse is an EnhancedTherapeutic Community(TC) providing innovativeservices and programsfor a broad population of drug-troubled in-dividuals and families,including:� Mothers & children� Pregnant women� Adolescents� Elders (55 years and

older)� Mentally ill chemical

abusers (MICA)� Single adults� Court mandated clients� Homeless adults

Odyssey House runs thelargest and oldest parentand child residential TCprogram in the countryand the only residentialTC program for seniorcitizens.

New Playground Gives Kids in TreatmentRoom to Grow — AAnndd PPllaayy

Inside this issue:2004 Artist in Recovery

Award, pg. 2World Asthma Day

Honored, pg. 3Saving Older Addicts, pg. 4New Outpatient Program

Expands Services forSeniors, pg. 6

A Commitment toResearch & Innovation,pg. 7

See story on page 5

Continued on page 3

www.odysseyhouseinc.org

Page 2 Odyssey House news

Best-selling author of a har-rowing first-person account of his journey from addictionto sobriety, Mr. James Frey, isthe recipient of this year’sOdyssey House Artist inRecovery Award. This awardis presented by OdysseyHouse in honor of NationalRecovery Month, a nation-wide celebration of drug treat-ment and prevention.

In A Million Little PiecesMr. Frey painfully confrontsthe consequences of his addic-tion to alcohol and crack co-caine, and finds a way toreconstruct his life.

“I wrote about my struggleto become sober,” he told thelarge crowd of staff, boardmembers, and friends gath-

ered in the Odyssey HouseHaven art gallery, “because Iwanted family members —spouses, children, people who

want to get better — to under-stand that if I can do it so canthey.

“In the media,” he contin-ued, “I never saw anything re-alistic about the drug cultureand addiction, and how to getbetter. Drugs are not cool,people die, go to prison, it’snot easy. I am deeply movedby this award and for a chanceto speak to so many peoplewho understand and supportrecovery.”

Mr. Frey is the second art-ist to receive this award fromOdyssey House. Last year’s recipient was Mr. DannySimmons, whose painting“Urban Nights” is on perma-nent display at the HavenGallery.

A Million Little Pieces, ispublished by Nan A. Talese/Doubleday.

2004 Odyssey House Artist in Recovery Award

“... ensuring adults

with mental illness

can live and work

in the community”

Leadership AlliancePromotes Safe Streets

Joining forces to keep the streets safe andpromoting a healthful environment, Dr.Peter Provet, president of Odyssey House,signs a community policy to clamp downon loitering and illegal narcotics transac-tions in East Harlem with (left to right):Ms. Addie Corradi, Beth Israel MethadoneMaintenance Treatment Program; Mr.Robert Morganthau, Manhattan DistrictAttorney; and NYC Councilman PhilipReed.

Odyssey House is a founding memberof the 125th Street Alliance, an organiza-tion of local business and communityleaders who work on addressing quality of life issues in Upper Manhattan.

Sharing the Same MissionHelping people rebuild their lives and giving

them the support they need to become inde-pendent citizens is a central theme in theOdyssey House mission.

We are fortunate to share this mission withmany others whose life’s work is to put peoplefirst. One such person who recently visited ourEast Harlem programs was CommissionerSharon Carpinello, head of the New York StateOffice of Mental Health.

Dr. Carpinello met with residents in treatmentfor mental illness and substance abuse problems,and shared with them her vision on giving par-ents what they most want for their children:“having them home, happy, successful inschool—and ensuring adults with mental illnesscan live and work in the community.”

Mr. James Frey flanked by Ms. MarcyStein, a friend of Odyssey House,and Ms. Janice Glenn, director ofthe Odyssey House Haven.

Family Center preschoolers share classroom timewith the Commissioner.

Fall 2004 Page 3

the New York State Office ofAlcoholism and SubstanceAbuse Services (OASAS), atthe opening ceremony. “Buttreatment programs likeOdyssey House that help healmen and women whose liveshave been damaged by drugs,protect the heart and soul of acommunity—one person andone family at a time.”

“Every single individualought to have a set of condi-tions in which they can excel,”

said Bronx Borough PresidentAdolfo Carrion, Jr., whojoined Commissioner Gormanin opening the new program.

