Research Supervisor:

Ronald Addinall 

Brief Biography:
It is a great honour and privilege to be registered as a student at the University of Cape Town, undertaking my Master’s in Clinical Social Work.
I began my professional career in the Non-Government Sector, initially working in child protection, followed by substance rehabilitative services. My tenure in substance rehabilitation sparked a profound interest in the holistic treatment of substance abuse, propelling me to seek further knowledge. Consequently, I earned a Post-Graduate Diploma in Addictions Care from the University of Cape Town, offered through the Department of Psychiatry. The insights gained were invaluable, as my undergraduate studies lacked clinical training. Completing the PG-Dip enabled me to secure a position with the Western Cape Department of Health as a social worker. I was stationed at the William Slater Step-up/Step-down facility, an affiliate of Valkenberg Hospital. There, I cultivated a deep interest in mental health treatment and the pivotal role of allied health social workers in providing comprehensive care to service users. My primary responsibility was the supportive treatment of patients with dual diagnoses and facilitating their reintegration into their respective communities.

After two years at William Slater, budget constraints necessitated the relocation of the program to Valkenberg Hospital. The clinical team, led by the head of Psychiatry, determined that the move warranted a program redesign. I actively participated in the overhaul of the William Slater Program, which was subsequently renamed Ithemba House. Although the redesign process was arduous, it proved immensely rewarding upon the program’s launch.
Following the successful inauguration of Ithemba House, my dedication to Valkenberg Hospital and patient care did not go unnoticed. I was invited to join a newly established acute treatment team, tasked with mitigating the significant bed pressure within the mental health care service. This opportunity marked another milestone in my social work career, allowing me to engage directly with acutely ill service users.
As an acute mental health social worker, I thrived under intense pressure and forged robust professional relationships with allied health professionals and psychiatrists. Nevertheless, I yearned to contribute more significantly, feeling constrained in my capacity to assist at the micro and mezzo levels. This led me to explore macro-level interventions aimed at systemic change.
After two and a half years in this role, I ascended to the position of executive manager at Valkenberg Hospital, overseeing quality and risk management. In this capacity, I championed sustainable changes for service users, leveraging my clinical expertise to advocate for enhanced services. My tenure in this role, spanning four years, revealed a pronounced aptitude for macro-oriented work, effecting change on a broader scale than individual interventions could achieve.
With a cumulative eight years in mental health and psychiatry, I decided to venture beyond my comfort zone. My aspiration for change and personal development culminated in a promotion to executive manager at Groote Schuur Hospital, where I now lead the Safety, Health Environment, Risk, Quality (SHERQ) divisions. I attribute my appointment to this traditionally medically held role to my unique social work identity and empathetic approach to service user care. My consistent focus has been on enhancing patient services, a commitment that has been recognized throughout my professional journey.
Although my current role does not involve clinical practice, I chose to pursue a clinical master’s degree, as social work is integral to my identity. This decision was partly self-motivated, acknowledging how my social work experience has broadened my perspective on assistance. I am eager to see how the clinical master’s program will further shift my approach for the benefit of service users across micro, mezzo, and macro levels.
My dissertation draws inspiration from my professional trajectory, recognizing clinical social work as an underappreciated and underutilized resource that could address many of our current healthcare challenges, particularly as it intersects with social issues. I approached my dissertation with the same macro perspective that has guided me in the past, striving to elevate the profile of clinical social work within our healthcare system and expand public service users’ access to this vital profession, historically associated with the private sector.
When I embarked on this journey, my goal was to aid those who may have felt hopeless. Along the way, I discovered that my impact could extend beyond individual lives to systemic changes that benefit many. “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another” – Charles Dickens.

Title of Dissertation:

The utility of Clinical Social Workers in Mental Healthcare services at primary health care level: Perceptions of key stakeholders.