LSS Opens “LSS L.E. Phillips Center” in Chippewa Falls
The 50-bed transitional residential treatment center is at the site of the former Libertas facility
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis., June 2, 2026 — Community leaders, healthcare partners, and recovery advocates celebrated today as Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan (LSS) opened LSS L.E. Phillips Center—a substance use disorder treatment and recovery program in Northwestern Wisconsin—at the former Libertas facility.
The facility, located at 2661 County Highway I in Chippewa Falls, will operate as a 50-bed inpatient recovery center focused on helping adult men rebuild their lives through evidence-based treatment, peer support, education, and long-term recovery planning.
The reopening restores a critical resource to the Chippewa Valley and surrounding region, where access to addiction treatment services remains an urgent need.
“This facility represents hope, healing, and a renewed commitment to serving individuals and families affected by substance use disorder,” said Héctor Colón, LSS President & CEO. “For decades, this campus played an important role in recovery care in our region, and today we welcome back the community in need of critical treatment and resources.”
The center will provide:
- Residential substance use disorder treatment
- Individual and group counseling
- Recovery education and relapse prevention
- Life skills and reintegration programming
- Connections to ongoing community-based recovery resources
The reopening follows extensive planning, renovation, and collaboration among healthcare providers, state and local leaders, and community organizations committed to expanding access to behavioral health services in Wisconsin.
Originally known as the L.E. Phillips Libertas Treatment Center, the facility served generations of individuals seeking recovery support before closing in recent years. Its reopening comes at a time when communities across Wisconsin continue to face growing challenges related to addiction, mental health, and overdose deaths.
LSS says the renewed campus is designed not only to provide treatment, but also to support long-term recovery outcomes through stability, accountability, and community connection.
“This is more than reopening a building,” said Colón. “It is restoring a pathway to recovery for people who need care, dignity, and a second chance.”
About LSS
For more than 140 years, Lutheran Social Services has been empowering the people of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan to improve their lives and thrive. Recognized as a Best and Brightest Company to Work For™, our nearly 800 colleagues help individuals and families address needs around substance use and mental health, housing and homelessness, adoption, foster care, and refugee resettlement. As Servant-Leaders, we act compassionately, serve humbly, and lead courageously to reduce barriers and improve access to resources at our centers and in homes, schools, and neighborhoods.
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Media Contact
George Kmetty
Public Relations Specialist
Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan
6737 W. Washington At., Suite 2275
West Allis, WI 53214
(262)693-6825
George.Kmetty@lsswis.org