“By creating programs likethis, by giving people a handup, we are building a resilientcommunity. Odyssey House issaying to people, no matterwhat you’ve been dealt in life,‘We believe in you.’”

Dr. Peter Provet, OdysseyHouse president, echoed theBorough President and Com-missioner’s words. “We be-

lieve in outcomes, not justpromises. Research data con-clusively shows that compre-hensive treatment not onlyworks in keeping individualsdrug-free, it also helps themfind and keep a job, maintaina healthy home, and be in-volved in community life.”

For further informationon Odyssey HouseOutpatient Services call:718-860-2994.

Bronx-based Outpatient Services

“By creating

programs like this,

by giving a hand up,

we are building a

resilient community.”

World Asthma Day Honored at Odyssey HouseTreating and preventing asthma attacksamong the children and adults who are intreatment at Odyssey House is one of themedical team’s top priorities. In an effort tohelp residents who suffer from asthma, ortake care of a child with asthma, the medicalstaff recently participated in World AsthmaDay, an international effort by health agen-cies around the globe to raise awareness ofasthma through health screenings, educa-tional materials, and presentations on thelatest available medical treatments.

Funded by a $1,000 grant from the NewYork City Department of Health andMental Hygiene, Odyssey House nursepractitioners and counselors held an “openhouse” for parents and children from theFamily Center, as well as adults fromOdyssey House’s residential programs.

Odyssey House Pediatric Nurse Practitioner RebeccaCrespi talks with a family center resident and her daugh-ter about how to prevent and treat childhood asthma.

Continued from page 1

Opening day, Odyssey House Outpatient Services, July 14, 2004Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, Jr. (center) with Odyssey House client and child, boardmembers, and officers.

Page 4 Odyssey House news

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Mildred Simmons andTyrone Thompson came toOdyssey House’s ElderCareProgram along very differentpaths, but the hard workthey’re both doing now isvery similar. Odyssey House’sdrug abuse services for eldersis the first of its kind in thecountry, an innovative treat-ment approach designedspecifically for men andwomen 55 and older.

The ElderCare programis residential treatment thatthat offers such advantagesas a supportive communi-ty that understands olderdrug abusers, therapeuticservices specifically tailoredto elders’ needs, and assis-tance with housing and vo-cational issues.

Mildred Simmons is 65, a mother and grandmother whoworked her whole life, including decades as a supervisor in a fac-tory that made baby clothes. Born in Washington, D.C. to ateacher and a career Navy man, she moved to Brooklyn 45 yearsago for her first real job, in a bank. “I was a weekend drinker,”she said, and over 45 years of drinking she never thought she hada problem. But after retiring, she said, shebegan drinking more and more until she endedup in the hospital. It was then she realized howdependent she had been on alcohol, and withthe encouragement and support of her family,she entered Odyssey House.

“I decided I didn’t need the whiskey,” shesaid, “I decided what I needed was to see mygrandkids get grown.” But often it is not so easy as just deciding.It takes time to recover from more than four decades of substanceabuse. Mildred came to Odyssey House in March to get her lifetogether, and is grateful for the experience. Her health has im-

proved, and she has new plans and goals that don’t include alco-hol. She intends to keep busy once she has completed treatment,both with volunteer work and with her family. “I want to makea contribution,” she said.

Tyrone Thompson, who is 56, is dealing with 37 years of drugdependence. “I went looking for it,” he said, “asked for it—andgot it.” Like so many teens, he was just curious. To a curious teen,it seemed like everyone was having a good time with drugs, butbefore he knew it, he was using heroin heavily. “In the 70s,” hesaid, “I tried cocaine, and then freebase cocaine and that led me

straight to jail.” Tyrone man-aged to hold jobs in the electron-ics industry and earn a B.A. inpsychology, but the call of drugswas too much for him. Heturned to crack, and landed backin jail.

“I had resolved myself to thefact that I was going to do thisfor the rest of my life,” he said,“that I was a drug addict forlife.” He had no hope, and no in-tention of looking for it. “Whenyou drugged up,” he said, “youdon’t see anything. Only the manwith the drugs.” All his passionsfell aside: “I’m a movie buff,” hesaid, “I draw, I paint, I love jazz—but all I could see or hear wasdrugs.” Things changed atOdyssey House. “I started to seeagain at Odyssey House,”

Tyrone said. When he completes his treatment, Tyrone intends touse what he’s learned to help others as a drug abuse counselor, forwhich he will begin training in the fall.

