Michele Lovehaug received her bachelor of arts degree from Concordia College in 1997 in both social work and Spanish. She went on to complete her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Minnesota in 1999. Ms. Lovehaug is a Licensed Independent Social Worker in both North Dakota and Minnesota. She is also a Board Certified Diplomate in Clinical Social Work.
I am dedicated to working with individuals and families by supporting hope and growth through a family systems perspective and trauma informed care. As a counselor, I focus on wellness and what we can do to help you feel hopeful as we begin to change your story. My work stems from an attachment, developmental, and systems lens and how they impact functioning throughout one’s life. I find encouragement in working together to build from your personal strengths and resilience to help you heal and feel more connected to your environment and relationships.
I was both a Child Welfare Scholar and a NCWWI scholar during the MSW program at UMD. I have been working in the front lines as a child protection case manager for the last 10 years, 6 of those being in tribal welfare. I have spent the majority of my professional career working with Indigenous families and communities while following and implementing the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and the Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act (MIFPA). Additionally, I have been training with UMD’s Tribal Training and Certification Partnership (TTCP) since November 2021.
I currently am a County Social Worker with Rice County Social Services providing children’s services in the areas of Child Protection, Child Welfare and the Parent Support Outreach Program. I have previously worked in the area of family reunification and adoption providing families with Family Group Services in Blue Earth, Nicollet, Sibley, Brown and Watonwan counties. Prior to that I have several years’ experience doing In-home Family Therapy and skills work. Many of the children I work with struggle with permanency and adoption issues.
Julie Jong Koch, MSW, LICSW, is a licensed independent clinical social worker and psychotherapist at Watercourse Counseling Center in Minneapolis. She specializes in working with transracial adoptees, POCI (People of color/Indigenous people), queer & trans individuals, as well as others who have experienced individual or community trauma or marginalization. She integrates her professional training and therapeutic skills with her lived experience as a queer-identified Korean adoptee.
Brandon is committed to the restoration and improvement of familial relationships and committed to generational change in families. Brandon feels very strongly about working with individuals and families whatever their current situation may be and working with them to establish positive changes that will positively affect generations to come in their families.
I hold an AS, BSW, MA, and have advocated for children as a Guardian Ad Litem since 1997. A background in Early Childhood Education, Bachelors Degree in Social Work and a Masters Degree in Forensic Mental Health. I pursued a degree in Forensic Mental Health because of personal experience working with children and adults with mental illness, many with adverse childhood experiences, including FASD and other neurobehavioral disorders resulting in out of home placements; foster care, adoption, disrupted adoptions, child protection, or involvement in the criminal justice system.
I have five years of experience as a county agency child welfare social worker and will be in law school starting August 2023. Eventually I hope to help families with the legal issues surrounding permanency once I become a practicing attorney.
I am a county social work supervisor who specializes in ongoing Child Protection. I work in both individual and group settings to support workers in the community and parents interacting with the Child Welfare system. Each family system brings with their own strengths and areas to grow; it’s my work to walk alongside workers and families through their Child Protection journey. Ensuring that it is a respectful and uplifting experience.
Clinician is an intensive treatment in foster care therapist spending part of time with foster families and part of time in office with children, teens, and adults. Clinician engages with a variety of issues including some specialization in the areas of adoption, trauma, TF-CBT, ARC, and ADHD.
Address:
Ellie Mental Health
652 Bielenberg Drive
Woodbury, MN 55125