Paul earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and a Master of Science degree in Clinical Psychology from Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky. He has worked as a clinician for 32 years in many direct care service roles, including as an outpatient therapist, a psychological examiner, a clinician in a physical rehabilitation hospital, a mobile crisis therapist, as a clinician in a correctional facility and as an adjunct psychology professor at Bay Path University.

Throughout his career, Paul has also served in a variety of executive roles including serving as the Division Director of Mobile Crisis Services for an 8-county area for Frontier Health, National Vice President of Residential Services for Camelot Schools, CEO of Tampa Bay Academy, CEO of Swift River Therapeutic Boarding School and Regional Director for Pacific Child and Family Services. Paul is currently Senior Vice President of Service Operations at the Brien Center.