NGO Funding Request


The recipient entity's full legal name:  Odyssey House Louisiana, Inc.

The recipient entity's physical address:
           1125 N. Tonti St., New Orleans, LA 70119

The recipient entity's mailing address (if different):
           1125 N. Tonti St., New Orleans, LA 70119

Type of Entity (for instance, a nonprofit corporation):  Non-Profit Corporation

If the entity is a corporation, list the names of the incorporators:
          Peter E Hagan IIi
Margaret Pike


The last four digits of the entity's taxpayer ID number:  3677

What is the dollar amount of the request?  $4,877,300

What type of request is this?  Capital Outlay Appropriation

Is this entity in good standing with the Secretary of State?  Yes

Provide the name of each member of the recipient entity's governing board and officers:
           Robert “Bob” Moffett, Chair - 2037 Dauphine St. New Orleans, LA 70116
Rebecca Miller, President - 801 Pontalba, New Orleans, LA 70124
Curt Bruss, Vice President - 7211 Clifton Street, Harahan, LA 70123
Vanessa Caliste-Swafford, Vice President – P.O. Box 791628, New Orleans, LA 70179
Beverly “Bev” Nichols, Treasurer - 7301 Burthe St., New Orleans, LA 70118
Alexis “Lexy” Butler, Secretary - 6323 Perrier St., New Orleans, LA 70118
Dr. Lynn Bernal-Green -2265 New York Ave., New Orleans, LA 70122
Jarrod Broussard - P.O. Box 750668, New Orleans, LA 70175
Dr. Lucinda DeGrange, Ph.D. - 7513 Maple St., New Orleans, LA 70118
Cara Hall – 5658 Woodlawn Place, New Orleans, LA 70124
Darryl Harrison - 531 Atlantic Ave., New Orleans, LA 70114
Eric A. Johnson - 702 S. Saratoga St., New Orleans, LA
Dr. Robert Matheney - 295 English Turn Drive, New Orleans, LA 70131
Mary Antee McCullough - 900 Camp St., Suite 401, New Orleans, LA 70130
Leo Schott – 510 N. St. Patrick Street, New Orleans, LA 70119

Edward C. Carlson, Odyssey House Louisiana Chief Executive Officer – 92 Fontainebleau Drive, New Orleans, LA 70125
Kathy Laborde, Gulf Coast Housing Partnership President & CEO, 1610A Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70113


Provide a summary of the project or program:
           Odyssey House Louisiana (OHL)’s main facility is located at 1125 N. Tonti Street in the historic Treme neighborhood of New Orleans. The facility, known as the Tonti Campus and housing OHL’s core adult residential programs, is made up of two conjoined buildings, erected in 1866, and subsequently 1895, along with adjacent smaller historic buildings. Originally built as an orphanage, the facility was funded by Thomy Lafon, the first African American philanthropist, and was later utilized as a nursing home run by
the Sisters of the Holy Family. Thanks to this storied history, the 1125 N. Tonti St. location has been of continuous social service use to the special needs populations of New Orleans for 150 years. As with any historic building, the facility requires constant care and attention to remain viable for occupancy. While OHL has been able to grandfather many living-quarter requirements for its programs due to the building’s age, the Tonti Campus buildings have reached a stage where extensive renovations are necessary
to bring the facility up to code, ensure that we are meeting all licensing requirements, and improve the overall quality of treatment and safety for staff and clients. The Tonti Campus buildings are not ADA compliant, and does not meet the minimum standards for safety and physical space mandated by Department of Health and Hospitals regulations and by OHL’s accreditation body, the National Council on Accreditation. This lack of appropriate facilities not only impacts the quality of OHL's services, but also hurts OHL’s ability to continue to attract federal, local and private funding. The planned renovations are critical to the safety and quality of care of the special needs populations in New Orleans and throughout the State, as OHL provides services to all Louisiana parishes. OHL is the largest provider of substance abuse treatment services in the state of Louisiana, and clients are referred from all over the state into OHL’s residential substance abuse treatment programs. OHL also operates a Community Health Center out of the Tonti Campus, which is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that serves all members of the
community, regardless of ability to pay. OHL has sought the professional expertise of Gulf Coast Housing Partnership (GCHP), a real estate development company that specializes in building renovations through tax credits for nonprofit agencies similar to OHL.
GCHP is experienced and skilled in accessing diversified financing vehicles including historic, new markets and low-income housing tax credits, as well as other incentives and various public, private and community funding tools. After a walkthrough of the Tonti Campus, GCHP has estimated the repair work to be $10 million. OHL has committed to providing Local Match funds, as required by Capital Outlay funding. OHL's Local Match funds will come from reserves, state historic tax credits, and other local sources, totaling $4.1 million. The remaining $5.9 million is the amount raised through Capital Outlay efforts. The OHL N. Tonti St. location has been an institution of social service for over 150 years. OHL is committed to ensuring that the building continues to provide care to those who need it most; however, we know that we must upgrade our facilities to meet the level of care that they deserve.


