Spring 2024
As trees around us burst into blossom and new growth during spring, I am reminded that change and renewal plays an important part in the ongoing cycle of nature. It goes without saying that the journey of recovery that our clients undertake also reflects these patterns, where old behaviours and habits are replaced with new strategies and goals to address trauma, the establishment of healthy and meaningful relationships, and lives free from the problematic use of alcohol or other drugs. What is not as obvious though, is the importance of these cycles for all of us.
Here at Odyssey House Victoria, we have decided to adopt a new trading name (Odyssey Victoria) and a new logo as part of our renewal. While dropping the word “House” is only a small change, it symbolises our progression towards a broader range of services beyond residential treatment. We continue to acknowledge the long and courageous journey that our clients undertake in our name “Odyssey”, and further, in response to client feedback, we have also developed a new logo that is more contemporary and inclusive, and we hope it serves us well for many years to come.
Our staff and our programs also continually reflect on how we can do better. We welcome feedback from the people we support, and we examine insights from the emerging research evidence of what works best. As we are always striving to gain the most effective treatment outcomes, there are some old practices that we must let go of and some new things we need to embrace. These changes are helping us to provide services to a greater diversity of people in need, including many culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and also from a greater number of sites across Victoria.
Thanks to our supporters, we are also operating more efficiently and sustainably. We now have solar panels on all three residential sites and have placed a greater focus on growing our own produce for use by our residents.
We are doing more early intervention work in schools to prevent AOD issues from taking hold in the first place, and we are better supporting those using pharmacotherapy medication, by extending their access to long-term residential treatment. We are part of a new residential program planned for Mildura, that will include a family program, after supporting 10 years of advocacy in the region. We are investing more in growing and developing a new AOD workforce for the state, through our Registered Training Organisation, to ensure those working in the sector have the skills and knowledge that they need to offer effective support. This includes employing and developing many people with their own lived experience of addiction and recovery.
Whilst some things at Odyssey are changing, many things remain the same. Demand for our services continues to grow, and whilst government funding has supported us to do more than ever before, the needs of our community are far greater, and there are many things we couldn’t do without your donations and help.
We continue to work hard to ensure each person’s experience with us aligns to our values to ensure they receive high quality care. We will continue to advocate for greater investment in AOD treatment and harm reduction, and better support in geographic areas where there is evidence of need.
As always, we are truly grateful for your ongoing interest and support of the work we do, as we work together to make Victoria a better place for everyone.
Stefan Gruenert
CEO