Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Officers (3 Positions) -Afder Zone, Ethiopia

MISSION AND MAIN ACTIVITIES

• Providing mental health and psychological support to patients according to International, National and ALIMA principles, standards and procedures in order to improve the patients’ mental health.

MAIN ACTIVITIES

• Providing psychological support and psychotherapy sessions (individual, family, group) to patients / beneficiaries according to layer 1 – 2 of MHPSS pyramid , National and ALIMA protocols in order to improve their mental health and psycho-social conditions with full focus to malnourished children in the SCs.
• Carrying out evaluation of mental health needs of patients/beneficiaries and establishing a diagnosis and a plan of treatment. Support the integration of mental health and psychosocial support into different activities of the project.
• Under supervision of the MHPSS Manager, implementing the Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) protocol, identifying possible victims of SGBV, and set referral linkage and collaboration with relevant partners and collaborators on MHPSS service and management of cases with mental illness and GBV
• Assisting and training staff members and resourceful people whenever necessary in order to enhance the scope of MH activities.
• Together with community workers (HEW, CEW, NHE,…) conduct home visits to follow-up beneficiaries when needed
• Develop culturally, age and gender appropriate psychosocial activities for communities
• Provide consultation and appropriate case management for beneficiaries with psychosocial problems and mental illness.
• Organize awareness raising and sensitization event, workshop, campaign on mental health topics for communities targeting various age groups
• Organize and conduct PFA training for volunteers, community leaders and representatives
• Collecting statistical and monitoring data about mental health and psychosocial activities
• Informing the supervisor and the medical team about any issues or problems that may arise related to patients’ treatment in order to provide the best possible solution from a medical perspective

Implementation of prevention measures against abuse of power, gender-based and sexual violence:

• Participates in training and awareness sessions
• Implements abuse prevention standards
• Ensures that team members complete training and awareness sessions and implement abuse prevention standards
• Helps create and maintain a nurturing and protective environment.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Training / Education:

• BA/BSc in Clinical and Community Mental Health, Psychiatric Nurse, and Counselling Psychology.

Experiences:

• A minimum of 3 years for MA/MSc professional experiences in a mental health and psychosocial support projects and provision of MHPSS services in humanitarian and emergency context
• Proven experience in providing individual and group counselling; and PFA support.
• Knowledgeable in and experience following IASC Guidelines on MHPSS in Emergencies and international best practices on the integration of MHPSS into primary health care settings.
• Demonstrable technical expertise in the assessment, design, and delivery of responses to pre-existing and emergency induced MHPSS needs.
• Proven training facilitation experience and skills.

Skills: 

• Computer skills, including Microsoft Office, Excel, PowerPoint
• Collaborative attitude with colleagues, work team and external partners
• Ability to work with a broad spectrum of people from different cultural backgrounds
• Excellent communication skills.
• Flexible with ability to cope with stressful situations and challenging conditions with limited resources.
• Sense of organization and rigor
• Ability to adapt, diplomacy and patience
• Strong listening skills
• Ability to work under pressure
• Ability to live and work in localities often far from capitals, located in rural areas and often poorly covered in terms of security, medical, social and leisure.

Languages:

• English Speaking, reading and writing, mandatory.
• Knowledge of a local language (Somali and Oromo) is an asset