Odyssey House NSW

Odyssey Multicultural Programs recently hosted an event in collaboration with The Rehabilitation Project and the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), UNSW to explore the impact of Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) related harm within the Islamic faith community. The aim was to explore how AOD support services can be more inclusive of faith practices and accessible to this community, while also gaining valuable insights to enhance our understanding and approach.   The Lived Experience Conversation brought together consumers, carers, families, and religious leaders in the Muslim community. Integrating these perspectives was essential for understanding the challenges encountered due to gaps in faith and culturally inclusive AOD support services.   The dedication and courage of the attendees, who participated with the goal of fostering positive change and advocating for the integration of faith and cultural considerations in treatment services, were truly inspiring. Their commitment to creating a safe and supportive environment to address this complex issue was invaluable.   We extend our sincere gratitude to Mohamad Fenj, Founder and Director of The Rehabilitation Project, for co-hosting this event. We also extend our gratitude to Sheikh Ibrahim Dadoun from the United Muslims of Australia (UMA) for sharing a valuable presentation on the important role that faith plays in rehabilitation, recovery and healing through an Islamic lense.    Thank you all for your contributions and commitment.

We’re hiring! Could you be our next Senior Manager of Residential Programs? We’re looking for an experienced operational and people leader with a passion for the Alcohol and Other Drugs recovery space. The Senior Manager of Residential Programs will oversee the successful operation of Odyssey House Residential Programs, including the Medical Unit, the Family Recovery Centre, and the Residential Therapeutic Community. The role is critical to ensuring high-quality treatment and support in line with the Odyssey Model of Care. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, so please apply as soon as possible.

Odyssey Multicultural Programs hosted an event with the Buddhist community to discuss Substance Use and harms related to it. The event gathered religious, cultural and community leaders alike to hear firsthand the issues concerning the Buddhist community including stigma, barriers to accessing AOD support services, empowering community practices and taking action to tackle AOD related harm.   The discussion and ideas in this room will be pivotal to creating more accessible AOD services, raising awareness about AOD related issues and creating communities that are conducive to healing.    Major thanks to our partners for this event for their support and contribution's, the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, The Buddhist Council of NSW, Nan Tien Institute, Santi Forest Monastery and Metta Centre.

Odyssey House NSW welcomes the upcoming NSW Drug Summit, scheduled for October in regional NSW and December 4-5 in Sydney. This summit is a vital gathering of policymakers, healthcare professionals, community leaders, and individuals with lived experience to discuss innovative strategies for addressing drug-related issues. 💡 The 1999 NSW Drug Summit brought significant reforms, including the first medically supervised injecting facility in Kings Cross and the establishment of Community Drug Action Teams (CDATs). The 2024 summit promises to build on this legacy with new, life-saving reforms. Our CEO, Carmel Tebbutt, emphasizes the need for a holistic approach: "We need comprehensive responses to the myriad of issues impacting a person’s AOD use. The Summit provides a unique opportunity to collaborate on evidence-based solutions prioritising health and well-being." Odyssey House NSW has been a leader in AOD treatment for nearly 50 years, offering residential rehabilitation, outpatient services, and community programs. We are committed to reducing stigma, supporting recovery, and promoting long-term wellness. Join us in supporting the Drug Summit as we work together to create a brighter future for those affected by addiction. 🤝💙 #DrugSummit2024 #OdysseyHouseNSW #AddictionRecovery #CommunitySupport #DrugPolicyReform

Highlighting the excellent Health Maintenance Community Expo at UNSW today, featuring dozens of stalls encouraging students to find out more about health not-for-profits and what we do. Such incredible organisations there alongside our Odyssey House NSW team - Sally Bruce Rania Omar Caroline Lord, CFRE, MFIA, ACIM And… ACON, Epilepsy Action Australia, Cancer Council NSW, The Humour Foundation to name a few! Hats off to all the great work being done by the people with a passion for strengthening our community health. Good luck to all of the first year students we have spoken to. The Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) sector welcomes new talent and it is such a rewarding career - supporting people to live healthy and fulfilling lives.

