Key Responsibilities
- Adhere to internationally recognized best
practices for evidence based psychological interventions and the
management of clients with mental health concerns. This includes ensuring
the confidentiality of clients and respecting their decisions.
- Establish a safe space to conduct private
and confidential sessions acceptable to those on the site and safely
accessible by women and children.
- Assess the client’s needs and presenting
complaints and develop a care plan with the client based on those needs,
including referrals to other services.
- Provide age-appropriate culturally
relevant individual and/or group psychological counselling for population
at risk including but not limited to survivors of torture, asylum seekers
and unaccompanied minors.
- Support the client(s) coping process and
mobilize their internal and external resources for processing utmost
adversity.
- Identify concerns related to and support
adherence to referral protocols and guiding principles.
- Maintain an effective working
relationship and regular communication with other mental health personnel
working on the same project.
- Maintain effective working relationships
with relevant collaborators including referral organizations community
groups and other implementing partners.
- Complete daily case reports and data
collection according to donor requirements.
- Collaborate with the rest of the team to
exchange information and ensure that refugees Programs are responding to
the evolving needs of the refugees.
- Attend regular supportive supervision
conducted by the Health Manager.
- Refer patients to other health
professionals whenever vital.
- Provide psycho-education sessions to the
family members of clients when needed.
Others
- Other duties as assigned by the
supervisor to enable and develop IRC programs.
- Participate in weekly team meetings.
Key Result Areas
Collaboration
- Participate in inter-agency working group
meetings (MHPSS TWG and persons with special needs)
- Respond to inter-Agency referrals.
Supervision
- Supervise mental health nurse and
clinical psychologist in the management of out-patient and in-patient
mental health patients.
- Coordinate community mental health and
psychosocial referral in collaboration with community health workers and
community psychosocial workers.
- In liaison with the health manager and
pharmacist, ensure there is enough supply of anti-psychotic drugs in the
health facilities.
- In conjunction with the health manager
develop proposals and budgets for mental health activities
- Follow the spending of the mental health
budget and ensure activities are on track.
Communication and Reporting
- Timely submission of data and reports
- Interagency communication for information
sharing
Capacity Building
- Conduct OJT sessions to mental health
nurse, assistants, community health promoters and other groups offering
services to beneficiaries.
- Conduct CME’S on mental health.
- Support primary health care staff in
integration of mental health in PHC through adaption of the MhGAP.
- Train community para-counsellors on GPM+
implementation
- Train staff and first responders on
Psychological First Aid
- Spearhead staff self-care sessions,
post-employment debriefing and capacity building staff on Critical
Incident Stress management.
Key Working Relationships
Position
Reports to : Health Manager and will receive additional
technical support from the MH Technical Advisor.
Minimum
Qualifications
- Minimum education requirement: a higher
diploma in mental health or psychology, or a degree in psychology.
Required Experience &
Competencies
- Minimum two-year professional experience
providing psychological interventions to refugee populations including but
not limited to survivors of torture.
- Knowledge of different culturally
relevant therapeutic techniques.
- Experience conducting assessments, using
screening tools and creating individual care plans for clients seeking
mental health services.
- INGO experience preferred.
- Knowledge of the Inter-Agency Standing
Committee (IASC) MHPSS in emergencies guidelines;
- Demonstrated understanding of and ability
to maintain confidentiality and respect for beneficiaries.
- Positive and professional approach,
including ability to work well in a team setting.
- Strong ability to maintain composure,
prioritize work, thrives in fast paced environments, and work in a
difficult environment.
- Ability to conduct counselling sessions
via interpreters/cultural mediators, whenever necessary.
- Personal qualities: Works well in and
promotes teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible
and able to handle pressure well.
- Proficiency in English.
Professional Standards
- All MHPSS staff are required to adhere to
THE IRC Way Standards for Professional Conduct and the IRC country
employment policies.
- Adhere to the Code of Conduct every day –
in the site and in the community.
- Maintain confidentiality.
- While in transit sites, all IRC staff
must wear appropriate IRC visibility.
How To Apply