Kelli Gast received her BA from Concordia College, with a major in Social Work and a minor in Psychology. She received her MSW from the University of Minnesota in 2005. She has worked in the Fargo-Moorhead community since then in several capacities, including doing professional home-based services, children’s day treatment, and outpatient services. She is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in Minnesota and holds a certificate in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health from the University of Minnesota (2013).

In 2009, Ms. Gast joined Solutions, where she has directed early intervention services, including the management of several grants focused on children’s services. She has been trained/certified in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, Child Parent Psychotherapy, Incredible Years Child, Parent and Teacher programs, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and Trauma Informed Care.

Ms. Gast likes diversity in her job, and works with clients ranging from infancy to adults, as well as teachers and childcare staff. She is committed to helping children with trauma backgrounds and behavioral difficulties. She also enjoys her work with community leaders for program development.

Seeing families change the cycle of abuse and learn new ways to support the children so that they can have safe, healthy caregivers is a driving value for Ms. Gast. She works to bring compassion and understanding to her work, and as a parent to three children herself, understands how difficult parenting can be. In her off time Ms. Gast is on the advisory board for the Social Work program at Concordia as well as an Adjunct Professor in the Social Work department. She coaches her sons’ soccer teams, and enjoys watching hockey, going to sporting events, and reading.