Past Case Managers & Social Workers
Elizabeth Badskey, BSW, MSW 2015-2016
Elizabeth Badskey graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Social Work in spring of 2015. She is now working to complete her Master of Social Work with a concentration in Health Care. She began working at Avicenna in 2015 to develop a Case Management Program. In that program, Elizabeth works to connect patients with a wide variety of social services.
Elizabeth is thankful that Avicenna works to unite patient and provider in overcoming some of the social and economic divides within the medical system. She is grateful for the teamwork at Avicenna that works to create a cohesive system to promote healthy lifestyles with the wonderful patients at Avicenna.
Melissa Croft, BSW, MSW Candidate, Avicenna Case Manager
Melissa graduated in 2010 from Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, IN with a Bachelor's in Sociology. Melissa spent the following 4 1/2 years working as a Residential Treatment Counselor for children with emotional, behavioral and mental disorders. Returning to school in the fall of 2015, Melissa is currently pursuing her Masters of Social Work with a concentration in Health Care at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Melissa hopes to combine her experiences, education, and passion to work with youth with chronic illnesses and disabilities.
Melissa began as an Avicenna Case Manager in April 2016. She loves working directly with patients to connect them to the services and resources that can benefit them most. Melissa is grateful that Avicenna utilizes a systems approach to provide compassionate care for the whole person. She is truly honored to be part of the Avicenna team!
Melanie Sivley, Avicenna Social Worker, MSW, LSW
Melanie Sivley is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, having received her Masters in Social Work from University of Illinois in 2009. During her internship at the Pavilion Hospital and utilizing her military experience, she wrote and developed material for a 12-week group to reduce PTSD symptoms in returning veterans. She was able to recruit and facilitate a successful group called Victory for Veterans with returned veterans. After graduation she worked for Crosspoint Human Services as a SASS Specialist, an on-call crisis worker for children and adolescents experiencing severe psychiatric crises. During this time she also provided intensive, short-term counseling for children and adolescents along with their families.
As a therapist at Douglas County Mental Health Center, she worked with a wide range of clients for mental health issues including: depression, anxiety, adjustment disorders and clients with a dual diagnosis of mental health and substance abuse. She co-facilitated Thinking for a Change an integrated, cognitive behavior change program that includes cognitive restructuring, social skills development, and development of problem solving skills. She also facilitated an adolescent life skills training group focusing on a variety of topics including but not limited to family issues, anger, violence, conflict resolution and drugs and alcohol.
Melanie Sivley currently has a private practice in Urbana, working with adults, adolescents, couples and families. She specializes in treating depression, anxiety, addiction and recovery.
Brandie Bentley BSW, Case Management Mentor, UIUC MSW Candidate 2018
Brandie is an Advanced Standing MSW student at UIUC, with a focus in Mental Health. Ultimately, she would like to obtain her Ph.D. in Social Work and have influence in both her local community and the world of academia. Her research interests center on topics that impact mental health and well-being for racial-ethnic minority populations, with a specific focus on education, quality care, and access. She is a CSWE Minority Fellowship Program-Youth Fellow and enjoys spending her free time cooking new recipes!