The Team

Catherine is the President of the Board of IntNSA South Africa. Catherine has deep experience pioneering work with key populations and vulnerable/hard to reach groups. Catherine centres human rights-based frameworks like strengths-based counselling, motivational interviewing, de-escalation of challenging behaviour, DBT and trauma therapy in her work, and advocates for social change as an intersectional feminist. Catherine has worked across the full continuum of care in addiction- from primary care to street-based mobile services. Catherine has a private practice providing continuing care and harm reduction to clients with alcohol and substance use disorders, dual diagnoses and trauma, and sees adult clients affected as children by these mental health issues in their family. Catherine also innovates community mental health policy, training and service provision at festivals that includes harm reduction interventions, management of challenging behaviour and psychiatric emergencies, and crisis care for sexual & gender-based violence. She is a board member of HRSA (Harm Reduction South Africa). Catherine is collaborating with a multi-disciplinary team to increase patient access to Ketamine-assisted Therapy and is a founding member of PHATISA (the Psychedelic Therapy Initiative of South Africa).

Catherine Williams

  • Registered Nurse (General, Psychiatry, Community Health), Registered Midwife
  • PG Dip in Addiction (UCT)
  • Studio III certified trainer
  • Trauma Therapy Professional (Spirit2Spirit Certified)

Linda is the Vice President of IntNSA, a member of SPNP Gauteng, (Society for Private Nurse Practitioners) and a member of MPPNP, (Mpumalanga Private Nurse Professionals). She worked for many years in Emergency Medicine at the Johannesburg Hospital where she was Unit Manager of the Trauma ICU Unit. She has worked in Operating Theatre as an Anaesthetic Nurse and has been involved with Clinical Research for Rare Diseases. Her interest in addiction developed through personal experiences with friends suffering from drug and alcohol addiction. Besides running a small private nursing practice, Linda now runs a Wellness Centre near the Kruger National Park, where she takes a holistic approach to disease by encouraging the spiritual, mental and physical aspects of health instead of concentrating only on the disease process. Linda’s practice encompasses both harm reduction and abstinence approaches to mental health and addiction.

Linda Smuts

  • Registered Nurse
  • Dip. ICU

Zuzana is the Treasurer of IntNSA South Africa. Zuzana has worked in the field of learning disability, disability and autism for over 20 years as a volunteer, au-pair, carer, nurse, manager, mentor, teacher, university lecturer and researcher. Her passion is to work with individuals, their families and everyone involved in their care from person centred holistic health and social care perspectives whilst adhering to the person with disabilities’ rights, wishes and aspirations. She has specialised in communication, training, challenging behaviour and day-to-day living in order to improve people’s quality of life and level of independence. Qualifications include BSc in Intellectual disability nursing, PhD in Autism, Special needs classroom assistant and certificates as a trainer in Autism and Studio 3 and various communication systems and sensory processing. Memberships include Autism Trainers, Learning Disability network (UK), Autism Connect, International Advisory Board for Learning Disability Practice (Royal College of Nursing Publications, UK), registered nurse with Nursing and Midwifery Council (UK) and reviewer for British Journal of Learning Disabilities (UK) and African Journal of Disability (SA). In the South African Addiction context Zuzana’s work applies to prevention and care for FAS affected adults and children, and the application of disability work in addiction treatment/rehabilitation, dual diagnosis, nursing care and behaviour change. Zuzana’s strong advocacy and family support experience will drive community- based social initiatives.

Dr Zuzana Matousova-Done

  • Registered Nurse Learning Disabilities
  • PGDip Research
  • PhD, BSC (Hons)
  • Studio III certified trainer

Susan is the Chapter Secretary. Susan began her career in health 20 years ago as a certified Aromatherapist, and then worked her way up from Nursing Auxiliary, to Enrolled Nurse and then qualifying as a Registered Professional Nurse (2013) and Registered Midwife (Cum Laude, 2016). She has recently specialised in Health Service Management (Stellenbosch University, 2019). Both as a student and as a graduate Susan has received multiple awards. Her extensive experience in neonatal critical care is aligned with her passion for patient centred care for women and babies, with a particular focus on babies born with dependence, or health issues, due to maternal alcohol or substance use disorders. Susan is committed to nursing practice which is evidence-based, family centred, and compassionate. Susan has mentored many nurses over her career. Susan wants to address critical maternal and child health issues in the South African context which has a devastating history of disordered alcohol and substance use linked to broader social drivers which still affect health outcomes today.

Susan Davison

  • Registered Nurse (General), Registered Midwife
  • PG Dip HSM (Stellenbosch University)
  • Certified Aromatherapist