What is the budget relative to the project for which funding is requested?:
          Salaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . $0
          Professional Services. . . $0
          Contracts . . . . . . . . . . . $0
          Acquisitions . . . . . . . . . $0
          Major Repairs . . . . . . . $5,900,000
          Operating Services. . . . $0
          Other Charges. . . . . . . $0

Does your organization have any outstanding audit issues or findings?  No

If 'Yes' is your organization working with the appropriate governmental agencies to resolve those issues or findings?
          Not Applicable

What is the entity's public purpose, sought to be achieved through the use of state monies?
          Since 1973, OHL has provided effective and comprehensive services to Louisiana’s most vulnerable populations, including people suffering from substance abuse, homeless clients, formerly incarcerated individuals, and people living with HIV/AIDS. In the nearly 13 years since Hurricane Katrina devastated our city, OHL has grown from a small, community-based rehab program into what is now the state’s largest substance abuse treatment provider. In addition to our addiction recovery programs, OHL also operates a Community Health Center out of the N. Tonti St. facility, which is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that serves all members of the community, regardless of their ability to pay.

At present, OHL provides services to approximately 900 clients per month across all its programs. This is more than most facilities treat in a year. Additionally, OHL is the treatment center of last resort, meaning we are where indigent and Medicaid patients go to help free themselves of the burden of substance abuse. Clients are referred from all over the state into OHL’s residential substance abuse treatment programs, and all OHL treatment and case management programs are provided free of direct cost to the clients.

The need for OHL’s services is abundantly clear. New Orleans is a city riddled with an aggressive drug trade, widespread opioid abuse, and a lack of treatment options for uninsured and low-income individuals. It is startling to note that, according to the CDC, there are now more opioid prescriptions in Louisiana than there are people. Additionally, in a city with notoriously high murder rates, deaths from drug overdoses now outpace murders in New Orleans. Along with the high incidence of drug use – especially I.V. drugs – HIV rates are off the charts. Louisiana was #2 among states for new HIV cases last year, and New Orleans and Baton Rouge are in the top 3 U.S. cities for HIV incidence. The only way we are going to halt the spread of these deadly trends is if we, as a community, provide greater access to substance abuse treatment.

This is why these proposed renovations are critical to the safety and quality of care of the special needs populations in New Orleans and throughout the state, as OHL provides services to all Louisiana parishes. The OHL N. Tonti St. location has been an institution of social service for over 150 years, and OHL is committed to ensuring that the building continues to provide care to those who need it most. However, we know that we must upgrade our facilities to meet the level of care that they deserve. With capital outlay funding from the state and a mix of private and public funding, OHL will ensure that the property remains a long-term asset to the community and the populations it was created to serve.


What are the goals and objectives for achieving such purpose?
          With state capital outlay funding, OHL will double its capacity to provide addiction and mental health treatment by 2021. When the proposed renovations to the historic N. Tonti St. campus are completed in late 2020, the remodeled facility will offer long-term treatment and transitional housing for up to 100 individual clients, which is nearly twice as many as the facility can safely accommodate in its current state. This year, we also broke ground on a new facility in the Broadmoor neighborhood of New Orleans. The project, a complete renovation of the historic Bohn Motor Co. building in on S. Broad St., will house an additional 150 new detox and short-term residential beds, and a satellite of our FQHC. When these two projects are completed in 2021, OHL will operate in both facilities, doubling its service footprint.

OHL’s expansion will yield increased economic impact on the State of Louisiana. According to an independent study performed by Tripp Umbach, OHL is anticipated to generate $29.9 million in economic impact in FY21. This includes $16.0 million in impact from OHL’s direct expenditures and $13.9 million in indirect/induced impact due to spending by OHL suppliers, employees, visitors, and clients in Louisiana. In 2021, program expansion at OHL will warrant additional job opportunities, as OHL is expected to yield an employment impact of 381 jobs. Of this total employment impact, 277 jobs will be directly employed through OHL, while an additional 104 jobs will stem from the spending of OHL, its industry partners and suppliers, employees, visitors, and clients. State and local government revenue attributable to the presence of OHL are projected to total over $1 million in FY21.

