About the program

All participants are encouraged to confront the underlying issues that led to their addiction. This occurs in a safe and supportive environment where Odyssey House’s values of trust, concern, respect, honesty and love are promoted.

The program provides a balance between work, therapy and recreation. Each resident has access to a variety of professional staff including many who have a lived experience of addiction and/or overcoming adversity.

All residents participate in community decision-making. They are also expected to contribute to the functioning of the community by cooking, cleaning and working on property development, special projects and maintenance. A variety of group-based activities help individuals learn new or better coping skills, build self-esteem and take responsibility for their circumstances.

Residential rehabilitation services at Benalla are smoke-free. All residents are provided with the option of free Nicotine Replacement Therapies as alternatives to tobacco or smoking, and to help support their withdrawal.

Family members can have regular contact and visits with program participants. The Odyssey House Circuit Breaker program is located at 1619 Kilfeera Road, Molyullah (near Benalla).

“By the time I got to Odyssey I’d been everywhere else – jail, psych institutions, lost track of how many de-toxifications I went through… Nothing else worked. But something worked for me at Odyssey. I didn’t get it the first time but I got another chance, Circuit Breaker will give you another chance, and something just really clicked. It’s not easy but it was worth the effort. I learnt so much about myself and I also had a lot of fun even though I was working hard.” -Matt

Admission

Odyssey House Victoria’s rural residential rehabilitation program near Benalla is called Circuit Breaker. To access the Circuit Breaker program phone 03 5766 6399 to arrange a time for an over-the-phone assessment. If you are unable to speak directly with a staff member, please leave a message and they will get back to you.

Cost

The Circuit Breaker program is funded by the Commonwealth Government’s Department of Health. Residents are expected to contribute toward program costs through their benefits or any other source of income (if available). The daily contribution varies, but from September 2023 it will approximately $40 per day.

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