Daniela Collins is a qualified First Level Mental Health Nurse, Manager and an Educator and is a Teaching Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, London. Daniela joined Middlesex University in 2004 as a Senior Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing and has been involved in health and social care professional education and training since 1998, supporting workforce development in health and social care, mainly the NHS, local authority, primary care and charity originations.
Daniela has a combined twenty-eight-year experience of health care provision and service and staff management. She has specialised and worked in mental health, psychological health and substance misuse services. Daniela completed an MSc in Mental Health at the Medical School, King’s College London in 2004, and is a qualified Corporate and Executive Coach with the Coaching Academy London. Daniela is an active faculty mentor for staff and is currently working towards completing a PhD.
Daniela solely developed and leads the MSc Mental Health Health and Substance Use by distance education, the only master programme of its kind in the UK and is currently supervising master students.
Daniela’s research interests include public health, Diet, nutrition and the prevention of excess weight gain and obesity, digital health and technology enhanced learning.
Daniela is an active member of the Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, the university wellbeing and digital committees. Daniela is a president-elect for the International Nurses Society on Addictions (IntNSA) UK Chapter and represents peers at the NHS Leadership Academy, the NHS Women’s Leadership Forum for London.
Daniela has several awards for excellence in practice. She was elected by faculty and was awarded the Middlesex University Teaching Fellowship in 2015, for an outstanding personal excellence in teaching and supporting learning.
Native or Bilingual Proficiency: English, Macedonian, Serbian, Croation
- Public Health, Diet, Nutrition and the prevention of excess weight gain and obesity
- Leadership in Digital Health
- Technology Enhanced Learning
- Successful Mentoring and Coaching others
- Comorbidity of Mental Health and Substance Use
May 2017 - Present International Journal for Students as Partners (IJSaP) Role: Peer Manuscript reviewer
Sept 2014 - Present Journal of Mental Health Training, Education & Practice Role: Peer Manuscript reviewer
Sept 2014 – Present Journal of Advances in Dual Diagnosis Role: Peer Manuscript reviewer
Sept 2010 – Present Journal of Drugs, Education and Prevention & Policy Role: Peer Manuscript reviewer
June 2016 - Present Middlesex University School of Health Research Committee Role: Ethics Committee Reviewer
Collins D.A. (2016) Neuroscience of Addiction: Understand the Addicted Employee. Recovery Plus Workplace Wellbeing Conference, 03.11.2016. The Royal Horseguards, One Whitehall, London, UK http://events.recoveryplusdb.com/recovery-plus-in-the-workplace/
Collins D. A. and Dadzie L. (2016) Leadership and Compassion in a Postgraduate Leadership Training Course. IENE4. Conference: 'Promoting Culturally Competent and Compassionate Leadership for Nurses and Other Health Professionals' Conference Poster 27.07.2016 - London, UK Project URL: http://www.ieneproject.eu
Public Health England, Health and Wellbeing Directorate (Alcohol, Drugs and Tobacco Division), the RCN, Addaction and ANSA (2017) The role of addiction specialist nurses in recovery orientated treatment systems - National Guidance’ (Publication expected by Department of Health in 2017)
Sept 2014 - Present: Doctoral research: Leadership (ongoing research project)
Collins, A.D. (2014) Seminar on International Dimensions of Addiction. Drug & Alcohol Research Centre Middlesex University London 29.05.2014. London: DARC
Odro, A.B. , Dadzie, LK, Collins, D., Lodoiska, R., Ryan, P, (2014) Evidence of MH Promotion Criteria in the BSc MH Nursing prog. Journal of MH Training, Education and Practice. Vol 9. Issue 3.
Collins, A. D., Clancy C., Cajada L. (2014). Spotlight on lack of substance misuse training. Oral presentation on the 17.10.2014. International Nurses Society on Addictions 38th Annual Educational Conference, Washington DC, USA
Hafford-Letchfield T, Carney C., Macdonal A., Colins A.D., Clancy C and So, T. (2014) Ways of seeing: using filmmaking to engage students with communities. Enter Mental Health Annual Symposium, 17-19 June 2014, Barcelona Spain.
Collins, A. D., Clancy C., Cajada L. (2014). Spotlight on lack of substance misuse training. Research and Advances in Psychiatry. Vol. 1 (No. 1 Suppl.) Supplement on Novel Psychoactive Substances. 2014 January - March, Congress Report, 9 - 56. pp.15
Collins, A. D., Clancy C., Cajada L. (2014). Spotlight on lack of substance misuse training. Oral presentation on the 15.05.2014 European Commission/EMCDDA, 3nd International Conference on Novel Psychoactive Substances. Rome, Italy.
