2026 sees Odyssey Victoria actively continuing to engage in local and statewide advocacy efforts. Here are some recent initiatives and positions we’ve supported: Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Price Review: Odyssey is supporting the Department of Health in its review of Victoria’s AOD funding model and pricing. This process aims to create a more sustainable model […]
Our annual Staff Development Day was held in July, bringing staff together from all of our sites for a day of learning and connection. We were delighted to have Clare Davies (CEO of SHARC), Jarvis Atkinson (OV Board member and First Peoples Assembly of Victoria member), and Nathan Akoka (Psychologist, Senior AOD Clinician and Swinburne […]
Each year since 2010, we’ve asked clients about their experience with Odyssey Victoria’s (OV) services and the impact on their drug use and broader life. This year, 90% of respondents said they were satisfied or very satisfied with our services, and 89% said they would seek our help again should they need it. One client […]
Recently Lower Plenty residents and staff had the privilege of attending the Indigenous Land Management, Bush Foods and Cultural Heritage Tour at Coranderrk, delivered by Uncle Dave Wandin. The experience provided residents with an opportunity to connect with Country, culture, and history in a meaningful and immersive way. Uncle Dave shared extensive knowledge around traditional […]
Odyssey Victoria’s annual Short Story Competition is back for its 15th year, and this year’s theme is simply Fifteen. Fifteen can mean different things to different people- fifteen years, fifteen minutes, fifteen hours, or fifteen years old. It can be a milestone, a memory, a moment that changes everything, or a slice of time that […]
In May, Circuit Breaker (our residential rehabilitation facility near Benalla) marked two years since the opening of its new buildings and the expansion of our onsite program. Staff and residents came together to celebrate the milestone – cake included. Around the same time, we also held an Open Day for professionals in the Alcohol and […]
Our Lower Plenty facility operates 102 residential beds and is the sole provider in Victoria where parents can live safely with their children (aged 0 to 12) during the mother’s or father’s recovery. The middle of 2026 marked the completion of significant upgrades to the facility’s accessibility and fire resilience. Additionally, ramps to three main […]
In August, Odyssey Victoria celebrated the official opening of the newly renovated David and Pat Bullard Recreation Hall at our Lower Plenty Residential Rehabilitation program. Once the chapel of a former Roman Catholic monastery, the hall has been thoughtfully transformed into a welcoming recreation and community space. The renovation has levelled the floor, removed the […]
Odyssey Victoria (OV) celebrated NAIDOC Week (5-12 July) events across all our sites. This year’s theme was “50 Years of Deadly” – a tribute to all the people who have built and are sustaining this movement. First Nations clients and residents across our services are invited each year to enter our NAIDOC art competition, creating […]
Michelle once ran her own business, raising two young children, and had plans for the future. Then her husband died. And everything unravelled.