Hope Happens Here: ATS Marks Five Decades of Recovery Support

In 2025 Addiction Treatment Services celebrated 50 years of service in northern Michigan. Founded in 1975 out of small halfway houses, ATS has grown into the region’s largest specialized provider of addiction treatment with 11 properties, 76 staff members and services spanning withdrawal management, residential care, recovery homes, outpatient support and community outreach.

CEO Paula Lipinski reflects on the evolution of care and the reduction in stigma around addiction over the decades, noting that ATS serves roughly 1,500 clients annually and has impacted tens of thousands of lives. Much of its work remains supported by Medicaid, though the agency is looking ahead to diversify funding sources.

A major organizational shift underway includes temporarily closing several recovery homes in preparation for a consolidated campus that can continue advancing quality care. Through all changes, ATS remains rooted in its mission that “Hope Happens Here.”