Odyssey House's Annual Report

35 Years of Innovation

Since our inception 35 years ago as a pilot research program to treat heroin addicts at Metropolitan Hospital in East Harlem, Odyssey House has grown tremendously. What began as a small program primarily treating adult drug abusers has grown into a large organization with eight separate sites, more than 300 employees, and the capacity to treat more than 900 people.

Our growth has been both consistent and measured. From our beginnings in 1967, Odyssey House quickly became one of the country’s first enhanced Therapeutic Communities (TC), offering medical and psychological treatment along with many other services for one of the most diverse client populations in the country. In this report we want to introduce you to some of the men and women we have helped to live drug-free, productive lives.

Family-Friendly Services

Women, in particular mothers of young children, often enter treatment with a complex range of secondary problems that can undermine their chances of a successful recovery. Many female residents at Odyssey House suffer from depression and other mental health disorders, as well as the traumatic effects of abusive relationships. Their prospects are further clouded by lack of education and work skills, and by child custody issues.

To address these special needs, Odyssey House has created several programs targeting women. In 1971, we began a residential program for teenage female addicts—we were one of the first in the country to offer such treatment to young women. This program has since grown into a 60-bed, full-service therapeutic and educational program for teenagers.

Two years later, Odyssey House opened MABON (Mothers and Babies Off Narcotics) to care for pregnant addicts and their children. Today, the MABON program is part of Odyssey House Family Center Services, a group of programs geared to the special needs of women and young children. Here, women refine their parenting skills, get help in reuniting with their children or in gaining custody of them, receive treatment for the traumatic effects of domestic violence and sexual abuse, and gain strength from the support of their peers, a key ingredient in Odyssey House’s self-help, therapeutic approach.

Our Human Face

Over our 35-year existence, Odyssey House has adopted many treatment protocols to help save the lives of thousands of alcohol and drug abusers. We remain in the forefront of innovation, developing new and special programs for young people, the mentally ill, people with HIV/AIDS, the homeless, and senior citizens—all of whom may have very different substance-abuse problems and interconnected lifestyle challenges. We are also committed to promoting constructive alternatives to prison sentences for a broad range of drug abusers.

Keeping Mom and Kids Together

Cathy’s story illuminates a critically important consideration for Odyssey House—one that has guided us in our thinking and planning for nearly 30 years. Many women who abuse alcohol and/or drugs, despite urgently needing help, may be reluctant to leave their children in foster care or with relatives to undergo residential treatment.

When Odyssey House established a mother-and-child program in 1973, we were one of the first programs in the country —and the first in New York City—to keep young families together by allowing parents to undertake treatment in tandem with their children.

At any one time, we have as many as 200 parents and children residing in our Family Centers. Our mother-and-child programs offer round-the-clock services, including access to child development specialists and medical experts. This is especially important for infants and toddlers born with problems stemming from their mothers’ addictions. Specially trained day-care workers and teachers certified in early childhood education provide a stimulating and nurturing environment for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, and help young mothers “learn the ropes” of childcare.

Parenting-skills workshops, educational and vocational counseling, job-training programs, and healthy-living seminars round out the rich array of services we offer to these mothers (and sometimes fathers as well), in addition to a full program of substance abuse treatment. Because many of our clients come from broken homes and abusive backgrounds, our counseling services put an emphasis on helping parents break the cycle of violence in which many of them have been trapped. And then we go a critical step beyond—teaching parents how to nurture their children and their family life, and how to run a loving and efficient household.