Melissa has been a Social Worker for over 30 years, predominantly working in health care. As a Senior Social Worker at Gold Coast Hospital for 10 years, she developed specialist skills in oncology and palliative care and established the Palliative Care Social Work role. She was the Director of Social Work at Wide Bay HHS (Fraser Coast) for 10 years and has specialist skills in healthcare leadership and working with people with disability and in sub-acute care. Most recently, Melissa has worked for an Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander primary healthcare service establishing their Social & Emotional Wellbeing Program.

In 2018 Melissa achieved a Master of Science (Research) at USQ with a phenomenological study of younger people with a disability living in residential aged care services.

Melissa was a founding member of the Fraser Coast Domestic and Family Violence Alliance and co-ordinates the Fraser Coast Social Work Network. Her areas of interest include social work supervision, working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and research.