MELANIE DECKER Mesa, AZ 85206 (480) 643-9812 PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

md15e07dc@westpost.net

Social Services professional with 10 years diversified experience in the managed care and health care industry. Successfully able to case manage clients from a variety of backgrounds and circumstances as well as those recovering from co-occ urring disorders, homelessness and other socio-economic challenges. Dedicated to provide immediate and sustainable assistance to individuals and families to ach ieve self-sufficiency and independence. SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS * Case Management * Assessment/Treatment Planning * Community/Public Relations * Provider Relationship Management * Program Coordination * Crisis Intervention/Counseling * Coordination of care across all facets of service delivery system * Identification and brokering of appropriate cost-effective services/ Servi ce Authorization * Collaboration with interdisciplinary team to ensure clients needs are being me t * Monitoring and reassessing ongoing treatment * Job and Career Placement * Education Counselor * Public Speaking/Presentations PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE University of Phoenix/Apollo Group, Inc. Academic Counselor 2010-2011 Phoenix, AZ

Provided academic advisement and management for all new and continuing students throughout their academic program while serving as a liaison between students an d the University, with regard to University policies and procedures. *Advised over 450 students, providing them with information on school policy wit h respect to admissions, degree options, requirements and progress. * Played a lead role in communicating and advising students who have academic or attendance problems to ensure resolution toward corrective action * Audited student schedules for candidacy for graduation, as determined by unive rsity policy, and provide related information to appropriate campus personnel as requested * Counseled students on financial options and on the impact of enrollment status in regards to financial options and obligations and develop remediation plans w here appropriate * Monitored attendance, academic and enrollment progress of students to ensure that students comply with University policies and procedures; maintained case fi le documentation and tracking * Played a lead role with student re-entry efforts to increase enrollment and re tention by performing duties which may include generating and analyzing reports to capture pertinent information, contacting students Concerned Citizens for Community Health Job Preparation Specialist Scottsdale, AZ 2009-2010

*Provide Intensive Case Management to Helping the Working Poor clients in order to promote self-sufficiency by providing career assessment and exploration, job

preparation services, tuition assistance, financial education workshops, identif ication and resolution of immediate barriers that impede success in client goals *Conducted Job Preparation ongoing workshops to Career Center participants *Coordinated Job Fair for Community Center with over 21 companies in attendance United Health Care/Evercare Long Term Care Case Manager Phoenix, AZ 2005-2008

*Case managed Long Term Care members belonging to a managed health care organiza tion working with interdisciplinary team to provide medically necessary, cost-ef fective services to members *Service planning, brokering of services, case file documentation in accordance to County and company policies *Caseload consisted of members in the following settings: home and community bas ed, assisted living, nursing homes *Trouble shoot issues with claims, interacted internally member services, third party billing, utilization management, provider relations departments to provide the best customer service and cost-effective services for clients *Developed, modified and reviewed member service plans and goals as necessary ba sed on changes in status *Required ability to directly and effectively deal with a wide variety of confli cts *Working understanding of local, regional and federal regulations that relate to long-term care industry and managed care programs Mercy Care Phoenix, AZ Long Term Care Case Manager 2000-2005

*Worked with Managed Care Health Plan to ensure that appropriate, cost-effective , medically related social and behavioral services were identified, planned and obtained for Arizona Long Term Care members *Acted as a liaison for hospital discharge planning staff, Mercy Care Concurrent Review and Prior Authorization Nurses, Skilled Nursing Facility Social Workers, Directors of Nursing and Administrators to provide continuum of service options that supported the members' medical, social and psychological needs *Maintained case documentation in adherence to organizational documentation guid elines *Service Authorization submission ABS of Arizona Clinical Care Coordinator and Case Manager Phoenix, AZ 1998-2000

*Provided clinical and program consultation services to Clinical Teams of SMI ad ult members *Monitored treatment and crisis plans for priority and high risk populations *Provided leadership, clinical oversight and support to team members in the deve lopment of Individual Service Plans and in the management of complaints and appe als process *Provided system intervention when obstacles impeded service delivery *Used skills in crisis intervention, worked with families, interfaced with human services systems, was involved in community outreach and client assessment and referral EDUCATION Masters of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling University of South Alabama March, 1995

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology University of South Alabama March, 1993