[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 185 (Wednesday, December 5, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2506]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        RECOGNIZING THE 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF FLINT ODYSSEY HOUSE

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                          HON. DALE E. KILDEE

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 5, 2007

  Mr. KILDEE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the achievements 
of Flint Odyssey House. On December 6th Flint Odyssey House will be 
holding an open house to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Odyssey 
Institute.
  Dr. Judianne Densen-Gerber began her career in substance abuse 
treatment in 1966 working with 17 heroin addicts. She quickly realized 
that for successful rehabilitation, the root causes of addiction had to 
be addressed. She developed a model of treatment that tackled the 
traumatic experiences in an addict's life and its impact on a person's 
well-being and self-image. The treatment methodology consists of five 
stages: Orientation, Cocoon Phase, Incubator Phase, Self-Awareness and 
Reformation Phase, and Butterfly Post-Treatment. From her treatment 
model, the Odyssey Institute was born and now operates in communities 
around the world.
  Started in 1979 by Ronald Sahara Brown, Flint Odyssey House was a 
satellite program of the Detroit Rubicon Odyssey House. When the 
Detroit program was forced to close its doors, Ronald Brown kept the 
Flint Odyssey House open. He had $300 in food stamps and the 
determination to make the program a success. As a former addict and a 
graduate of the program, Ronald knew firsthand how beneficial the 
Odyssey House concept of treatment could be to a recovering substance 
abuser. He invited clients of the closed Detroit Rubicon Odyssey House 
to join him in the Flint program. With a skeleton crew, he operated the 
program on a shoestring. His perseverance paid off, and the Michigan 
Department of Social Services and the Genesee County Commission on 
Substance Abuse started to provide financial assistance. From that 
first adult treatment center, the program has grown to provide a wide 
range of services.
  Ronald Brown has expanded Flint Odyssey House to meet the needs of 
the community. The treatment facility was located in a drug- and crime-
infested neighborhood, and Ronald took to the streets, reclaiming and 
renovating the crack houses in the area. Starting the Treat the Streets 
Program, Flint Odyssey House reclaimed the area and earned Ronald 
Sahara Brown the title of Chief of Odyssey Village. Flint Odyssey House 
has moved from being a substance abuse treatment agency to a human 
development agency and is a model for programs throughout the United 
States. It operates many programs, and treats hundreds of persons, 
including pregnant addicts and mothers with children. Accredited 
through the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, 
Flint Odyssey House has expanded and now operates a program in Saginaw 
Michigan.
  In 1993, Flint Odyssey House received the Martin Luther King, Jr. 
Award from the Michigan Department of Public Health and the Clayton R. 
Stroup Award. In 1996 Ronald Sahara Brown was the recipient of the 
Robert Wood Johnson Community Health Leadership Award. Ronald used the 
$100,000 stipend that came with this award to purchase and operate an 
old-age home in the neighborhood that was about to close. This kept the 
residents from being evicted and provided one more service to the 
community.
  Madam Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to rise with and 
applaud the work of Ronald Sahara Brown, the staff, volunteers and the 
clients of Flint Odyssey House. Their courage and determination to 
bring out the potential in every human being is a brilliant example of 
the power in each and every one of us to effect change in our world. 
May they continue to provide service and compassion for many, many more 
years.

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