Melissa

Melissa is a Team Lead in Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) at YesAbility and joined the organisation in 2024. With a background spanning counselling, education, and justice settings, she brings extensive experience supporting people with complex needs, risk factors, and trauma histories across both community and institutional environments.

Her experience includes program facilitation and counselling in correctional and parole in-reach contexts, therapeutic community support within a women’s prison setting, and youth coordination roles in schools focused on engagement, wellbeing, and early identification of risk. This breadth of work has shaped a practical, systems-aware approach to behaviour support—one that considers the whole environment around a person and works closely with the people and services involved.

Melissa is known for building strong rapport quickly and bringing an energised, encouraging attitude to her work. She holds qualifications in counselling skills and community services, and is valued for thorough assessment, clear and respectful communication, and high-quality documentation. Melissa has a particular strength in translating complex information into straightforward, usable strategies that build confidence and capability across support networks.