Our Family Centre provides a hopeful, openhearted and safe space for parents to be with their children, while they participate in our adult residential treatment programme.

Our Family Centre residential programme is open to parents aged 18 years and over, who are living with drug or alcohol challenges. Up to three children (12 years and under) may stay with you while you participate in our programme..

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, including contact details for your Oranga Tamariki social worker if you have one 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, 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 other relevant information such as your medical history, is then reviewed by our management team.

If your application is accepted, your case manager will be in touch and support you throughout the admission process.

Children are at the heart of our Family Centre community. Their needs always come first and our daily routines follow the rhythms of their day. Each day starts early with parents getting their children ready for school or kindergarten, before having breakfast together as a community. Parents participate in our adult residential programme during the day and also have the opportunity to attend parenting support groups.

Afternoons are busy with shared afternoon tea following the school pick-up and more opportunities for bonding time with your children and other families. Afternoon activities may include playground and TV time, arts and crafts, music or movement. Everyone comes together again for dinner, and bedtime routines offer more quality time with your children to end the day.

Our Family Centre is a modified therapeutic community or TC (see below for what this means in practice). Parents living with us participate in the adult residential programme at our neighbouring residence and have similar opportunities to develop skills and strategies that will support their recovery when they leave Odyssey.

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.

We want you to experience the benefits of living a life that follows a routine. Mondays to Fridays include scheduled jobs, group sessions and 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, and time to reflect on the week. Each Saturday, Family Centre residents have outings together in the community. These are a special time for all our families to have some fun together.

Find out more about our kaupapa or approach.

Talitha came to stay at Odyssey’s adult residence early in the year, before transferring to our Family Centre several months before the birth of her daughter. She was joined at the Family Centre by two of her children, who together with their sister have been part of our Family Centre community in 2020.

Read more about Talitha’s time with Odyssey - participating in our residential treatment programme, while reconnecting with tamariki and getting support that puts whānau at the centre of recovery.