Biography
James Pitts is the Chief Executive Officer of Odyssey House McGrath Foundation. James has been affiliated with Odyssey House in the United States participating in its Senior Executive Training programs in Detroit, Michigan, Hampton, New Hampshire, and New York City. He came to Australia at the behest of the Board of the James McGrath foundation in Victoria, sponsors of Odyssey House in 1981. His tenure as Program Manager from 1981 – 1984, saw a number of program improvements and expansion.
James joined Odyssey House New South Wales, as it was then known, in June 1984. Having served in various senior administrative roles, James oversaw the transition of Odyssey House NSW from singular focussed, therapeutic community residential rehabilitation centre, to a multi dimensional service delivery program.
He oversaw the transformation of the organizations physical plant through a capital fundraising program. The program resulted in the construction of a Medically Assisted Withdrawal Unit; purpose built facilities for Odyssey‟s Parents and Children‟s program; and a multimillion dollar renovation of the Mt St Joseph‟s Christian Brothers Novitiate Seminary building built in 1938, which houses the organization‟s treatment, administrative and educational services.
James formal education includes the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, Michigan where he was captain of the basketball team. He completed a Masters of Arts Degree in 1992 at Macquarie University. In 2001 he was awarded the first Fellowship from the Harvard Club of Australia to attend the Harvard Business Schools, “Strategic Perspectives in Non-Profit management”.
James has been a member of a number of advisory and policy committees. These include:
1. Steering Committee – „The Management of People with a Co- Existing Mental Health and Substance use Disorder.‟ Co-chairs Dr. Ian Webster and Dr. Beverly Raphael, for the NSW Health Department 1997.
2. Co-convenor of the „Treatment and Rehabilitation Reference Group‟ at the NSW Drug Summit. Co- chaired with Dr Andrew Wilson Director of NSW Health 1999.
3. Member - Drugs Planning Committee of NSW Health. The committee developed a 5 year plan for the distribution of alcohol and other drugs services for the State of NSW 1999.
4. Member - Committee to review the reporting conditions for the Non Government Organisations Treatment Grant Program (NGOTGP) for the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing (DOHA). Siggins-Miller Consultants. 2001.
5. Member - Committee to establish „Guidelines for Clinical Supervision in the Alcohol and Other Drugs Field‟. National Centre for Education and Training in Addictions (NCETA), Adelaide South Australia. DR. Alex Ash and Professor Anne Roche, 2004.
6. Member – „Quality in Treatment Committee‟, empanelled by the Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Office (MHADAO) NSW Ministry of Health. The Committee reviewed policies and guidelines on alcohol and other drugs issues 2004-2012.
7. Member – Expert Panel to establish „Guidelines in the management of Co-Occurring Alcohol and Other Drug and Mental Health Conditions in Alcohol and other Drug Treatment settings.‟ National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre,(NDARC) University of NSW, Sydney Australia. Dr. Maree Teeson, Chair 2008.
8. Member- Expert Panel to establish „Practice Guidelines for the Management of Cannabis Use and Related Issues‟. National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre. University of NSW, Sydney Australia 2009.
9. Board Memberships:
Member – Australasian Therapeutic Communities Association, (ATCA) Vice –President 1995- 2002. Member, 2010 – Present.
Member- Alcohol and other Drugs Council of Australia (ADCA) served as chairperson of the Treatment and Rehabilitation Reference Group 1997-2004. Member 2006-2010.
Member- Campbelltown Chamber of Commerce 1995-2000
Member – Network of Alcohol and Other Drugs Agencies (DADA) Vice President 1996-2011.
AWARDS
1. The Ted Noff‟s Foundation Award for Individual Achievement in the Alcohol and other
Drugs Field 2000.
2. Awarded the Australia Day medal by the Alcohol and other Drugs Council of Australia in Recognition of Contribution and Commitment to the Alcohol and other Drugs Field. 2001.
3. Awarded the Inaugural Fellowship by the Harvard Club of Australia, Nor for Profit Fellowship Program, to attend the course „Strategic perspectives in Non Profit Management‟, at the Harvard Business School. 2001.
4. An “Order of Macarthur‟ nominee. The award recognizes the contribution of individuals to the growth of the Macarthur Region of NSW.
5. Inducted to the „Honour roll‟ of the National Drug and Alcohol Awards in Recognition of contribution to the Alcohol and Other Drugs Field 2007.
PUBLICATIONS
James has authored many papers on residential rehabilitation.
These presentations have been made at national and international conferences including:
Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs (APSAD) – Winter School in the Sun
Australasian Therapeutic Communities Association (ATCA) World Federation of Therapeutic Communities (WFTC) European Federation of Therapeutic Communities (EFTC)
Co-Author, with Lynne Magor-Blatch, of “Amphetamine Type Stimulant Use” A Treatment Protocol.” An intervention developed for the use of staff and clinicians working with ATS clients of Therapeutic communities. 2009
Co-Author, with Rowdy YATES “Cost Benefits of Therapeutic Community programming: Results of a Self funded Survey.” International Journal of Therapeutic Communities Vol 31, 2, 2010.
ABSTRACT
‘THE THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION TO RECOVERY’ The World Federation of Therapeutic Communities Conference ‘Individual Growth and Recovery through the Therapeutic Community’
The contribution of the therapeutic community movement is vast! The presentation will highlight various milestones and achievements of therapeutic communities which have contributed to recovery. The contributions will be constructed to align with my personal journey with the therapeutic community movement which began in 1978 in Detroit, Michigan.
Therapeutic communities have been instrumental in informing the policy debate on the issue of the sexual exploitation of children. Odyssey House‟s “ Concerns of Children‟ gathered 1 million signatures in support of legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives to regulate child pornography. Therapeutic Communities were instrumental in establishing the connection between physical and sexual abuse and drug dependence. Services for women and parents with dependent children were developed as a consequence.
Therapeutic communities have responded to meet the legitimate needs of clients who utilise their services. The presentation will document the domains in which this has occurred. It will present specific examples of the therapeutic community movement in Australia and its contribution to drug policy on a state and national level. Comment will be made about the current discussion as it relates to “recovery” in Australia.
