At The Walker Center, our treatment professionals are certified and have experience with any addiction on the spectrum.

When creating your customized treatment plan, we carefully take into consideration your habits but also co-occurring mental health conditions, leaving you with an actionable and effective treatment plan.

Chris Comstock, M.Ed.

Chief Operating Officer

Chris Comstock, Chief Operation Officer and Director of the Challenge Course has worked at the Walker Center since 2014. Chris became the Chief Operating Officer in the spring of 2019. Chris spent 14 years in education as a Business Education Teacher and Administrator prior to coming to the Walker Center. His passion for watching teenagers grow up and transform their lives has morphed into watching clients transform their lives. He enjoys working in Gooding, Idaho, where he grew up and now is raising his own family. Chris enjoys crunching numbers and likes the challenge of balancing a budget for a non-profit organization.

Sarah Walling-Gifford, LCSW

Director of Clinical Services and Performance

Sarah is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a background in Addiction Studies. Sarah is an Idaho native and has worked with the Walker Center since 2014. Sarah provides direct client care within substance use and behavioral therapy arenas. She uses an eclectic approach with clients and families, based on individual needs and barriers, to support them in addressing their challenges and barriers to achieving their goals. Sarah uses a humanistic foundation of work to connect with clients, colleagues, and communities to promote self-awareness, growth, and sustainable change. She integrates trauma-informed interventions, including EMDR, Narrative therapy, Dialectical Behavioral therapy, and other evidence-based practices. While Sarah has a passion for working directly with our clients, she also is the Director of Clinical Services and Performance at The Walker Center. She oversees the clinical departments in residential and outpatient treatment, providing supervision and guidance to the clinical staff to ensure a quality program, curriculum, and care for the clients, families, and communities served through the Walker Center.

Christine Standlee,

Director of Community Relations

Christine is the Director of Community Relations at the Walker Center and is a Licensed Social Worker. Prior to this, she worked for the Department of Health and Welfare for 31 years and was in the Child Protection field for over 23 years both as an adoption case manager and foster care licensing. She served as Child Welfare Supervisor from 2020. Christine earned her undergraduate degree, a B.A. in Psychology, from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington in 1992. She has a passion for helping others and enjoys building connections and strong transformative relationships. She is excited to pursue a new passion, foster trust and understanding, community-led solutions, and strive towards social change. Christine views herself as a person of hope and possibilities and brings a network of help, support, and human connection. Christine is committed to busting the stigma of addiction by engaging community organizations, families, churches, businesses, and individuals who need substance abuse treatment. Her individual lived experiences encourage people to know the facts and educate themselves and others to eliminate shame and fear in places of employment and the communities and families she is hoping to reach.

Christine Bryant 

Quality Assurance and Outcomes Technician 

Christine joined the Walker Center team in February of 2023 as the Quality Assurance and Outcomes Technician. After working in the banking and real estate industries over the last 20 years, her desire to be part of a team that is positively impacting individuals and families led her to the Walker Center. Christine focuses on ensuring that the Walker Center maintains high-quality standards for our clients. She also stays in touch with clients after discharge and gathers information about their recovery. Christine enjoys spending time outdoors camping and fishing, and all things Idaho. 

Vince Nelson, LCSW

Residential Clinical Supervisor

Vince Nelson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has worked in the field since 2011. Vince has been employed at the Walker Center since 2022. He has a background in addressing co-occurring disorders utilizing a person-in-environment centered/strength-based approach. His experience includes individual counseling, family counseling, trauma-focused therapy, group facilitation, and program development. His educational background includes addiction studies and social work. He earned his undergraduate degree (BSW) from Boise State University in 2014, graduate degree (MSW) from Northwest Nazarene University in 2015, and clinical licensure (LCSW) in 2018. As a person in recovery since 2006, he is passionate about assisting others to obtain meaningful recovery.

Aime Clarice Muntz, CADC

Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor

Aime became employed at the Walker Center in 2015. She started as an outcomes technician but is currently a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor. Aime is one of the counselors that facilitate the family program at the residential facility. She is passionate about living a life of spiritual recovery and sharing her experience, strength, and hope with other individuals seeking change.

Dan Berryman, MS, CADC

Certified Drug & Alcohol Counselor

Dan is a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor who has worked in the field since 2016. He is dual-certified in Oregon (CADC III) and Idaho. Most of his experience is in Methadone, Outpatient, and Intensive Outpatient. He is married to his best friend and has been with her since 2008. He has a total of four girls ranging from 33 to 20, and three grandchildren (four next year, two girls, and two boys). He is currently searching for a program to further his education in obtaining a Masters of Addiction Counseling and then work towards obtaining his LPC/LCPC as his end goal. Dan has been sober since 8/8/11. He enjoys football, baseball, cooking with family, fishing, and shooting.

Jen Ford, CADC

Certified Drug & Alcohol Counselor

Jen Ford is a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor that has worked in the field since 2015. Most of Jen's experience has come from working with individuals in outpatient treatment. She has now found a great love for working with individuals in residential treatment. Jen has many years in recovery and her passion is helping people that are hurt and desire recovery, Celebrate Recovery, and the Twelve Step Recovery process. Jen has been married since 1997 to her best friend, and both love to ride Harley Davidsons, hanging out with children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Wendy Mohr, RN

Nurse

Wendy is a College of Southern Idaho Registered Nursing graduate and has thirty years of experience in emergency medicine and acute care, serving first as an Advanced EMT and then as a nurse. She is an Advanced Cardiac Life Support Instructor and a Pediatric Advanced Life Support Instructor. She has also been a State of Idaho EMS Instructor. Prior to coming to the Walker Center, she was the Clinical Nursing Director at a Critical Access Hospital. Wendy is excited to be a part of the Walker Center and is dedicated to providing nursing oversight, education, and support to clients as they journey through the recovery process.