Honoured to have Uncle Clifford and the Mingu Yabun team put together an incredible smoking ceremony to celebrate NAIDOC week at our residential facility on Dharawal Country. Clifford is one of our Aboriginal Liaison AOD Treatment Workers and runs the Mingu Yabun program; our specialised Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander program that incorporates traditional healing methods into the recovery program. This year’s NAIDOC week theme is ‘Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud’ and Clifford spoke to the rich cultural history surrounding smoking ceremonies and fire being a source of healing for community. Residents and staff wrote down their offerings and gave them to the fire as a way of letting go of anything they were holding onto that wasn’t serving them, or anything they wanted strength for to keep their own fire burning. One of our residents read a beautiful Dreamtime story ‘The Little Flying Fox’ which tells the story of a bat who wanted to be a bird and refused to accept he was a bat. Many residents can relate to the story of The Flying Fox because they have been in the position where they are trying to be something they are not. To heal, progress and move forward Uncle Clifford reminded the group that we must accept who we are and let go of shame and accept our true identity. We followed this by a sing-a-long circle where we joined together to sing ‘lean on me’ showing we are all part of a community and wrapped up with a bush tucker lunch cooked by the residents. It's been an amazing day bringing all our team and residents together to participate in an inclusive therapeutic community which left the residents with a sense of connection. #NAIDOC #odysseyhousensw

The theme of this year's #AlcoholAwarenessWeek is 'Understanding alcohol harm' It's a great time to pause and reflect on the role that alcohol plays in our own lives, or in the lives of those we care about. 💙 Check out our helpful resource 'Your Alcohol Usage Guide' if you are interested in reducing your alcohol use, exploring how alcohol use may affect your physical or mental health, or you're worried about how much or how often you drink alcohol. 📄Download here - https://bit.ly/4cnWc4x 'Your Alcohol Usage Guide' has been designed to help you navigate safer drinking choices, learn tips to support your wellbeing and connect with support services. #Alcohol #HarmReduction #Recovery #AlcoholSupport

Apply soon! We are interviewing as soon as talented applicants come in…

On Sunday David Kelly and the Odyssey Multicultural Programs team stepped out in acknowledgement of the significant challenges our refugee brothers and sisters have endured.   It was an enlightening event showcasing dance performance and an introduction from our very own… Pacifique Ndayisaba, Community Development and Project Officer Odyssey House NSW. Importantly too, we acknowledge the panel discussions on:   Culture and mental health with Christian Nduwimana Refugee education and resilience with Dr Alfred Mupenzi Cultural transitions and Settlement with Dr Atem Dau Atem   Our partnerships are vital for visibility and awareness - as one in three clients identify as coming from a culturally and linguistically diverse background We are incredibly proud of the work being done out in community to connect with the people that need support. Language doesn’t need to be a barrier. We deliver substance use support in 20 languages for people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.   Odyssey Multicultural Programs is the only alcohol and other drug service of its type in NSW.   To read more or connect: https://lnkd.in/gkFrYe8U

This time last week, a group from OFX attended a Business Women's Lunch hosted by Odyssey House NSW who do invaluable work in our communities providing treatment, support and education for people seeking to address the harms of alcohol and drug use. We all felt privileged to be able to support such a worthwhile organisation that delivers health and wellbeing support to individuals facing complex challenges and offers a lifeline to families impacted by the effects of alcohol and drugs. Thank you to my fellow OFXers for attending and thank you to OFX for supporting our people to make a difference. With Rowena Granger, Laura Klimowitz Robisco, Anjali Wadhwa, Charu Agarwal, Doug Snedden, Megan Stewart, Leila Tarakjian, Fiona Tran-Wong, Sarah Evans and Lily Cai.