Annual NC One Community in Recovery Conference

The Annual NC One Community in Recovery Conference is a significant event focused on fostering the growth of the North Carolina Recovery Movement. This year, the conference adopted the theme Rooted in Resilience: Reimagined through Change, celebrating its 17th anniversary. This statewide gathering is organized by a diverse committee comprising behavioral health providers, advocates, and individuals with lived experiences in mental health and substance use recovery. The conference serves as a platform for participants to share their experiences, learn about progressive recovery practices, and strengthen their networks within the recovery community. Participants engaged in a pre-conference session that introduced Emotional CPR (eCPR), a public health education initiative aimed at supporting individuals during emotional crises, enhancing community connections, and encouraging meaningful organizational change. The conference featured inspiring keynote presentations from prominent speakers, including the Co-Founding Executive Director of a peer-run Recovery Community Organization in Wilkes County, NC, and an acclaimed journalist and author. Both speakers provided thought-provoking insights that encouraged attendees to rethink recovery in terms of resilience, advocacy, and systemic change. Additionally, the conference recognized outstanding leaders and advocates with the Youth/Young Adult Voice Award, celebrating their dedication and significant contributions to recovery communities across North Carolina. The conference is designed to benefit a wide audience, including addictions specialists, administrators, advocates, counselors, educators, family members, individuals with lived experience, marriage and family therapists, peer support specialists, policymakers, psychologists, social workers, and other health and human service professionals interested in recovery. The Northwest Area Health Education Center (AHEC), part of Wake Forest University School of Medicine, organizes this event with support from the NC Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services, and the UNC School of Social Work Behavioral Health Springboard. The program is partially funded by the SAMHSA Community Mental Health Services Block Grant, emphasizing the commitment to creating an inclusive environment that respects all individuals, regardless of their backgrounds or identities.