Michael Walsh takes helm as NAATP President/CEO

Appointment of Michael Walsh, MS, CAP as the fourth President/CEO of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP), the professional and advocacy organization serving the top management of leading addiction treatment providers, was announced in July by Kermit Dahlen, Chair of NAATP’s board of directors.

Walsh, who will move into NAATP’s top post in August, takes over from interim NAATP President/CEO Dennis Gilhousen, who returned to shepherd the organization after the brief tenure of Karen Carpenter-Palumbo. Carpenter-Palumbo served in the post for seven months before announcing her resignation in November 2011. She was named  President and CEO at Vanderheyden Hall (Albany, NY), a provider of child and family services in January 2012.

Walsh, who brings 20 years experience in the addiction services field, has most recently served as Director of Business Development for the Hanley Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, a CARON Treatment Center, since 2008. In 2004, Walsh founded and was CEO of Addiction Treatment Options, Inc., an addiction consulting and placement company, where he facilitated interventions for families and individuals. Previously, he worked as an associate of John Southworth Associates, Inc. where he provided case management and monitoring services, and as director of business development for Illuminata of Atlanta, Georgia.  

Walsh, who has lectured nationally and internationally, is a graduate of  Boston College, with a Masters degree in Substance Abuse Counseling from Nova Southeastern University. He is a Board Registered Interventionist and is CAP-certified. He holds professional memberships in NAATP, NAADAC, and the Association of Intervention Specialists.

“We are very pleased to bring somebody with Michael’s background and enthusiasm into our organization," said Dahlen. "We believe Michael will bring us the kind of leadership we need to lead us into our next decade of growth as the leading organization of treatment providers. He is well acquainted with our field and the recovery community, and is passionate about what we as providers do.”

Walsh commented, “I am honored and feel privileged to be named NAATP President. NAATP has been an integral part of my vision for our field and I am looking forward to the opportunities and challenges we face. I plan to use all of my available resources and call on the collective experience of our current and former Board members to lead NAATP in the fulfillment of its mission to provide leadership, advocacy, training and member support services that assure the continued availability and highest quality of addiction treatment to those we serve.”

For at least the foreseeable future, the principal office of NAATP will remain in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with all current staff remaining in their positions. Outgoing NAATP President/CEO Dennis Gilhousen will remain for a yet-to-be-determined period of time to help assure a smooth transition of leadership.