LSS Media Kit
YOU CAN HEAL.
YOU ARE WORTHY.
YOU WILL FIND HELP.
Welcome to the New LSS L.E. Phillips Center.
2301 County Highway I | Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan (LSS) is opening a 50-bed, medically monitored and transitional residential treatment center at the site of the former Libertas facility that will help address a critical healthcare gap in Northwestern Wisconsin by providing 24-hour care for adult men experiencing substance use challenges.
Services Offered
The facility is designed to provide comprehensive inpatient recovery support, including:
- Residential substance use disorder treatment
- Individual counseling and therapy
- Group recovery programming
- Relapse prevention education
- Peer and recovery support services
- Life skills development
- Transition and reintegration planning
- Connections to ongoing community resources
Why This Matters
Substance use disorder impacts individuals, families, workplaces, and communities across Wisconsin. Access to treatment remains a critical need throughout the region.
The reopening of this facility helps:
- Expand access to inpatient recovery services
- Support individuals seeking long-term recovery close to home
- Reduce barriers to treatment
- Strengthen regional behavioral health resources
- Restore an important recovery institution in the Chippewa Valley
A New Chapter for a Historic Campus
The former Libertas Treatment Center served generations of individuals seeking help and recovery. The reopened LSS L.E. Phillips Center reflects a renewed commitment to meeting today’s behavioral health and addiction recovery challenges with dignity, compassion, and evidence-based care.
This facility represents more than a building — it represents hope, healing, and the opportunity for a fresh start.
For More Information:
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
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 2301 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
Timeline of Events
January 2024
Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) and Prevea Health stunningly announce a complete exit from Western Wisconsin. They reveal plans to shutter Sacred Heart Hospital (Eau Claire), St. Joseph's Hospital (Chippewa Falls), and the L.E. Phillips Libertas Treatment Center. The announcement sparks uncertainty over regional treatment capacity
February 2, 2024
The doors officially close. Libertas ceases operations under HSHS after nearly 50 years of serving the Chippewa Valley. Patients requiring medically monitored withdrawal are forced to travel to Madison, Milwaukee, or Minnestoa.
October 2024
Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan (LSS) steps in. Recognizing the devastating impact of the care gap, LSS begins plans to acquire the shuttered facility and repurpose it as a 50-bed evidence-based substance use disorder treatment center.
February 4, 2025
A year and two days from the closing of the Libertas Treatment Center's doors. The Chippewa Falls City Council unanimously (5-0) approves a special use permit allowing LSS to utilize the building. LSS simultaneously launches a major $4.6 million fundraising campaign to cover acquisition, staffing, and massive code/facility upgrades.
July 1, 2025
The Joint Committee on Finance approves provisions in the state budget authored by State Senator Jesse James (R-Thorp) and State Representative Clint Moses (R-Menomonie) that would grant $1 million to LSS to renovate and re-open the L.E. Phillips Libertas Treatment Center.
October 27, 2025
LSS officially kicks off construction and interior renovations. Over 100 community leaders, staff, and state officials gather at the shuttered building for a symbolic "flashlight ceremony," physically turning the lights back on to mark the transition from abandonment to active renewal.
June 2, 2026
LSS hosts a ribbon-cutting event to mark the completion of major renovations to the center. The 50-bed inpatient recovery center will help adult men rebuild their lives through a continuum of care similar to that offered at LSS's other recovery facilities throughout Wisconsin and Upper Michigan.
LSS Leadership Bios
Héctor Colón
President and CEO of Lutheran Social Services of WI and Upper MI (LSS)
Héctor Colón brings a distinguished background in case management, public service, and organizational leadership to his role as President and CEO of Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan (LSS).
Before joining LSS in 2017, Colón served as Executive Director of the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services, where he spearheaded transformative countywide initiatives—including juvenile justice reform, ending chronic homelessness, overhauling mental health care, and eliminating a 30-year waitlist for disability services.
Colón holds a Master of Arts in Occupational Therapy and an Executive MBA both from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, credentials that inform his human-centered, strategically-minded approach to nonprofit leadership. Under his guidance, LSS has embraced innovative models that have significantly strengthened its mission and operational relevance.
A former USA Boxing national champion and 1992 Olympic trials competitor, Colón has translated the discipline of athletics into a life of service. He currently serves as Vice President of the USA Boxing Board and sits on the Boards of M3 Insurance and Nicolet Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCBS)
Mara Dučkens
Chief Advancement & Advocacy Officer of Lutheran Social Services of WI and Upper MI (LSS)
Mara Dučkens serves as Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan's (LSS) first-ever Chief Advancement & Advocacy Officer—a role she stepped into in 2023 and has made entirely her own. A relationship-driven leader, she connects individuals, congregations, foundations, and corporations with LSS initiatives that align with their values and philanthropic goals, while also championing government relations and policy advocacy to deepen the organization's community impact.
With more than two decades in the nonprofit sector, Mara brings a wealth of hands-on experience—from launching philanthropic programs and leading major fundraising campaigns to running entire organizations. More recently, she spent eight years as Executive Director of St. Francis Children's Center, serving children and teens with special needs. At LSS, she now brings that expertise to an organization that reaches over 30,000 people annually.
A lifelong practitioner of Lutheran values, Mara was personally drawn to LSS's mission of love, compassion, and service. She is passionate about helping the broader community create the meaningful change it wants to see in the world.
Tara Treglowne
Chief Operating Officer of Lutheran Social Services of WI and Upper MI (LSS)
Tara Treglowne brings over two decades of leadership experience to her role as Chief Operating Officer of Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan (LSS). Since joining the organization in 2001, she has built a career spanning youth residential and foster care, housing and urban development, and long-term care—most recently stepping into the role of COO in 2025.
In 2014, Tara spearheaded the development of Connections, an IRIS Consultant Agency of LSS, building the program from the ground up around a philosophy of Collective Leadership and Empowering Collaboration. Her leadership style centers on creating space for genuine co-creation—ensuring every colleague has a voice and an opportunity to lead.
Tara holds an MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, earned through an executive program designed for senior leaders, and a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Driven by a commitment to equity and dignity for all, Tara's work is rooted in a vision where every individual across Wisconsin and Upper Michigan has fair access to opportunities, resources, and care.