Sitting in a circle, a group of Mildred’s and Tyrone’s at theOdyssey House facility on 121st Street in Manhattan, all hadhard, clear views of their past with no excuses, but each had op-timistic and determined plans for the future. Charles, at 73, onlystarted smoking crack in his 50s after losing his business.

“Odyssey House has brought me back myfamily,” he said. “And this is a family here.”Shirley, who also struggled with crack, added,“It’s so important I stay connected—I’m goingto stay connected.” Dave, whose problemwith pills brought him to Odyssey House,noted, “It’s 90 percent behaviors and atti-

tudes—that’s what has to be relearned, and you can’t do that onyour own. That’s what all these men and women are doing, andthe chance they’re getting is the chance of a lifetime.”

Special Report on Saving Older Addicts:Seniors Share Their Stories

Tyrone stands tall with the support of his Odyssey House family, (seatedleft to right) Charles, Mildred, and Dave.

“Odyssey Househas brought meback my family”

Fall 2004 Page 5

Guests and staff of Odyssey House were treated to abeautiful day for the dedication of a new children’splayground at the Odyssey House MABON FamilyCenter of Excellence, New York City’s first ever parentand child residential treatment facility.

The construction of a new playgroundat the Ward’s Island Center is largelythanks to the efforts of Ms. Mary Lasser,Trustee for the Elizabeth and Barets O.Benjamin Foundation, whose gift of$25,000 made the refurbishment possible.

Standing in front of the new play areawith Ms. Lasser, members of the Board ofTrustees of Odyssey House, and some ofthe young families in treatment at theCenter, Odyssey House President Dr. PeterProvet said, “This is an extraordinary ex-ample of the very best of philanthropy, andthe spirit of the Therapeutic Community.”He noted the efforts of the residents of theMABON Family Center who contributedto the construction and landscaping oftheir own new playground.

Speaking of the diversity of OdysseyHouse, which treats adults, teens, elders,parents, homeless, mentally ill, and HIV-positive drug abusers, Provet added,“Children represent the heart of ouragency.”

The destruction drug addiction wreaks is rarely limited justto the men and women and teens who are abusing drugs them-selves. Often, drugs destroy the fabric of entire families. With thatin mind, Odyssey House opened the doors to this first familytreatment center in New York in 1973, allowing parents recover-ing from drug abuse to make the journey to health with theiryoung children living with them. Today, there are 210 slots for

parents and children at Odyssey House, including 75 at theMABON Center.

While engaging in their own treatment, through such programfeatures as counseling, vocational training, medical care, and re-lapse prevention planning, the adults residents of the MABON

Family Center are also learning how to bebetter parents, both through parentingskills classes and such simple activities asextended recreational time with their chil-dren. In addition, the Center offers licenseddaycare for infants and preschoolers andon-site pediatricians and nurses.

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Ms. Lasser’s contribution to OdysseyHouse is part of the essential private-publicpartnership the organization relies on totransform people’s lives. Whereas state andfederal funding provides for much ofOdyssey House’s programming, withoutthe generosity of philanthropists such asMs. Lasser and the Elizabeth and Barets O.Benjamin Foundation, the organizationcould not make the improvements neces-sary to ensure that the men, women, andteens struggling to escape the grip of drugaddiction have the best opportunity torenew their lives and rejoin society as pro-ductive, healthy citizens.

As John Tavolacci, Senior Vice President, Chief OperatingOfficer, put it at the dedication ceremony, “Treatment allows recovering drug abusers to appreciate their loved ones, their op-portunities, and find the courage to take advantage of those op-portunities. Believing in people who are struggling to change theirlives takes courage. Thank you Ms. Lasser for your courage.”

New Playground Gives Kids Room to Grow — And Play

Residents in treatment for substanceabuse problems can take advantage of arange of educational and vocational serv-ices that help them prepare for new ca-reers.

Run in conjunction with New YorkCity Board of Education, Odyssey Houseoffers a range of adult education classesthat include: GED prep and testing, com-puter skills training, and adult literacy.

