Ryan Ashley, LMSW, CAADC

Ryan Ashley, LMSW, CAADC

Title: Substance Abuse Treatment Program Coordinator

Department: Social Work

Ryan Ashley joined UM-Flint in August 2015, and he  teaches SAT 202 Problems of Substance Abuse. He has 19 years of experience working in community mental health and providing mental health services and substance abuse treatment.

What I love about my field:

“While I did fieldwork, I really enjoyed the clients I worked with whether they were individuals, kids, or parents. Many of the clients I saw had very serious mental conditions. It was nice to see their progress over time. Some of them would talk to me later about how much they had changed.”

What I would like my students to know about the social work field:

“As social workers and counselors, you have to think about the best interests of the client. Sometimes it’s not what they want, but if they’re not in a position to make their own decisions, you need to be able to make that decision and realize you did a good job by keeping them safe, even if they don’t appreciate it.”

Hobbies:

Downhill skiing