Nigeria- Psychologist

About COOPI

Cooperazione Internazionale (COOPI) is an Italian humanitarian non-governmental organization founded in Milan in 1965. COOPI aims to help the world’s poorest to improve their access to healthcare, food, and financial security, and to overcome their special vulnerability to wars, civil conflicts and natural disasters. For 50 years of long-term support and constant presence in the field, COOPI has been engaged in breaking the cycle of poverty and responding to specific emergencies in numerous sectors, including Food Security, Humanitarian Aid, Health, Socio-Economical Services, Water and Sanitation, Human Rights, Education and Training, Migrations and Sustainable Energy.

With more than 3,900 humanitarian workers employed, and an average of 180 projects per year across 25 countries throughout Africa, Latin America and the Middle East, COOPI is the biggest Italian NGO. During its 50 years of activity, COOPI has successfully completed over 1,600 projects in 63 countries, involving 55.000 local operators and ensuring direct benefits to approximately 100 Million people.

COOPI in Nigeria

COOPI started its operations in North-East Nigeria in July 2014 to carry out a rapid evaluation of the most relevant constraints suffered by the Internally Displaced People (IDPs) displaced by the food crisis and the Boko Haram insurgency in the Lake Chad Basin.

COOPI’s aim is to support the most basic and pressing needs of communities affected by the conflict. COOPI is providing a multi-sectoral emergency response to the IDPs, returnees and host population focused on food security, nutrition, protection and education. COOPI main area of intervention is Yobe & Borno States.

Project Summary: Based on a consolidated care model for children associated to armed forces and groups implemented in several conflict areas over the years, COOPI will establish a Centre of Transit and Orientation (TOC) for children formerly associated with Boko Haram in need of psychosocial and other assistance before reunification and integration into their families of origin. An age-appropriate individualised plan will include: recreational, psychosocial and educational activities to support the child’s readjustment to family life, and prepare him/her for reintegration into the community. The plan will also include life-skills and competency building for income generating activities and employment. It will make provision for children to be referred to health, nutritional and legal services as necessary. These activities will be complemented by family tracing and sensitization of the communities of origin. The plan will also include follow-up support and monitoring activities through protection networks identified, trained, supervised and supported by COOPI in the communities of origin.

Scope of the Vacancy

The Psychologist support the Project Manager in the programming, responsibility of the realization and the follow-up of the protection activities, guarantying protection services for the beneficiaries.

Project: Protection and Reintegration of children associated with armed groups in the north east of Nigeria

Reports to: Project Manager

Main duties/Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager, he/she:

• Identify the psychological problems of the beneficiaries and put in place the necessary means to answer effectively to the needs
• Establish the psychological and psychosocial criteria of vulnerability and structure a process of detection of the main psychosocial risks
• Create fact sheets and procedures for setting up and evaluating emotional and listening debriefing activities Set up and run the collective emotional debriefing system (training of members, setting up and running meetings, gradually capitalizing on experience)
• Maintain a database of referrals for psychological, medical and community orientations
• Organize and structure collective friendly spaces
• Train the project teams and local partners on approaches, methodology and tools to understand how victims of GBV and other forms of violence are affected by their involvement in armed conflict
• Train and / retrain teams on the proper use of situation assessment and management tools
• Train project staff (psychosocial counselors, community animators) on the individual and collective psychological and psychosocial management of the victims;
• Organize technical meeting with his/her team and other stakeholders
• Direct case management
• Propose and supervise the psychosocial and recreational activities to set up, for children and adults

Profile pf the candidate

Minimum Requirements:

• Master’s degree in Psychology.
• At least 3 years of working experience with INGO on Child Protection area. Experience working with children associated with armed group it’s an advantage
• Good knowledge of project cycle management
• Experience in clinical psychology and / or psychopathology (victimology, medical emergency cell, etc.)
• Proven interest & commitment to humanitarian and development principles and a demonstrable understanding of conflict/post conflict development contexts
• Experience in data collection, analysis, and report writing
• Excellent in English (oral and written)
• Experience in designing and conducting training in INEE and Child Protection issues especially in the areas of human rights, gender, capacity building, added advantage, SGBV
• Ability to plan, organize work, communicate and reports effectively (both in writing and verbally)
• Proven ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines
• team player, effective communicator, successful negotiator, creative and analytical thinker, active learner, able to work in a multicultural environment
• Excellent communication skills, calm, with a good sense of humour
• Excellent sense of confidentiality
• Excellent listening and empathy
• Proven commitment to accountability practices
• Ability to function effectively under stressful conditions such as heavy workloads, and deadlines.
• Excellent Microsoft Office applications skills (Excel, Word, Power point, Emails, Skype, Web researchers)
• Knowledge of and adherence to COOPI Code of Conduct, understands other international development guidelines

https://www.coopi.org/it/posizione-lavorativa.html?id=3078&ln=