Our adult residence offers a long-term (9-14 month) programme for people experiencing issues with drug or alcohol use. The programme is based on an approach called a Therapeutic Community or TC.

Our adult residential programme is open to New Zealanders aged 18 years and over.
Within this programme, we also offer special support for young adults aged 18-23.

We value diversity and we respect the unique culture and identity of everyone who may seek our support.
We do not discriminate based on gender identity or sexual orientation. We welcome whai ora from prison and from the community. For more information about legal conditions, please ask your legal counsel to contact our Assessments and Admissions team.

Funding.
If you have a residential address in Auckland, your local District Health Board (DHB) will be able to fund your treatment. If you live outside Auckland, funding may be available with the following DHBs: Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Lakes, Mid Central and Taranaki. Alternatively, you may be eligible for funding as part of the National Methamphetamine Programme. If you do not see your DHB listed here, please contact the Assessments and Admissions team to discuss your funding options.

If you would like to find out whether Odyssey might be an option for you, please complete our referral form and send it to us at admissioncentre@odyssey.org.nz. Please contact us on 09 638 4957 if you have any questions about the form.

Once we have received your referral form, we will review your application.  If an assessment is suitable, we will contact you to book an assessment.  We will be in touch as soon as we can. 

Please note, due to high demand for our services at various times, our assessment process is sometimes delayed. If you have any queries regarding your potential assessment, please call us on 09 638 4957 or ask your referrer to get in touch.

The assessment (by your Odyssey case manager) may be via phone call, an online meeting, or a face to face appointment at our community hub in New Lynn. 

The assessment report, plus any other relevant information such as your medical history is then reviewed. If your application is accepted, your case manager will arrange an admission date for you and support you throughout the admission process.

Everyone who lives or works in our therapeutic community (TC) lives by a set of shared values, known as our pillars. These are Trust, Honesty, Responsibility, Concern and Love. As you progress through our programme, you will learn how these pillars can support you in your recovery.

In a TC, the community itself is a vital part of your treatment.
Learning occurs in the way everyone lives and works together as residents and staff, and in the roles and responsibilities shared across the TC. It’s all about helping you gain skills to be more in control of your life, free from drug, alcohol or other addiction challenges. Being part of a supportive community will help you to make changes and get to where you want to be.

Odyssey’s peer support team are available to support you at key points in your stay with us. They have been in your shoes and are able to share ways that have worked for them when experiencing similar challenges.

We want you to experience the benefits of living a life that follows a routine. During the week, each house follows a timetable of scheduled jobs, activities and group sessions, as well as time for recreation or relaxation. You will be able to participate in a range of creative, social, cultural and outdoor activities. Your week may include activities such as kapa haka or other tikanga Māori study and practice. Or you might participate in one of our work training programmes.

Saturdays and Sundays are a little more relaxed with time for visits from family and friends, as well as down time to reflect on your week.

We encourage family members to be actively involved before, during and after your stay with us. There are opportunities for shared meals, weekend visits, and a forum for family and whānau members to provide feedback and suggestions.

Find out more about our kaupapa or approach.

Our pillars – trust, honesty, responsibility, concern and love – guide how we work together, and with others. They are the building blocks of our programmes.  

In our adult residences, we see the application of our pillars across the five stages of the programme as follows:

• Tika | Trust. At the Start phase, residents are placing trust in the process and in the programme, as a way forward that might work for them.

• Pono | Honesty. At Level One, residents enter a treatment planning phase. It’s a time to tell their story, to be honest about their past, their aspirations, hopes and fears.  

• Kaitiaki | Responsibility.  At Level Two, community members ask “Can I be responsible for things here?” They take on roles and extra responsibilities within the house.

• Manaaki | Concern.  Level Three is a time to develop empathy and positive regard for others. It’s about supporting others in earlier levels to meet the expectations of the house; it’s all about concern.

• Aroha | Love. At Level Four residents are preparing to complete the programme and transition back to the community.  They are asked whether they can look after themselves.  This is about learning to love and value yourself, believing you have worth as an individual, and then in loving yourself being able to experience and reciprocate the love of whānau.