Kris Kelly is a Project Manager with the Peer Recovery Center of Excellence and the Great Lakes Prevention, Addiction, and Mental Health Technology Transfer Centers. She works closely with behavioral health professionals and recovery community organizations to accelerate the adoption and implementation of evidence-based, promising, and recovery-oriented practices.
Kelly served as Executive Director and Director of Programs for Minnesota Recovery Connection (MRC), a recovery community organization (RCO) based in Minnesota. She has experienced developing and delivering peer-based recovery support services in treatment courts, withdrawal management/detoxification centers, clinical treatment facilities, and recovery high schools. Kelly has facilitated and developed curriculum for training and supervising Peer Recovery Specialists to provide recovery support services. She also served as a site project director for the Building Strength Through Mentorship pilot program (Faces and Voices of Recovery). MRC was one of four best-practice RCOs in the nation chosen for this work. Kelly provided in-person evaluation and consultation to evaluate, consult, review, and analyze the current structure of the organization to include governance, strategic planning, delivery of effective and quality services, best management practices, and sustainability. After the mentorship project was complete, the RCO mentee was granted membership to the Association of Recovery Community Organizations. Beyond the Building Strength Through Mentorship pilot, she continued to support and mentor emerging RCO’s throughout Minnesota, resulting in the establishment of 5 new RCO’s between 2016-2018.
In Kelly's tenure, MRC received re-accreditation from the Council on Accreditation of Peer Recovery Support Services (CAPRSS), which serves to identify and support excellence in the delivery of peer recovery support services.
Funding for this initiative was made possible by grant no. 1H79TI083022 from SAMHSA. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
