Dr. Michelle Janse Van Rensburg

Michelle Janse Van Rensburg is a South African researcher whose work centres on community-oriented primary health care, substance use treatment, and care coordination in vulnerable populations. Her scholarship is closely linked to initiatives in Tshwane, particularly the Community Oriented Substance Use Programme, where she contributes to evidence-based harm reduction and service innovation.

Her publications highlight opioid substitution therapy, retention in treatment, methadone use during crisis contexts, and the mental health needs of homeless and street-based populations. She combines qualitative and quantitative approaches to examine barriers to care, person-centred service delivery, and the social determinants shaping recovery, with emphasis on practical tools such as ICF-informed assessments.

In addition, her research engages occupational therapy, spirituality in practice, community health worker education, and hospital–home care coordination. Across these themes, her work advances integrated, context-responsive models of care that strengthen interprofessional collaboration and improve access for marginalised communities in South Africa.