Upon graduating, Kelly began working with Thresholds as a Community Support Specialist with their Community Support Team on the southeast and southwest sides of Chicago. In this role, Kelly provided case management services in those communities to individuals experiencing severe and persistent mental illness. After obtaining licensure, Kelly transitioned to clinical roles at Linden Oaks Hospital. While at Linden Oaks, Kelly helped lead the Discoveries Self-Injury Program, a DBT-based program providing IOP and PHP services to adolescents struggling with self-injury. Kelly also helped create the Behavioral Health Navigation program, an integrated initiative between Linden Oaks, Edward-Elmhurst Health (now Endeavor Health), and Dupage Medical Group (now Duly). Kelly also served as Crisis and Intake Clinician with the Assessment and Referral Center (ARC) at Linden Oaks and Edward Hospital. While at Linden Oaks, Kelly obtained her clinical licensure. 

Kelly transitioned back to community mental health by serving as a Case Therapist with Northwestern Medicine’s Ben Gordon Center. Kelly provided clinical and case management services in the rural communities of DeKalb County to adults struggling with mental health and substance use. In 2019, Kelly created Seton Creek Consulting as a means to transition into private practice. Kelly worked as an independent contractor with a private practice in Illinois – Oswego Wellness | Plainfield Wellness. There, Kelly contracted as a clinician as well as the Clinical Director. As Clinical Director, Kelly supervised clinical interns & provisionally-licensed therapists, founded an IDFPR-licensed CEU program, and spearheaded community outreach initiatives with local school districts and organizations. Kelly transitioned to practicing under Seton Creek Consulting fully in 2024.