The Oneonta Young Adult Recovery Center has expanded to offer additional services for teenagers in Otsego County.
The merging of the teen recovery services comes in conjunction with Friends of Recovery Dedicated to Others’ consolidation of its resources to support both youth aged 12-18, and young adults aged 18-25 at Club Odyssey, found at 80 Water St. in Oneonta, according to a news release.
Previously, FOR-DO supported two individual recovery centers for youth and young adults — the Oneonta Teen Center and Club Odyssey, respectively.
“In order to better facilitate the expansion of youth services, and to help make services more accessible, Club Odyssey also plans to expand the physical size of its center by renovating 182 Main Street and connecting it to the current Water Street location where Club Odyssey has been since 2019,” the news release stated.
Renovation “is ongoing,” the release stated, and the aim is for the space to be open this fall. The upstairs — the 182 Main St. location — is set to hold public events like concerts and outreach activities for all ages following renovations, while the downstairs Water Street space is only for youth and young adult members.
Club Odyssey is a youth clubhouse program that receives funding through a state Office of Addiction Services and Supports grant. Peer support, relapse prevention workshops and recovery meetings and coaching are included in the clubhouse’s services.
Teen members can now receive recovery coaching from a professional FOR-DO staff member when the center is open.
“FOR-DO intends to serve both age groups at Club Odyssey with age-appropriate programming and at separate times throughout the week,” the news release continued.
At separate and approved, supervised times, youth and young adults could be combined, Debra Berrios, FOR-DO’s executive director, said Monday, Aug. 25. If the clubhouse has a concert, the two demographics could merge “under strict supervision,” she said.
Renovations include establishing a safe passage between the first and second floor of the building, in compliance with city code, and renovations to the back part of the building to create areas for confidential services where individuals can meet with staff members, Berrios said. She added that other changes throughout are to make the space “very appealing, bright and cheery.”
The 182 Main St. space formerly housed Tina Marie’s Salon, which moved last year to Southside.
Berrios said special events may not be planned out very far in advance. According to the fall calendar, some activities offered include craft hours, all recovery meetings and cooking.
“We try to cater to what the members want,” Berrios said.
The news release stated that youth are scheduled to come together at Club Odyssey 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays and 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays. Young adults are scheduled to meet 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays.
Club Odyssey has a partnership with the SUNY Oneonta Activities Council to offer sober and social events Saturday nights for students and the community.
Berrios said she was hoping with the changes, the center’s numbers will increase. While attendance fluctuates depending on people’s interests and what event is being held, she said the center sees a couple hundred of people a month.
The office of addiction services and supports website stated that clubhouses offer “a restorative, non-clinical environment for young people whose lives have been disrupted by addiction to connect with others in recovery.”