About the Louisiana Society of Addiction Medicine
Our Mission
To improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of addictions through education, advocacy, and the promotion of evidence-based medical care in Louisiana.
Who We Are
The Louisiana Society of Addiction Medicine is a professional organization representing physicians and healthcare providers dedicated to advancing addiction treatment. As the Louisiana chapter of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), we align with national standards while addressing the unique needs of communities across Louisiana.
Our Approach
We believe addiction is a chronic, treatable medical condition that requires patient-centered, evidence-based care. LASAM promotes clinical practices that are grounded in science, responsive to patient needs, and designed to improve long-term outcomes.
We also recognize the importance of reducing stigma and ensuring individuals have access to appropriate and timely care.
Louisiana continues to face significant challenges related to substance use and overdose. LASAM plays a critical role in shaping a response that prioritizes treatment over stigma and supports providers in delivering high-quality care across diverse settings.
Why It Matters
Meet Our Board Officers & Team
Dr. Gregory Caudill
PresidentDr. Caudill specializes in the treatment of Addiction.. He is board-certified in General Psychiatry and Addiction Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. He is the President of the Louisiana Society of Addiction Medicine. He attended Medical School at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston South Carolina, residency in Psychiatry at Wake Forest University Medical Center in Winston-Salem North Carolina and a Fellowship in Addiction Psychiatry through the nationally known Center for Drug and Alcohol Programs at the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Caudill has worked in the field of Addiction treatment for more than 15 years. He is an Adjunct Professor in Addiction Medicine at Tulane and in Psychiatry at Louisiana State University. His area of focus is promoting a wider incorporation of the Genetic Neurobiology of Addiction into Addiction Prevention and Treatment.
Dr. Sarah Hamauei
Vice PresidentDr. Hamauei is a board-certified Family Medicine and Addiction Medicine physician with more than fifteen years of experience treatment of substance use disorders. She earned undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Microbiology from Louisiana State University and received her Doctor of Medicine degree from LSU Health Sciences Center School of Medicine in Shreveport. She completed her Family Medicine residency in 2009 and began practicing addiction medicine in 2010, becoming board certified in Addiction Medicine in 2015. Dr. Hamauei is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine, the American Board of Addiction Medicine, and the American Board of Preventive Medicine which currently holds the ABMS-recognized subspecialty for Addiction Medicine. Dr. Hamauei has consulted with healthcare organizations throughout Louisiana on substance use disorder treatment and system-wide care delivery. She has served on a statewide opioid expert panel advising policymakers and has presented extensively on addiction medicine and opioid-related issues at professional, public, and community events. Through grant-funded initiatives, Dr. Hamauei led the development of a MOUD program that expanded access to Medicaid-covered treatment services throughout North Louisiana. She currently consults with utilization management organizations on clinical compliance, quality assurance, and patient-centered care. In addition to her consulting work, Dr. Hamauei serves as the Vice President for the Louisiana Society of Addiction Medicine (LASAM). She is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Monroe, Louisiana, where she is dedicated to educating and mentoring the next generation of physicians.
Dr. Angela Jubert
TreasurerDr. Angela K. Jubert is a native of Lake Charles, Louisiana. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry Pre-Medicine from Xavier University of Louisiana before obtaining her medical degree from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. She completed her residency training in General Psychiatry at Meharry Medical College in affiliation with Alvin C. York Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Hubbard Hospital. Dr. Jubert later completed a fellowship in Addiction Medicine through the University of Florida in affiliation with HealthCare Connection of Tampa, Florida. Throughout her career, Dr. Jubert has held several leadership positions in behavioral health and addiction treatment. She served as Medical Director of River Oaks Treatment Center in Tampa, Florida, and Medical Director of the Medical Withdrawal Management Unit at Townsend Recovery Center located within New Orleans East Hospital. In both roles, she played a key role in the development and launch of these programs, overseeing the implementation and coordination of all medical services. In addition, she has served as a psychiatric consultant and addiction specialist across multiple healthcare settings, bringing extensive clinical expertise and a multidisciplinary approach to patient care. Dr. Jubert is currently the Owner and Medical Director of The Sated Soul, LLC, located at the Celebration Hope Center in Metairie, Louisiana. She provides comprehensive treatment for a wide range of psychiatric and substance use disorders. A dedicated advocate for mental health and addiction recovery, Dr. Jubert is an active member of the American Psychiatric Association and the American Society of Addiction Medicine. She currently serves as Treasurer of the Louisiana Society of Addiction Medicine. Dr. Jubert is board-certified in General Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) and board-certified in Addiction Medicine by the American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM).
