Odyssey House, Eagle Vale: Major expansion in the works for children and adult rehab centre
With a shortage of rehabilitation accommodation for families, a transitional group home and crisis centre is looking to expand.
Macarthur
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A transitional group home and community crisis centre in southwest Sydney is set to receive a major expansion due to a shortage of accommodation for family-focused rehabilitation.
A development application for construction at Odyssey House NSW in Eagle Vale is currently on notification with Campbelltown Council.
The plans, which have been proposed by Michael Brown Planning Strategies, aim to tear down two separate two storey dwellings constructed in the 1990s.
“The dwellings are no longer suitable or ‘fit’ for such purpose and the proposal is to demolish these dwellings,” documents state.
Plans are to replace the multi-level buildings with eight single-storey demountable style buildings.
They will include a manager residence, two dining facilities, group counselling rooms and a children’s indoor play area.
A spokesman from NSW Health told the Macarthur Chronicle the expansion will be going ahead with major funding from the government.
“This is a unique program in NSW which allows single parents and couples with children to participate in rehabilitation while continuing and developing their parenting roles,” he said.
“NSW Health is funding Odyssey House more than $2 million to deliver a range of alcohol and other drug treatment services, including counselling, family support and residential rehabilitation.”
“The NSW Government is committing $306 million for alcohol and other drug services in 2020-21.”
The new buildings are proposed to accommodate both parents and children in a group home facility, allowing parents to get treatment they need without worrying about finding a carer for their children.
“Once parents have completed the program, they are encouraged to move into community housing, as long as they can demonstrate they are able to responsibly care for their children,” documents state.
Assessment was undertaken of the need for the development with Family and Community Services (FACS) stating there is a shortage of accommodation for persons seeking assistance through such a program, particularly where children can remain with them.
Odyssey House NSW was founded in 1977 and has since become one of the country’s largest and most successful rehabilitation services over the past 40 years, helping more than 35,000 people.
The centre is one of only a handful in the country to allow men and women to undertake treatment while living with their children.
The program aims to repair the bond between children and their parents with services for physical and mental health, education, interpersonal and social skills, child development, as well as numeracy and literacy education.
The proposal is looking to provide new and flexible accommodation for the Parents & Children’s Program, providing placed for up to 16 parents receiving treatment and their children ages 0-12.
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