Emme Thompson

Registered Nurse

Emme received her Associates Degree in Nursing the fall of 2019 and has since worked in Long Term Care and her local hospital on the Medical/Surgical floor. She was able to grow her knowledge and use it to encourage her to find her passion in the medical field as a Registered Nurse. In April 2022, she found that The Walker Center was hiring and immediately applied knowing this type of work and environment is what will bring out the true joy and passion she was looking for in her career. Emme loves seeing the individuals come through these doors and put in the work and heart to change the direction of their lives, she enjoys being able to be a small part in their journeys. Emme expresses that one of her favorite parts of the job is facilitating Experiential Days. She believes these days encourage individuals to make connections and offer the safe space to be vulnerable and get outside of one's comfort zone - magic is made! Outside of work she loves spending time with family & friends, her husband, and her adorable dog named Wendy. 

Sydney Kulhanek

HOPE Social Worker

Sydney Kulhanek is a native Idahoan who knew early on that she wanted to have the skills and abilities to help others move through the difficult times of their lives. Sydney received her Master of Social Work from Boise State University. Her initial social work experience began with children and adolescents, but it was during her internship with Walker Center Outpatient that she found a passion in recovery and trauma. As the HOPE Social Worker, Sydney is able to help clients reconnect with their communities, rebuild relationships and find new lives in sobriety over an extended period of time.

Anika Buchan

Health and Wellness Facilitator

Anika worked in the corporate world for about 14 years before deciding she wanted more purpose in her life, so naturally Anika went climbing in Nepal for a year. Upon her return, Anika realized how healing nature is and then went to work with an outdoor therapy program, helping troubled teens using experiential and traditional therapeutic methods. Anika has been with The Walker Center for about a year and describes her job as perfectly aligning her passion and skills.

Steve Swarner

Facility Manager

Steve Swarner is the Walking Sober Facility Manager and a Certified Recovery Coach. Steve helps clients become productive in their recovery and society by assisting to remove barriers and obstacles for recovery, collaborates with individuals in developing natural supports to improve quality of life and build a support network for sobriety. As the Facility Manager, Steve’s duties include fostering a recovery-supportive environment while ensuring the safety and welfare of the residents and community. Steve supervises the Recovery Support Specialists and coordinates all activities at The Walking Sober House. Steve is currently pursuing certification as a Substance Use Disorder Associate Counselor. Steve is a role model to instill hope for recovery.

Kelsea Royer

Lead Recovery Support Specialist

As the Lead Recovery Support Specialist at The Walking Sober House, Kelsea fosters a recovery-supportive environment through scheduling resources according to resident needs, offering life-skills training and encouraging residents to develop and participate in their own recovery plan. Kelsea’s Recovery Coach training enables her to collaborate and advocate with community resources to enhance the continuity, accessibility, accountability and efficiency between those resources and the individuals she assists. 

Kelsea joined The Walker Center in 2020 as an Outcomes Technician, Medical Records, and Experiential Facilitator, where she found her passion of helping people through their recovery journey. 

Michael Anthoney, CADC

Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor

Michael Anthoney is a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) and has been with the Walker Center since 1999 and is a Primary Counselor for the Twin Falls Outpatient Team. He has experience in both residential and outpatient settings with both adults and adolescents. Michael has special training in Motivational Interviewing, TruThought, Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT), and the Idaho Model of Cognitive Self Change (CSC). Michael worked 11 years in the Residential facility in Gooding, Idaho. He transferred to the Twin Falls, Idaho Outpatient office in January of 2010. Michael’s passion is to help the addict/criminal change their thought process to where it is more conducive to a lifestyle change that promotes long-term recovery as well as a pro-social way of life.

Melissa Larsen, LMSW, SUDA

Associate Counselor

Melissa Larsen has been an employee of Walker Center since 2018. She is a Licensed Master Social Worker with a background in Substance Use Disorders. She has a true passion for supporting clients in navigating many of life’s challenges, including substance use disorders and mental health concerns. Melissa recognizes the importance of treating the client as a whole person and individualizing their care. She incorporates evidence-based practices such as CBT, DBT, Narrative Therapy, and Art Therapy. Melissa is also EMDR trained. She understands the importance of using humor with her clients and encourages everyone to show their authentic self in every interaction.

Eva Magana, LMSW

Counselor

Eva is originally from Nayarit, Mexico, where she lived for several years before moving to the United States. She is passionate about her ability to offer bilingual services and is excited to be working in substance abuse treatment. Eva received her master’s degree in social work from Boise State University and has had some experience in the field of addiction. She prefers an eclectic approach to treatment with a focus on client-centered strengths. When Eva is not working, she loves spending time with her family and traveling.

Alejandra Guzman

LMSW

Alejandra received her bachelor's and master's degree in social work from Boise State University. She completed her practicum here at The Walker Center, where she found a new passion working with individuals and families who are impacted by substance use disorder. Alejandra enjoys being able to provide services to spanish speaking individuals and helping clients discover their strengths and potential. In her spare time, Alejandra can be found teaching zumba classes and spending time with her black and golden labs.

Fredy Zarate

Maintenance Supervisor

Fredy Zarate has been the Maintenance Supervisor at Walker Center since 2003. Fredy ensures the facility is in excellent condition with warm, inviting, and safe amenities inside and out.

Nelida Zarate

Housekeeping Supervisor

Nelida Zarate has been the Housekeeping Supervisor at Walker Center since 2002. Nelida and her team take pride in ensuring that the clients are comfortable and have a clean facility on a daily basis.