Amy Bosworth

Chief Operations Officer

Odyssey House Louisiana, INC 

My name is Amy Bosworth, and I am the Chief Operations Officer at Odyssey House Louisiana, INC. As a non-native New Orleanian I am frequently asked (after where did you go to High School) how I ended up in New Orleans? Like many New Orleans residents, I married into New Orleans.

After completing my MSW from Boston University in 2003, I began my first real social work job at a Methadone Clinic. It was during my time at the clinic that I found my passion for working with clients suffering from the disease of addiction. Both of my internships while in graduate school gave me an opportunity to connect with clients and communities suffering from the impact of addiction, but it was not until I began working in the clinic that I felt the pieces all click into place. My move to New Orleans was imminent. My husband and his family are long time New Orleans residents and the cold Massachusetts winters finally wore him down. I left Massachusetts and moved to New Orleans in June of 2005.

My initial interview with the CEO, my current boss, was on November 1, 2005. I started work the next day. To say my role at Odyssey House has evolved over the past 17 years is a bit of an understatement. I began my time at Odyssey House as a counselor working in the residential program. I did everything from moving furniture to escorting clients to court. Many days I didn’t feel like much of a social worker, but I did feel part the city and the community. Post Katrina New Orleans was a time of great growth for Odyssey House. Opportunities to expand into Case Management, Housing, and Primary Care were ours for the taking. In 2005 Odyssey House had an annual operating budget of about $1,000,000. Our current budget for FY 2023-2024 is around $30,000,000. My boss routinely handed me a large packet of paper, told me to read it, and figure out how to turn it into a service or program for our clients. Looking back on those days I see how much impact of Katrina shaped my career. It gave me opportunities to learn new skills and grow as social worker that I might have never had in Massachusetts.

In 2021, right after Hurricane Ida, I became the COO of Odyssey House. As a part of this organization over the last 17 years, I’ve been both with our grant writers trying to make midnight grant submission deadlines and the person responsible for all licensing and service delivery implementation for a brand-new facility. These opportunities have provided me with the knowledge and foundation for the position I hold today, as well as the experience to know that there is always room for me grow.

Personally, I am now the proud mother of two New Orleans born and raised little girls and I’ve had the privilege of living in New Orleans for the last 18 years.