Chris Kelly is Assistant Head of Health and Justice for NHS England National Team, a post she has held since 1st April 2013.
Chris had a long career in the National Probation Service serving in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire (1988-2004) moving from a management position in Nottinghamshire Probation Area in 2004 to commission the Drug Interventions Programme (DIP) on behalf of Nottinghamshire Drug and Alcohol Action Team.
Whilst with this team, Chris worked with the Home Office to support the strategic development of this programme and led a nationally acclaimed programme in this area for Nottinghamshire.
During her tenure with Nottinghamshire Chris also worked with the University of Central Lancashire in the Centre for Ethnicity and Health leading on a short programme of work sponsored by the Home Office. This was to develop BME access to DIP services by training and supporting service users from BME communities to manage their own research and develop services fit for purpose across the country for those in the community and in custody.
She was also part of the working group run by the Home office on developing the Around Arrest Beyond Release suite of documents, offering national guidance for the delivery of engaging family and carers in supporting recovery, and was at the forefront of developing the recovery capitol agenda in respect of managing substance dependants to be better supported in their recovery.
Chris became the manager of the DAAT in Nottinghamshire and then in 2009 moved to a Deputy Director position in CRI, a provider organisation delivering substance misuse services in both community and custodial settings.
In 2011 Chris led the Drug and Alcohol Action Team in Worcestershire and left there when she took up her position with NHS England.
Recently Chris completed a 6 month secondment to support the direct commissioning of community substance misuse services for Northumberland working for Northumberland County Council in the Public Health directorate.
