News
Feb 4, 2025
The Grove Recovery Center celebrates three years in Ascension
By Staff
Despite the availability of treatment options such as The Grove Recovery Center, many people in Louisiana are still suffering from a substance abuse disorder.
In fact, according to the LSU Health Foundation, 459,000 people in Louisiana have a diagnosable alcohol use disorder, and another 230,000 Louisianans use illicit drugs.
Further, Louisiana was ranked fourth in the United States in a recent SAMHSA study on opioid abuse. It should come as no surprise, then, that Louisiana is also ranked fourth in the rate of overdose deaths.
The Grove Recovery Center has a deeper understanding of what these statistics mean to our state and our people in 2025. Last year, we celebrated three years of providing inpatient treatment to those seeking recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.
Co-founders Denise Thibodeaux and Cody Gautreaux, who have both worked in the addiction recovery field for many years, decided to partner to open The Grove in Ascension on the site of the old River Parishes Community College in Sorrento, LA, in 2022.
“There are so many individuals and families suffering with addiction,” Denise said. “We are incredibly blessed and humbled to be able to help many of them find hope and recovery.”
How Viral!
If social media use can exhibit a correlation between people and recovery, then The Grove has set a clear example of that relationship. For starters, The Grove’s TikTok account “Recovery Gumbo” has amassed 57.6K followers and 4.3 million likes over the past six months.
Particularly, they have gained popularity for posts with the premise “Recovery is better than––,” which casts a light on real people in The Grove’s recovery community, as they compare old memories from active addiction to their lives today. These quips have multiple perspectives. They are generally funny but always with a deadly undertone.
Denise said that since the posts have gained popularity, she has received phone calls from way across the country inquiring about treatment.
One of the foundational cornerstones of the programming at The Grove Recovery Center is the UNITY night. UNITY is a large gathering of The Grove’s recovery community that occurs on the first Friday of every month.
“It’s a great opportunity to hear the stories of people who have gone through our program and have gotten sober,” Denise said. “Once they make it through and achieve some lasting sobriety, we want them to come back and give the new person some of their strength and hope.”
Another “cornerstone” event is Family Day, which is held once every month. This gives the recovering person a chance to visit with their family and begin the healing process with their loved ones in a neutral, safe environment. Anyone near recovery will admit that there’s nothing quite like watching someone change from a hopeless state of mind into becoming a happy, productive member of their family and community.
The Grove Recovery Center takes pride on not just sharing the message but leading the message, especially when it comes to battling Louisiana’s opioid crisis.
On Tuesday, August 27, 2024, The Grove hosted the Expanding Recovery Pathways Summit. The event was held at the Pennington Biomedical Conference Center in Baton Rouge.
Denise said it was a great educational opportunity for those who work towards helping people that are struggling with addiction. Over 250 people and 25 exhibitors were in attendance to hear numerous presenters from across the region.
Clients spend 30 days inside The Grove’s inpatient treatment center, situated on the shores of the serene Bayou Conway. Many clients are encouraged to continue their treatment by entering The Grove’s transitional living program, which includes sober housing and intensive outpatient and aftercare services.
Growth at The Grove
The Grove opened a brand-new outpatient campus in the heart of Gonzales, LA in 2024. This campus features substance abuse counseling, family counseling, and other recovery services.
“I couldn’t be happier about what we have to offer individuals and families who desperately need help with addiction issues,” Denise said. “Please reach out to us if you think we can help in any way.”