All adult school classes are conductedon-site at Odyssey House’s treatment cen-ters. Residents are assessed for their edu-cational and vocational needs as soon asthey enter treatment, and classes and

training curriculum are built in to their in-dividual treatment plans.

Sunita Manjrekar, director of voca-tional and educational serv-ices, says she places a highpriority on holding regulargraduation ceremonies forresidents who completecourse requirements. “Ourgoal is to help each residentbe — and feel — successful.Some people come intotreatment feeling they havenothing to offer, or thatthey’re too old to study.

We help them overcome those fears and then, on graduation day, we all cele-brate together.”

Celebrating Success at Adult Education School

Page 6 Odyssey House news

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Latest U.S. census report datapredict people 65 years andolder will, for the next 25years, be the country’s fastestgrowing age group. Withinthis population are unprece-dented numbers of individualsin need of substance abuseservices, a group so over-looked and underserved thatresearchers call it a “hiddenepidemic.”

In New York State alone,the number of people 60 yearsof age and older admitted totreatment programs is grow-ing by 20 percent a year.Keeping up with the demandfor services is a challenge forcommunities throughout NewYork. In 2000, only 13,500elders received treatment fordrug abuse, a small propor-tion of the 630,000 older NewYorkers (approximately 17percent of New York’s elderlypopulation of 3.7 millionpeople) who have an alcoholor drug problem.

Efforts to meet these needs,however, are underway. Thelatest, and one of the most in-novative, is Odyssey House’sElderCare Outpatient Pro-gram. Located in a high-needsection of the South Bronx,this new program fills two im-portant community goals:� increasing access to sub-

stance abuse treatment forolder individuals who arecurrently underserved, and

� providing a continuum ofcare for seniors who aretransitioning from theOdyssey House ElderCareresidential program in EastHarlem. Because many elderly

people are at risk of being cutoff from their communities asthey age, the treatment focus

of the ElderCare OutpatientProgram is to encourage iso-lated older people to develop asocial support network amongtheir peers in recovery; pro-vide them with individual andgroup therapy; and as neces-sary, visit them in their homes.Counselors trained in geriatriccare develop individualizedtreatment plans incorporatingage-related individual andgroup therapies targetingsymptoms of depression andanxiety, bereavement counsel-ing and life planning, and fa-cilitate access to primarymedical care.

Dr. Peter Provet, Presidentof Odyssey House, thankedthe Samuels Foundation fortheir support of this valuableinitiative. “Through their

partnership we are able tooffer a neglected and over-looked population of agingNew Yorkers a new level ofservice in substance abusetreatment.”

For his part, Mr. MarvinA. Kaufman, Chairman of theSamuels Foundation, said hisboard is delighted to be able

to support the ElderCare Outpatient Program. “Wefirmly believe Odyssey House’spatient-based service will di-rectly help the elderly of NewYork City overcome substanceabuse problems.”

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Odyssey House has estab-lished a track record in meet-ing the needs of this over-looked and underserved popu-lation. In 1997, the agency

created the first-ever residen-tial treatment program dedi-cated to meeting the needs ofolder substance abusers.

Since it was establishedwith the help of an innovativeprivate supporter, theRosenback Foundation, intandem with New York StateOffice of Alcoholism andSubstance Abuse Services, theOdyssey House ElderCare res-idential program has grownfrom 40 beds to more than 70and has provided comprehen-sive substance abuse andmental health treatment, vo-cational, educational, andhousing services to more than250 older addicts.

Odyssey House also sup-ports research efforts aimed atunderstanding the needs ofelderly substance abusers andin establishing new evidence-based treatment protocols tomeet their life-stage chal-lenges. Recent Odyssey House-sponsored studies looking intothe substance abuse historiesof the men and women intreatment found significantdifferences in choice of drugsof abuse, impact on the indi-vidual’s health and social well-being, and length of use.

Located in the Hunt’sPoint section of the SouthBronx, at 953 Southern Boule-vard, the new ElderCare Out-patient Program is easilyaccessible via public trans-portation. Client services areoffered in English andSpanish.

New Outpatient Program Expands Services for Seniors

Further information on the program, andour new community-based Outpatient

Services for families and young adults isavailable by calling: Odyssey House

Outpatient Services718-860-2994, or

online at: www.odysseyhouseinc.org

At Odyssey House we are engaged in several researchinitiatives that promise tobring immediate and long-term benefits to our resi-dents.

