Protection, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Advisor

Job Description

COMPANY SUMMARY

EngenderHealth envisions a gender-equal world where all people achieve their sexual and reproductive health and rights. We believe this is essential for ensuring all people can achieve their full potential. To achieve this vision, we implement high-quality, gender-equitable programs that advance sexual and reproductive health and rights

JOB SUMMARY

The Protection and MHPSS Advisor will coordinate, coach, and mentor the Protection & MHPSS Officers and field-level facilitators to support their capacity to implement MHPSS intervention components safely, and effectively as well as ensure quality of program implementation at the regional level. Moreover, they will supervise, monitor, and closely support MHPSS officers in their role of supervising group-based psychological interventions such as interpersonal psychotherapy for groups (IPT-G) and Group problem management plus (G-PM+).

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Technical Support & Program Implementation

• Guides the implementation of Protection and MHPSS under projects having SGBV responses.
• Provides technical oversight and field monitoring of the program staff in close coordination with M&E and program managers to ensure high-quality implementation of MHPSS frameworks and tools.
• Review and share program-specific tools/resources/curricula and work with both country office and field-level program staff for context-specific consumption.
• As needed, contributes to the development of case studies of successes and lessons learned, and other publications.
• Lead, organize, and provide training for healthcare providers and community volunteers.
• Provide onsite backstopping support, including emotional resilience interventions for health care providers.
• Ensure the proper identification, referral, and case management of critical mental health cases based on established referral protocols.
• Supervise Zonal and Woreda-level Protection & MHPSS staff and support the ongoing supervision of MHPSS Officers as they monitor and support the community-level facilitators.
• Identify skill gaps of the Protection & MHPSS officers regularly and provide technical support accordingly.

Partnership Development & Coordination

• Contribute to positioning EngenderHealth as a key actor and partner of choice on Protection & MHPSS in related clusters and forums.
• Serve as a technical representative in coordination meetings including in the protection cluster; emergency SRHR TWG; MHPSS cluster and others.
• Facilitate the development, strengthening, and expansion of partnerships with national Ministries of Social Services and Health, pertinent UN agencies, and other relevant stakeholders on MHPSS issues.
• Contributes to capacity building to Protection & MHPSS staff of EngenderHealth, health care providers and key partners, and other stakeholders at the regional and national level.

Monitoring & Evaluation, and Research

• Contributes to case studies, promising practices, lessons learned, and another knowledge-based products
• Ensure the proper Collection of key Protection & MHPSS client data at the regional level and prepare reports on progress made, together with observations, challenges faced, and lessons learned.
• Support program monitoring in collaboration with KMMER and Emergency SRH directors and MHPSS project staff and ensure monitoring data is used to inform programming as needed to ensure high-quality implementation of MHPSS for survivors of SGBV.

REQUIREMENTS

• Mental Health professional with master’s and bachelor’s degrees in psychology, Counselling, Psychology, and Clinical Psychology
• A minimum of 5 years of experience implementing Protection & MHPSS programming in humanitarian settings
• Demonstrated experience in the implementation of a multi-sectoral response to Protection & MHPSS, including (but not limited to) SGBV and protection.
• Knowledge/experience of protection & mental health considerations and best practices related to the treatment of individuals impacted by displacement, conflict, torture, gender-based violence, and other human rights violations.
• In-depth understanding and practical experience with IASC MHPSS guidelines, in addition to other MHPSS global guidelines and best practices.
• Demonstrated ability to train staff and implementing partners on Protection & MHPSS, including excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated capacity and experience in conducting field-level assessments and developing assessment tools, e.g. questionnaires, and focus group discussions.
• Understanding of general Protection & MHPSS supervision skills.
• Ability to work in collaboration with people affected by depression, stress, anxiety, and other common mental health conditions.
• Excellent group facilitation skills,
• Up to 40% travel may be required.

ESSENTIAL SOFT SKILLS

• Committed to EngenderHealth’s core organizational values of reflection, inclusion, integrity, respect, and transformation.
• Demonstrated creativity and innovation skills.
• Ability to participate as a team member and work independently, with limited supervision; willingness to take full responsibility for own work actions.
• Ability to build good relationships with staff and external partners.
• Collaborative, flexible team player with the ability to think creatively, logically, and critically about solutions to gaps in economic inclusion programming.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills, including the ability to regularly communicate with, motivate, and support field-based staff as well as effectively communicate key program achievements and operational challenges.

PREFERRED SKILLS, ABILITIES AND FUNCTIONS

• Excellent analytic, writing, and verbal communication/presentation skills in English.
• Computer skills – MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Microsoft Office Suite
• Ability to develop, inform, and sustain professional relationships, partnerships, and networks.
• Positive attitude and flexible approach to working; able to re-organize tasks as appropriate in response to changing demands.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks and demands, establish priorities, and work effectively in a deadline-driven environment; accuracy and attention to detail in the performance of duties are of critical importance.

Disclaimer

The above statements describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the person(s) assigned to this job. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities as needed and assigned.

EngenderHealth provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment, without regard to race, creed, ancestry, citizenship, religion, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, political belief, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a survivor of domestic violence, marital status, pregnancy status, disability or any other protected characteristic or status under applicable federal, state and local laws.

EngenderHealth complies with applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in the United States in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

EngenderHealth is committed to safeguarding all people, particularly children, vulnerable adults, and beneficiaries of assistance from any harm that may be caused due to contact with EngenderHealth.  This includes harm arising from the conduct of staff, associates, and partners, and the design and implementation of programs and activities.