Odyssey House Youth & Family Services received funding from the Pierce Armstrong Foundation, Mantana Foundation, and Vincent Chiodo Charitable Foundation to run two youth camps over a twelve-month period. The Odyssey Youth Camp Program provides opportunities for young people ‘at risk’ and “disengaged” to attend a three day camp on Phillip Island. The Odyssey Youth […]
Gail Bradley is a clinical psychologist and mental health services manager with over 30 year’s experience in public mental health in Victoria. She is passionate about providing person-centred, recovery-focused and evidence-based care for service consumers. Gail held the role of Psychology Advisor for NorthWestern Mental Health program for seven years with professional responsibility for a […]
Sue Carter is a company director, and consultant in corporate governance and board effectiveness. For many years she was a tutor for the Australian Institute of Company Directors, facilitating programs covering directors’ duties, financial reporting and board processes. She qualified as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG in the UK, and holds a BA (Hons) in […]
We are pleased to announce that the Odyssey House Victoria Hope Centre in Lucknow, near Bairnsdale, is now officially open and has completed its first 6-months of operation. Despite plans to hold a launch on 20th April, the event had to be postponed indefinitely until COVID-19 related restrictions on any gatherings are lifted. We officially […]
Odyssey’s therapeutic community in Lower Plenty provides a structured and safe space for people seeking to address their substance use. However, once residents graduate from the residential rehabilitation program, they are often faced with the daunting task of creating a new network of support from scratch – work, recreation and community. For any of us […]
During COVID-19 restrictions, the Odyssey House Youth & Family Services team have come up with some alternate ways to engage young people who may be at-risk of problems with, or are using drugs and alcohol. We know that many young people have felt disconnected from social supports and regular activities, which has led to increased […]
Isolation is the single biggest risk factor contributing to alcohol and other drug (AOD) misuse, homelessness, mental health issues, family and domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, and child and family reunification breakdown. Many families with AOD issues are isolated due to the breakdown of extended family relationships or tragedies. For this reason, Odyssey House […]
We know that around three quarters of people accessing alcohol and other drug treatment are also tobacco smokers. We also know that diseases caused by tobacco smoking kill more people than drugs and alcohol combined1. Research from multiple studies suggests that people attempting to recover from alcohol and other drug use problems, have better abstinence […]
Our Specialist AOD Family Services program Kids in Focus (KIF) provides intensive outreach support for families who have multiple and complex needs, as well as Child Protection involvement. Under normal times, most of our work is home based. During COVID-19 restrictions, staff have limited their face-to-face contact and come up with interactive ways to keep […]
Odyssey House Victoria has been successful in attracting Victorian government funding for several new projects through the Working for Victoria initiative. This $500m fund was established to help people who have lost their jobs as a result of COVID-19 find paid work with organisations who need their skills. As an essential service, Odyssey has been […]