Dr. Christina Jones
SecretaryDr. Jones is the Medical Director of Lake Charles Addiction & Wellness Center, Steps Recovery, and the MAT Program Director for Imperial Calcasieu Health Services Authorities, in addition to other consulting positions. She was on the Board of Directors or American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)(2021-2025) and now the Secretary for the Louisiana Chapter of ASAM. She is board-certified in Addiction Medicine through, and a Fellow of the International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM) and a Fellow of ASAM. She graduated with honors from Tulane University then went on to Tulane School of Medicine. Dr Jones concluded her training in Internal Medicine at Christiana Care/Thomas Jefferson Health Services. She has been a Certified Buprenorphine Treatment Physician since 2009. She helped, along with the Office of Public Health, the LA Bridge Program. It is a program that patients with substance use disorders can present to local ER’s and be dosed with buprenorphine products there, then, with the assistance of the Substance Abuse Navigator, link them to an appropriate level of care to continue treatment, Narcan, and continued contact. This program is now expanding over the entire state of Louisiana.
She has authored and co-authored multiple peer-reviewed medical journal articles and delivered presentations at the local, regional, and national levels. She has worked at all levels of care: Inpatient, Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), OTP, and outpatient addiction treatment. Dr Jones is dedicated to dispelling stigma for patients with SUD.
In her free time, she loves playing with her 5 dogs and cat and relaxing at home. For over 25 years, she has been expressing her passion through creating glass blowing/sculptures and paintings.
Dr. Smita R. Prasad
Immediate Past PresidentDr. Prasad is board-certified in Family Medicine and Addiction Medicine. She is an Assistant Professor of Addiction Medicine with the Tulane Dept. of Psychiatry, serves as the Program Director for the Tulane Addiction Medicine Fellowship, and was recently named a Distinguished Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. She is the Medical Director of the Louisiana Addictive Disorder Regulatory Authority Board, the Immediate Past President of the Louisiana Society of Addiction Medicine, and the current Chair of the Physicians Health Special Interest Group for the American Society of Addiction Medicine. She provides outpatient addiction medicine services at the Tulane Addiction Recovery Clinic in New Orleans, where she is also Medical Director. She is currently the Medical Director of the Hancock Co. Family Treatment Court in Bay St. Louis, MS, the only treatment court of its kind in the United States. She recently became Medical Director of the new, family-focused recovery center, Canal Pointe, a facility run by the Volunteers of America Southeast Louisiana. She is a consultant for the Opioid Response Network STR-TA, has begun working closely with the Tulane Transplant team to provide Addiction Medicine services at East Jefferson General Hospital in Metairie, Louisiana, and leads the HOPE Council Clinical Subgroup for the Louisiana Office of Behavioral Health. She is an avid volunteer and has been recognized as a New Orleans CityBusiness 2024 and 2025 Health Care Hero. She lives with her family in Springfield, Louisiana.
Montana Lipari
Executive AdministratorOur Impact As A Society
Through advocacy, education, and collaboration, LASAM is actively shaping the future of addiction care in Louisiana. From supporting policy change to expanding access to evidence-based treatment, our work is grounded in improving outcomes for patients and communities.
What We’re Working On:
The Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act (MOTAA) is a proposed bipartisan federal bill (S.644 / H.R.1359) aimed at reforming what some consider strict and outdated regulations around how patients access methadone for opioid use disorder (OUD).
The legislation proposes the following key changes:
Physician Prescriptions: It would allow addiction specialist physicians (board-certified in addiction medicine or psychiatry) to prescribe methadone directly from their offices.
Pharmacy Dispensing: It would permit patients to pick up their prescribed methadone at local community pharmacies.
Increased Accessibility: This shift is designed to expand treatment access for individuals who live in areas without an Opioid Treatment Program (OTP).