St. Christopher's is a long-term, privately owned men's residential addiction treatment program with more than 25 years of experience treating addiction in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. We are one of the longest-standing addiction treatment programs in the state.
Our programs are CARF-accredited, grounded in the 12-Step model, and enhanced by evidence-based clinical practices, dual diagnosis treatment, and a multidisciplinary team of licensed professionals who bring both expertise and personal investment to this work every single day. We are a comprehensive treatment program that walks alongside men from the first hours of detox all the way through sober living, aftercare, and the ongoing work of life in recovery
How St. Christopher's Addiction Wellness Center Was Built
St. Christopher's opened in Baton Rouge in 1998 as a 12-Step immersion program for men, rooted in the belief that recovery requires more than short-term stabilization. It requires structure, accountability, community, and time. That founding conviction has never changed.
Today, the organization operates as a private, clinician-owned program under the leadership of CEO Brandy Klingman and COO Zach Knippenberg, who have spent years strengthening the clinical foundation, expanding the continuum of care, and evolving St. Christopher's into the comprehensive long-term treatment program it is today, without ever losing sight of the principles that made it meaningful in the first place. Zach came through St. Christopher's as a client himself before earning his Master of Social Work and returning to help lead it. The people running this program know what it takes to walk through it because many of them have.
We have been treating addiction in Baton Rouge long enough to watch men grow up, raise families, build careers, and come back years later to sponsor the next person sitting in the same chair they once sat in. That continuity is not something you can manufacture. It is what 25 years of doing this work with integrity looks like.
Our staff includes licensed clinical social workers, licensed professional counselors, addiction counselors, psychiatric nurse practitioners, psychologists, psychiatrists, registered nurses, and licensed practical nurses. We believe the quality of our staff is the quality of our care.
St. Christopher's is recognized as a member of Treatment Professionals in Alumni Services, reflecting our long-term commitment to alumni engagement and ongoing recovery support beyond the clinical setting.
St. Christopher's holds CARF accreditation for Residential Addiction Treatment. CARF International is an independent nonprofit that evaluates health and human service organizations against the highest consumer-focused standards in the field. Our accreditation reflects an extensive review of our clinical practices, safety protocols, patient outcomes, and organizational ethics.
The clinicians, counselors, and leaders who show up every day for the men in our care. Meet the people behind the programs.
Our Baton Rouge campus was designed with recovery in mind. See the spaces where healing happens.
We believe recovery is more than abstinence. It is a rebuilt life. Here is the clinical and human philosophy that guides everything we do.
From one man's sobriety to 25 years of community impact in Baton Rouge. The story of how St. Christopher's came to be.
The brotherhood does not end at discharge. Learn how STC alumni stay connected and how that community becomes one of the most powerful forces in long-term recovery.
Our admissions team is available around the clock. If you have questions about our programs, our team, or whether St. Christopher's is the right fit, we are here to talk.