Kelly Hughes, LLMSW

Kelly is a clinically limited licensed social worker with the State of Michigan. She completed her undergraduate degree in health administration management through Independence University Online, and also holds a graduate degree in social work from Spring Arbor University. She has more than 20 years of experience in the health and human services work field.

Prior to beginning her work in behavioral health, Kelly worked as and continues to work as a treatment foster care clinical case manager, providing in-home and community-based clinical support to foster youth who struggle to maintain stable placements as a result of their trauma history, and emotional and behavioral needs. Prior to that role, Kelly spent more than 20 years advocating and supporting individuals and their families through in-home and community-based living for individuals with physical and developmental disabilities. Kelly’s employment background provided her with skills in the areas of case planning, treatment planning, safety planning, crisis management and advocacy for a diverse population.

Kelly enjoys meeting clients where they are and work beside them down their road of healing, helping them get where they want to be in a nonjudgmental way.
Kelly has worked with a diverse population, including people experiencing homelessness, substance use disorders, mental health disorders, developmental disabilities, trauma and grief. Kelly has recently started working in the behavioral health field and brings a passion to work with her clients as they move to heal from whatever circumstances they may be experiencing with a new perspective.

Kelly is trained in motivational interviewing (MI), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness. She is also trained in applied suicide intervention skills training (ASIST), an evidence-based training to prevent suicide by recognizing signs, providing skilled intervention, and developing a safety plan to keep someone alive. Kelly recently completed a training to become an adoption-competent therapist to work with the adoptee, adoptive parents and biological parents who are planning for an adoption, in the middle of an adoption, or have completed an adoption.

Kelly believes our life experiences make us who we are and thinks they are not something to fear; rather, she believes in engaging them and letting them help us be exactly who we are meant to be.

Kelly has lived in Northern Michigan her entire life and enjoys the many beautiful sights that Northern Michigan has to offer.