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Paula Lipinski, MSW,

Chief Executive Officer
Addiction Treatment Services
Traverse City, Michigan

Paula Lipinski, MSW, is the Chief Executive Officer of Addiction Treatment Services (ATS), a nonprofit behavioral health organization based in Traverse City, Michigan. She brings more than twenty years of experience in human services and behavioral health, with the majority of her career spent in senior leadership roles. Paula holds a Bachelor of Science in Sociology and a Master’s Degree in Social Work.

Paula is also a person in long-term recovery from substance use disorder. Her lived experience has profoundly shaped her leadership, strengthening her empathy, transparency, and ability to drive meaningful, system-level change. After many years of carrying the shame and silence that often accompany this disease, Paula made the decision to speak openly about her recovery—a choice that has been personally transformative and professionally grounding.

Today, Paula integrates her lived experience with deep operational, clinical, and strategic expertise to lead organizations through complex change while remaining firmly rooted in recovery-centered, person-first care. She is known for building resilient teams, fostering cross-sector partnerships, and advancing compassionate, evidence-based services that expand access and improve outcomes for individuals and families affected by substance use disorders.

Paula remains deeply committed to advancing hope, healing, and impact within communities through collaboration, advocacy, and courageous leadership. Her work reflects a belief that lived experience, when paired with professional rigor and integrity, is a powerful force for strengthening systems of care and redefining what recovery-oriented leadership can look like.

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