Southeastern hosts 2025 Louisiana Recovery Capital Conference | Events

HAMMOND — Southeastern Louisiana University is hosting a two-day learning experience for mental health professionals with the Louisiana Recovery Capital Conference March 13 and 14.

“We are honored to host this conference through our partnership with the Office of Behavioral Health, Florida Parishes Human Service Authority, and our conference partners,” said Assistant Director of LION UP Recovery CRP and Intervention Annette Baldwin. “The conference will focus on enhancing Louisiana’s capacity to build and sustain recovery communities.”

Continuing education will be provided for licensed professional counselors, social workers, certified health educators and those certified through the Louisiana Addictive Disorders Regulatory Authority. Topics to be covered include updates on Louisiana drug trends, family health and recovery, substance use disorder within diverse populations, and ethics in recovery spaces, among others.

Claudia Black, the keynote speaker, will discuss working with the young adult population with addictive disorders. Her presentation will focus on the dynamics of underlying trauma that fuels these disorders, Baldwin said.

Black’s seminal work with children impacted by substance abuse in the late 1970s created the foundation for the adult children of the alcoholic’s movement. She was the first to name the dysfunctional family rules – don’t talk, don’t trust, and don’t feel. She has described the phenomena of delayed stress, emotional trauma, and the child’s denial process. Black also broke the barrier and openly discussed physical and sexual abuse in the context of families affected by addiction.

Black is internationally recognized for her pioneering and contemporary work with family systems and addictive disorders. She is the author of many books, including It Will Never Happen to Me, which has sold over two million copies. Her latest books are Undaunted Hope: Stories of Healing from Trauma, Depression and Addictions; and Your Recovery, Your Life for Teens. Today she is a senior fellow and clinical architect of the Claudia Black Young Adult Center at The Meadows in Arizona.

“The 2nd Annual Louisiana Recovery Capital Conference offers a vital opportunity to strengthen Louisiana’s recovery communities, particularly within higher education, fostering hope and healing for individuals and families affected by addiction” said Baldwin. “We are excited to host a book signing with Claudia Black as one of our conference highlights on Friday, March 14.”

The Conference Expo will showcase area mental health partners dedicated to various aspects of harm reduction and treatment for substance misuse. For more information, such as registration, lodging, conference schedule and a list of sponsors, visit southeastern.edu/lionup-recovery/crc/.