Project Turnabout CEO to Join State Policy Leader for MARATP Dinner

WILLMAR, Minn. — Project Turnabout is proud to announce that CEO Marti Paulson will join Nathaniel Dyess, policy director for Minnesota’s Office of Addiction and Recovery, for a special dinner discussion during the ninth annual Minnesota Alliance of Rural Addiction Treatment Programs Conference.

The dinner will begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4, at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Willmar.

Dyess will help attendees understand how H.R. 1 and upcoming Medicaid changes could affect access to substance use disorder treatment, provider reimbursement and continuity of care across Minnesota. He will also discuss how rural treatment providers can begin preparing for changes scheduled to take effect in 2027.

As policy director for the Office of Addiction and Recovery, Dyess works at the intersection of federal requirements, state policy and provider operations. He previously supervised the Minnesota Department of Human Services’ Substance Use Disorder Reform and Redesign Team, contributing to initiatives involving Minnesota’s Section 1115 substance use disorder waiver, Direct Access and implementation of American Society of Addiction Medicine standards.

His experience gives rural providers an important opportunity to learn how federal policy may translate into operational changes—and to ensure state leaders understand how those changes could affect rural programs and the people they serve.

Paulson, who also serves as president and is a founding member of MARATP, will bring the perspective of a longtime rural treatment leader to the conversation. She has served Project Turnabout since 2005, holding leadership roles in health care, admissions, external relations, operations and executive management.

In addition to leading Project Turnabout, Paulson serves on the boards of the Minnesota Rural Health Association and Minnesota Alliance on Problem Gambling. She is widely recognized for advocating for policies that protect access to addiction treatment, particularly in rural communities where distance, limited transportation and workforce shortages can make receiving care more difficult.

Together, Dyess and Paulson will connect emerging policy changes with their practical consequences for treatment providers, patients and rural communities. The discussion will also give participants an opportunity to consider how Minnesota can prepare for the changes ahead while protecting access to essential treatment services.

The dinner is part of the MARATP Conference, held Aug. 4-5 in Willmar. MARATP brings rural addiction treatment professionals together to share knowledge, strengthen services and ensure rural providers have a voice in state policy and legislation affecting treatment access.

Project Turnabout is sharing this opportunity with its professional and community partners because the decisions being discussed will directly affect addiction treatment throughout rural Minnesota—and because we are proud to see Paulson helping lead this important statewide conversation alongside Dyess. ://www.maratp.org/conference-registration.htmlhttps://www.maratp.org/conference-registration.htmlmaratp.org/conference-registration.html.