Melinda is a board-certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner trained in diagnosing and treating mental health disorders across the age spectrum. She was born in rural Montana and after serving in the military traveling the world, she returned to Eastern Montana to raise her family. With 28 years of experience in healthcare, she promotes whole person wellness through a combination of therapy and medication. Her passion is advocating for trauma informed care and mental health parity. She has practiced in both the inpatient and outpatient clinical settings. Her specialties include medication assisted treatment for recovery from substance use, emergency psychiatry, and psychotropic medication management for treatment of depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and PTSD. She was recognized in 2017 as the Montana Nurses Association’s Excellence for APRN of the Year. Her graduate degree was awarded by Montana State University where she is currently working on her Doctor of Nursing Practice and Nursing Education Certification.