One of the most compre-hensive is the NationalClinical Trials Network studyfunded by the NationalInstitute of Drug Abuse(NIDA) that is investigatingthe causes and treatment ofdrug abuse and dependence.

In collaboration with NewYork University School ofMedicine (NYUSM), OdysseyHouse is testing the interac-tion of proven therapeuticcommunity drug-free treatmentmodels with anti-addictionmedications. As a drug-freetreatment agency OdysseyHouse’s role is vital in helpingto ensure drug abuse andmental health treatment

providers are equal partnerswith medical addiction re-searchers.

Also in partnership withNYUSM, Odyssey House isconducting a survey funded bythe Lilly Foundation to try tounderstand the link betweensubstance abuse and attentiondeficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD). This study willscreen for ADHD in 1,000 ofour residential clients andthen test the efficacy of a non-stimulant ADHD medication(atomoxetine) with volunteersin treatment who are found tohave ADHD.

The third study underwayat Odyssey House measuresthe efficacy of a non-invasivecrack and cocaine drug test.Called the Fast Patch, this newtest can detect the presence ofcrack or cocaine in an addict’ssystem for up to 21 days.

Current tests are only accuratefor up to 72 hours.

Dr. Frank Guida, directorof research at Odyssey House,explained that participation inthese projects is entirely vol-untary and that residents whochoose to participate are care-fully screened and monitoredthroughout the length of thestudy.

“Substance abuse andmental health treatment is aconstantly evolving discipline.Every year new treatment andtesting techniques are beingdeveloped and many of themhold great promise in helpingpeople achieve sobriety andmanage their lives.

“Being involved in re-search,” he added, “bringsextra resources to the agency,and keeps us abreast of thelatest, and best, treatment ad-vances.”

Fall 2004 Page 7

Since it was launched this September,more than 400 people have been en-rolled in the new “Friends of OdysseyHouse” campaign. While many ofthese founding members are closely as-sociated with Odyssey House through

their work for the agency as staff,board members, or funders, othershave joined the association becausethey want to be involved in helpingpeople change their lives.

Their gift of friendship gives resi-dents what they needmost—support, encour-agement and hope.

If you would like toshow your support forchildren, young mothers,teens or senior citizens,please contact:

“Odyssey House

taught me to balance

being a parent with

being in recovery”

“Friends” Gets Off to Flying StartMembership campaign supports residents in recovery

A Commitment to Research and Innovation

Odyssey Foundation 95 Pine Street NY, NY 10005

Tel: 212-361-1600Or online at:

www.odysseyhouseinc.org

Page 8 Odyssey House news

95 Pine StreetNew York, NY 10005www.odysseyhouseinc.orgTel: 212-361-1600

MISSION

It is the mission ofOdyssey House to:

P rovide comprehen-sive and innovative

services to the broadestrange of metro NewYork’s population whoabuse drugs, abuse alco-hol, have mental illness;

P rovide high quality,holistic treatment

impacting all major lifespheres: psychological,physical, social, family,educational, and spiri-tual;

Support personal re-habilitation, renewal,

and family restoration.

Throughout its activi-ties, Odyssey House un-dertakes to act as aresponsible employerand member of thecommunity and tomanage the assets of theorganization in a pro-fessional manner.

Odyssey House Leadership

George Rosenfeld (H/F)Board Chairman

Richard C. O’Connor (H/F)Vice Chairman (F)

C. Lamar Stockman (H/F)Vice Chairman (H)

Neil Brawley (H/F)

Maria Brizzi (H)

John R. Dugan, Jr., Esq. (H)

Stephen C. Gross (H/F)

Marianne T. Guschwan, M.D. (H)

Deborah M. Hurley (F)

Hugh M. Jones (H/F)

Robert K. McMillan (H/F)

Dana Meltzer (H/F)

Robert J. Mitchell, M.D. (H)

Ronald P. Mitchell (H/F)

Craig Montalbano (H/F)

John Murdock, Esq. (H/F)Secretary

Eve Stuart (H/F)

Board of Trustees of Odyssey House (H)and Odyssey Foundation (F)