At its core, OHL is a pillar in the New Orleans region and State of Louisiana. OHL delivers a continuum of care and works with local, state, and national organizations to connect resources and outreach efforts to combat growing substance abuse. Recent reductions in the number of behavioral health programs around the state coupled with rising substance abuse rates warrant the need for OHL’s services now more than ever. With continued support, OHL will further its role as an economic driver and indispensable resource in the state.


What is the proposed length of time estimated by the entity to accomplish the purpose?
           24 months

If any elected or appointed state official or an immediate family member of such an official is an officer, director, trustee, or employee of the recipient entity who receives compensation or holds any ownership interest therein:
     (a) If an elected or appointed state official, the name and address of the official and the office held by such person:
                 N/A
    
     (b) If an immediate family member of an elected or appointed state official, the name and address of such person; the name, address, and office of the official to whom the person is related; and the nature of the relationship:
                 N/A

     (c) The percentage of the official's or immediate family member's ownership interest in the recipient entity, if any:
                 N/A

     (d) The position, if any, held by the official or immediate family member in the recipient entity:
                  N/A

If the recipient entity has a contract with any elected or appointed state official or an immediate family member of such an official or with the state or any political subdivision of the state:
(a) If the contract is with an elected or appointed state official, provide the name and address of the official and the office held by such person: 
               N/A

(b) If the contract is with an immediate family member of an elected or appointed state official:
          Provide the name and address of such person:
               N/A

          Provide the name, address, and office of the official to whom the person is related:
                N/A

          What is the nature of the relationship?  N/A

(c) If the contract is with the state or a political subdivision of the state, provide the name and address of the state entity or political subdivision of the state:
                 Louisiana Department of Health – Office of Behavioral Health
628 N. 4th Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70802

Louisiana Department of Health – Medicaid
628 N. 4th Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70802

Metropolitan Human Services District
3100 General De Gaulle Drive
New Orleans, LA 70114


(d) The nature of the contract, including a description of the goods or services provided or to be provided pursuant to the contract:
               1. Adult Inpatient/Medically Assisted Detox ($2,306,570) – This funding derives from the state Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) budget, is administered by Louisiana Clinical Services, and is managed by Metropolitan Human Services District (MHSD). The contract supports OHL’s Adult Residential Treatment program, which provides up to 28 days of inpatient substance abuse treatment; and OHL’s Medically Assisted Detox program, which provides 19 beds for people who are detoxifying from drugs and alcohol.

2. Adolescent Residential Treatment ($340,000) – This funding derives from the state Office of Behavioral Health (OBH), is administered by Louisiana Clinical Services, and is managed by MHSD. The contract supported Odyssey House Academy, a 17-bed substance abuse treatment facility and school for children ages 13-17 (NOTE: This program ended in April 2018, and the money was rolled into the above contract for Adult Inpatient/Medically Assisted Detox with approval from OBH and MHSD).

3. Intensive Outpatient with Housing ($360,000) – This funding derives from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)’s Substance Abuse Treatment Block Grant (SABG), which is administered by OBH and is managed by MHSD. The funding supports long-term care and transitional housing at OHL for individuals in need of 2-6 months of intensive outpatient substance abuse treatment.

4. HIV Testing ($110,000) – This funding derives from SABG dollars, is administered by OBH and is managed by MHSD. This funding supports HIV testing and pre- and post-test counseling at the Odyssey House Community Health Center.

5. Medically Assisted Treatment ($50,000) – This funding derives from SAMHSA’s “Medication Assisted Treatment – Prescription Drug and Opioid Addiction” grant dollars, is administered by OBH and managed by MHSD. The funding supports medication assisted treatment services at the Odyssey House Community Health Center.


Most OHL services are funded through Medicaid, as most OHL clients are Medicaid-eligible. OHL is reimbursed by state Medicaid for the following contracted services at the following per diem rates:

Detox
• Treatment Only (HOO11) $290.00
• Room & Board $43.50
Total $333.50
Adult Residential
• Treatment Only (H2036) $212.47
• Room & Board $31.62
Total $244.09
Intensive Outpatient
• Treatment/15 min. (H0015) $12.00
Total $144.00
Supportive Housing and Sober Living
• Room & Board Per Day (H2036) $31.62
Total $31.62



Contact Information
name:  Edward C. Carlson 
                                       address:  1125 N. Tonti St., New Orleans, LA 70119
                                       phone:  (504) 494-9628
                                       fax:  (504) 324-8614
                                       e-mail:  ecarlson@ohlinc.org
                                       relationship to entity:  Chief Executive Officer