Melody KAMBA
Maple Grove,MN
Summary
Client services professional with over 6600 hours of experience in healthcare and mental health support. Skilled in resolving grievances and simplifying complex service information for clients. Maintains high standards of documentation and compliance in case management. Quick learner of new systems, adept at working independently in fast-paced remote environments, with a strong commitment to accessible mental health care.
Overview
1
1
Certification
5
5
years of professional experience
Work History
Writer
Independent
Remote
01.2025 - Current
- Publish essays on mental health, recovery, and lived experience to a growing readership; publication has reached Substack's Rising Literature category.
- Publications in Mad in America, Elegant Literature, and Tadpole Press, writing for audiences navigating chronic mental illness and the systems that serve them.
- Translate clinical and systemic complexity into plain, accessible language for non-specialist readers.
- Manage all operations independently — editorial calendar, publishing platform, subscriber communication, and audience response — in a fully remote, self-directed environment.
Targeted Case Manager
Mental Health Resources
St. Paul, MN
03.2026 - 06.2026
- Carried a caseload of 24 adults with serious mental illness, coordinating services across providers, county systems, and community resources.
- Completed and maintained DHS-compliant documentation, service plans, and progress notes on required timelines[, including tracking billable service units and monitoring authorization renewals].
- Served as primary point of contact for clients navigating coverage questions, eligibility requirements, and service access — explaining complex system information clearly to people under stress.
- Resolved client concerns and grievances directly, de-escalating frustration and following through to resolution.
- Coordinated across interdisciplinary teams — clinicians, county workers, housing and medical providers — to keep care plans accurate and current.
- Maintained DHS-compliant documentation and service plans on required timelines, reviewing and signing off on billing documentation with supervisor oversight to ensure services were accurately captured for reimbursement.
ARMHS Practitioner
RESIDENTIAL TRANSITIONS INC
St. Paul , MN
01.2026 - 03.2026
- Delivered in-home rehabilitative skills training to adults with serious mental illness, covering symptom management, daily living, and community integration.
- Documented every session in EHR with the specificity required for service verification and continued authorization.
- Built individualized recovery goals with clients grounded in their own strengths and stated priorities.
- Worked autonomously in the field with minimal daily oversight, managing scheduling, travel, and documentation load independently.
- Documented every session in Procentive with the specificity required for service verification and continued authorization.
ACT/ SAT Tutor
Studypoint
Minneapolis, Minnesota
01.2025 - 03.2026
- Delivered 1:1 SAT/ACT instruction to 3 high school students, tailoring pacing, materials, and communication style for neurodivergent learners (ADHD, anxiety, learning disabilities); students improved scores by an average of 100 points.
- Tracked performance data across sessions in LessonSpace and used it to redirect study plans, keeping students and families oriented to measurable progress.
Lead Psychiatric Technician
UT Health Houston
Houston, Texas
10.2022 - 11.2024
- Provided direct care to 24 adults with SMI (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, and co-occurring SUD) on an acute psychiatric unit, conducting behavioral observations and psychiatric assessments to inform treatment planning.
- Utilized CPI de-escalation techniques to successfully resolve over 1,100 behavioral crisis interventions without physical restraint, averaging 2-3 crises per shift through therapeutic rapport-building and trauma-informed de-escalation strategies.
- Conducted suicide precaution and risk assessments, implementing collaborative safety planning under clinical supervision to enhance patient safety and crisis intervention.
- Collaborated with interdisciplinary teams to develop and implement treatment plans, documenting recovery progress and adjusting interventions to optimize individualized care.
- Facilitated CBT/DBT psycho-educational groups under clinical supervision, teaching distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and cognitive restructuring skills to enhance coping strategies for adults with acute psychiatric symptoms.
- Secured highest patient satisfaction scores facility-wide through person-centered engagement strategies, including bilingual support, therapeutic activities, and individualized crisis support.
Employment Consultant
Easterseals Greater Houston
Houston, TX
06.2021 - 08.2022
- Achieved a 100% competitive employment placement rate with a retention period of over 6 months through trauma-informed coaching, addressing barriers such as anxiety, stigma, and disclosure concerns.
- Delivered skills training in job readiness, interview preparation, workplace accommodations, ADA self-advocacy, and executive functioning strategies, enhancing participants' employability and confidence.
- Coordinated with interdisciplinary teams including case managers, families, vocational rehabilitation counselors, and medical providers to develop and implement tailored care plans for clients.
- Taught ADA Self-Advocacy and Rights courses, enabling 96% of students to achieve 'proficient' or 'advanced' on competency assessments.
- Provided 1:1 rehabilitative mental health support to youth and adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities and mental health diagnoses, fostering personal growth and skill development over 3-6 month service periods.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Ecology And Evolutionary Biology
Princeton University
New Jersey09-2021
Skills
- Procentive (EHR)
- Credible (EHR)
- Google Workspace
- Excel
- Slack
- Data privacy (HIPAA)
- Client grievance resolution
- Documentation & compliance
- Care coordination
- Crisis intervention & de-escalation Trauma-informed communication
- Active listening
- Interdisciplinary collaboration Conversational Spanish
- CPI trained
Certification
- CPI (Crisis Prevention Intervention) Trained
- HIPAA Privacy & Security Training
- Mandated Reporter Training
- Vulnerable Adults Act Training
Timeline
Targeted Case Manager
Mental Health Resources
03.2026 - 06.2026
ARMHS Practitioner
RESIDENTIAL TRANSITIONS INC
01.2026 - 03.2026
Writer
Independent
01.2025 - Current
ACT/ SAT Tutor
Studypoint
01.2025 - 03.2026
Lead Psychiatric Technician
UT Health Houston
10.2022 - 11.2024
Employment Consultant
Easterseals Greater Houston
06.2021 - 08.2022
Bachelor of Arts - Ecology And Evolutionary Biology
Princeton University