Jan 2014 - 15 Project Global Classroom in Addictions USA, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil & Middlesex University
Collins, A. D., Clancy C., Cajada L., Foley L. (2013). Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPSs): Challenges ad implications for Public Health. Current Drug Abuse Reviews Volume 6, No. 4, pp.28
Collins, A. D., Clancy C., Cajada L., Foley L. (2013). Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPSs): Challenges ad implications for Public Health. European Commission/EMCDDA, 2nd International Conference on Novel Psychoactive Substances. Swansea, Wales, UK
Holmes, K., Collins D.A., Homshaw J., Ryan, P. (2013) Peer Support Workers in Mental Health Acute Services. London: Enfield Mental Health User Group
Angela Claire Newton, Anne Beales, Daniela Collins, Thurstine Basset, (2013) "Service User Leadership: training and development for service users to take the lead", Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice, The, Vol. 8 Iss: 3. http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=17092887
Sep 2013 - 2014 Research project: Compassion and Education an integrative review project, Middlesex University London
Albert B. Odro, Lawrence K. Dadzie, Daniela A. Collins, Roland Lodoiska, Peter Ryan (2012) Mental HealthNursing and Mental Health promotion: A UK case example. Socialno delo 51(5).
2011 – 2012 EU Funded Project PROMISE (Promoting Mental Health, Minimising Mental Illness & Integrating through Education) Lead Prof. Peter Ryan.
2011 - BSc Nursing Mental Health (Hons) 2.1 ~ Title of BSc thesis: ‘Mental Health Service user involvement in nurse education’ ~ Grade: Distinction
Holmshaw J., Collins D. Lynski J., Sartori P., Robisnon P and Crosby K. (2009) Support for students with Mental Health difficulties in Higher Education. CETL/ Birmingham CEIMH: Showcasing User and Carer Involvement in Education and Practice Birmingham University; 10th Nov 2009.
Crosby, K., Holmshaw, J., Collins, A.D., Lynch, C. and Johnson, P. (2009) ‘Involving service users in teaching and assessment on the pre-registration mental health nurse programme’. London: Middlesex University Annual Teaching Conference, June 2009
Collins D, Lynch C and Holmshaw J. (2008) Service user involvement in teaching & assessing in BSc Nursing. Middlesex University Annual Teaching and Learning Conference, London. 1st July 2008
2008 – 2009 HEFCE funded project: Support for students with Mental Health difficulties in HE. Mental Health & Social Work CETL, Middlesex University London
2007 – 2009 PGCHE Teaching (two year programme) Middlesex University London; ~ Title of one-year PGCHE research project: ’Blended and e-learning support for nursing students with disability’. Research supervisor: Professor, Judith Hardy, Middlesex University, London
2006 - 2007 Alcohol Treatment Services: How can the effective involvement of service users be developed? Project Lead Dr David Mark Ball, IoP and SLAM NHS
2004 - MSc Mental Health Studies Kings College London (Medical School) ~ Title of MSc thesis 2: ‘Elder patient’s sexual health in an inner London MH Hospital’ ~ Grade: Distinction; MSc Research supervisor: Professor Tom KJ Craig (MBBS PhD FRCPsych), The Institute of Psychiatry, London.
2003 - 2004 Treatment outcomes for patients with substance misuse, CNWL MH NHS Trust and Imperial College London. Substance Misuse Conference July 2004, London (in-house conference)
2003 - MSc Mental Health Studies Kings College London (Medical School) ~ Title of MSc thesis 1: ‘A one-year psychotherapy treatment of a depressed patient’ ~ Grade: Distinction
May 2016 - Bespoke Leadership Development Programme: Clients: HENWL and WLMHT MH NHS Trust: A one-year project to build workforce capacity. My role: Lead Bid writer and manager including governance of the bid.
April 2016 - Assessment & Intervention in Mental Health Crisis module (20c L6 & L7 ); Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
January 2016 - Practice Development Unit (PDU) Project for the WLMHT Forensic Services to NHS quality service improvement.
February 2016 - CPD study days Physical Health Assessment skills for HCAs (Bespoke project): WLMHT MH NHS Trust.
September 2015 - BEH MH NHS Trust: ~ Health Coaching Project part of the Trust's Enablement Project
September 2015 - BEH MH NHS Trust: ~ Interprofessional Dual Diagnosis Forum jointly run quarterly with the Dual Diagnosis service lead from BEH MH NHS Trust.
August 2015 - CNWL NHS Foundation Trust - Motivational Interviewing (CPD Bespoke programme)
2013-14 - World Health Organisation Europe: ~ Trainer the Trainer Mental Health, Turkey
2012-13 - Enfield Mental Health User Group and BEH MH NHS Trust: ~ Peer Support Worker in Acute wards project.
Membership of Professional and Learned Societies
Daniela is an active member of leading professional societies, such as The Royal College of Nursing, London and the NHS Leadership Academy's Women's Leadership Network for London. She is an active member of the Higher Education Academy, The Mental Health Nurse Academics UK Network and at the National Association of Educators in Practice (UK).
Daniela is a qualified professional performance coach and is an active member of The Coaching Academy, London and the International Coach Federation (ICF) and in the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC). Daniela has supported staff and students in her role as a faculty mentor and coach. Daniela is also a European Erasmus Nursing Mentor and co-lead the launch of the Mentors in Nursing in Europe (MINE) Network with fellow nursing mentors across the European Union.
Daniela holds executive board roles at the digital and media committee at Middlesex University and the wellbeing committee. Daniela is passionate about public health and alcohol and drug research and is an active member of the Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (DARC) and nationally with her work in the Association of Nurses in Substance Abuse (ANSA) highlighting the unique role of nurses in addiction treatments across the UK and worldwide.