Since 1967, Odyssey House has stood at the forefront of addiction treatment and mental health services, evolving from a grassroots initiative into a cornerstone of New York’s behavioral health landscape.
Emerging during a pivotal era of social change, the organization challenged conventional approaches to substance use disorders by prioritizing community-driven healing. Its founding principles—empowerment, peer support, and holistic rehabilitation—reshaped the field, offering a compassionate alternative to the limited options available at the time.
Over five decades, Odyssey House has continually expanded its reach through groundbreaking programs that address unmet needs. In 1973, it revolutionized family-centered care by launching the nation’s first residential treatment program for parents and their children, ensuring families could heal together.
Subsequent innovations included specialized services for women, older adults, and individuals with co-occurring mental health conditions.
Each milestone reflected a commitment to adapting services for marginalized populations, from integrating trauma-informed care to providing medical and dental services, incorporating medications for addiction treatment, sponsoring vocational training, and building supportive housing.
Today, Odyssey House remains a beacon of hope, operating a wide array of programs and services throughout New York City that serve thousands each year. Its timeline is a testament to resilience—transforming abandoned buildings into vibrant recovery centers and pioneering evidence-based practices that restore dignity and purpose.
By blending decades of expertise with forward-thinking strategies, Odyssey House continues to lead the charge in helping individuals and families rebuild lives, one transformative step at a time.
1967
- Odyssey House is founded by Dr. Judianne Densen Gerber, a psychiatrist at Metropolitan Hospital in NYC.
- Odyssey House establishes as a peer-driven therapeutic community in East Harlem.
1970
- Odyssey House opens the Teen Leadership Center, the first publicly funded adolescent treatment unit with a residential high school, therapy, and vocational services.
1973
- Odyssey House launches the first residential center for parents struggling with addiction and their children, offering medical care, early childhood development support, and parenting skills.
1980s
- Odyssey House treatment centers in other states and countries become independent entities.
1992
- Odyssey House integrates primary health care services into residential treatment programs to improve medical outcomes and reduce emergency visits.
- Odyssey House opens the first transitional housing program in East Harlem, providing supportive housing for individuals facing homelessness, mental illness, and substance use disorders.
1994
- Odyssey House opens a second family-focused treatment center with a nursery, preschool, and outdoor playground.
1997
- Odyssey House launches Odyssey House ElderCare, the first treatment program specifically for older adults with substance use and mental health disorders.
1998
- Odyssey House opens The Family Re-Entry Program, providing transitional off-site housing in individual, furnished, two-bedroom apartments for parents and children in treatment, with 24-hour supervision and full access to Odyssey House program services.
1999
- Dr. Peter Provet is named President and Chief Executive Officer of Odyssey House NYC, advancing the organization’s commitment to evidence-based care.
2001
- Odyssey House opens the Haven, a 63-bed permanent housing program for homeless people with disabilities. Aftercare services, support services, peer counseling/support groups, information, and referral services are available to all residents.
2003
- Odyssey House Outpatient Services opens in the Bronx, providing community-based treatment for individuals who have completed intensive residential treatment as well as those not referred to inpatient care.
- The Odyssey House Art Program stages its first exhibition, “I,” exploring.
2006
- Odyssey House holds the first annual Run for Your Life event.
2007
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Lafayette Avenue program opens in the Bronx, offering gender-specific treatment for up to 16 young women with substance use disorders and other emotional/behavioral problems. Today, the facility serves ElderCare men.
2008
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Edgecombe Residential Treatment Program opens, providing comprehensive substance use disorder treatment services for parolees who are at risk of reincarceration. This is a collaborative effort by Odyssey House, NYS OASAS, NYS Division of Parole, NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services, and NYS Department of Correctional Services.
2010
- Odyssey House Park Avenue, a 50-unit, single-occupancy apartment building for men and women with special needs, opens in East Harlem.
- The Odyssey House Recovery-Oriented Care System (OH ROCS) is established by a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). It provides individualized, self-directed, and integrated support services to those recovering from substance use disorders through community-based peer mentoring, peer-to-peer support, and activities.
2012
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The Odyssey House Art Program commemorates its 10th anniversary with a reception featuring 100 paintings, photographs, and masks, representing a decade of art made by clients in treatment.
2014
- Odyssey House Soundview Avenue opens, providing permanent supportive housing in the Bronx for 56 single, low-income adults living with special needs. Soundview Avenue is Odyssey House’s first LEED-certified building.
- Odyssey House Tinton Avenue, a 65-unit, single-occupancy apartment building for adults with special needs, opens in the Bronx.
- Odyssey House publishes Release: An Odyssey of Art and Recovery, a provocative book with more than 90 artworks created by members of the Odyssey House Art Program.
2016
- Family Center services relocated to a renovated residential treatment site on Wards Island.
2017
- After extensive renovations, the George Rosenfeld Center for Recovery opens on Wards Island. It houses our Family Center of Excellence and ElderCare program.
- The Odyssey House Recovery Center is established in the Bronx. It offers a community-based, non-clinical setting that is safe, welcoming, and alcohol/drug-free.
- Odyssey House celebrates 50 years.
2018
- Odyssey House holds its first Mother’s Day Awards Breakfast., celebrating the strength and resilience of mothers in recovery and honoring our dedicated business and community partners.
2023
- Edgecombe transitions to a Residential Treatment Facility, a short-term housing program aimed at reducing recidivism, assisting parolees re-entering the community, and diverting them away from the shelter system towards more stable housing.
It is the mission of Odyssey House:
To provide comprehensive and innovative services to the broadest range of metro New York’s population who:
- Abuse drugs
- Abuse alcohol
- Suffer from mental illness
To provide high quality, holistic treatment impacting all major life spheres: psychological, physical, social, family, educational, and spiritual.
To support personal rehabilitation, renewal, and family restoration.
In all of its activities, Odyssey House undertakes to act as a responsible employer and member of the community, and manage the assets of the organization in a professional manner.
Mother’s Day Celebration 2026
Join us on May 7, 2026 for a special breakfast benefiting the women and children in treatment at Odyssey House. This event not only celebrates the strength and resilience of mothers in recovery but also honors our dedicated business and community partners. Their...