Mental Health & Psychosocial Support (Officer)

This position will be working closely with medical teams in mobile clinics, supported HFs, community teams and EmONC centers with an aim to;

• Improve the beneficiaries’ mental health wellbeing and psychosocial conditions
• Supporting the Primary Health Care Services (PHCS) medical team by providing guidance and capacity building for the implementation of qualitative psychosocial care and mental health activities
• Assisting the community volunteers (CVs) in the identification of beneficiaries in need of specific psychological counseling and ensuring individual or group support for identified beneficiaries

With overall guidance from Mental Health Technical Supervisor and Health Coordinator, the position will be directly supervised by Sr. Health Manager with support from Health Officer (Mental Health Focal Point).

Detailed responsibilities and tasks:

Objective 1: Improving the beneficiaries’ mental health wellbeing and psychosocial condition

• Implementing psychosocial activities and providing psychological consultations on regular basis.
• Ensure all work with clients is confidential and that ethical practices are observed. 
• Document client data accurately in the intake forms and ensure they are under lock and key. 
• Ensure that the MH Data Tool is accurately updated on a regular basis. 
• Participate in the interpretation of the analyzed data on trends. 
• Participate in the preparation of accurate reports for all Psycho-social related activities.
• Assess the beneficiaries’ psychological condition by using psychological tools to detect the vulnerable cases and ensure psychological follow up.
• Actively participate in weekly supervision meetings.
• Assist in development of referral networks between partners implementing GBV and implementation of referral pathways. 
• Participate in conducting trainings for medical and non-medical staff on Mental Health related topics.
• Support the Hygiene & Health promoters to identify beneficiaries with vulnerabilities and to properly refer them to the MH worker
• Conducting regular Awareness raising session with target communities within Health Facilities.
• Lead/Participate in the identification and selection of Community Volunteers (CVs).
• Regular capacity building of CVs in Mental Health related topics
• Managing the activities of CVs through regular follow-up.

Objective 2: Supporting the PHCS medical team by providing guidance and capacity building for the implementation of qualitative psychosocial care and mental health activities

• Coordinating with the PHC-Services team to identify appropriate trainings and providing them regular trainings on Mental Health & Psych-Social Support (MHPSS).

Objective 3: Reports and project development:

• Producing timely progress reports, including both quantitative and qualitative information, on MHPSS activities and clinical case studies
• Submitting timely MHPSS data to Sr. HIS Officer
• Being in charge of the MHPSS materials and making the liaise with the Supply Chain for the procurement of the needed activities items

Others:

• To maintain good socio-professional relationships with national and international partners
• To attend trainings when required
• To attend team meetings and to give qualitative inputs
• Be flexible in performing his/her duties to ensure that beneficiaries are getting good quality services
• Strictly respect confidentiality of data, property of beneficiaries and respect confidentiality regarding the content of clinical interviews, except when exchanging information with the medical team in charge and within a professional frame

• Diploma or College Degree in Psychology, Social or Humanitarian sciences.Master’s degree is preferred. 

Skills required:

• Minimum one year of experience in similar position with National or International NGOs

Personal skills required:

• Psychology or social work.
• With expertise and experience Mental Health and Psycho Social Support field
• Fluent in Arabic and basic English
• Have a good modulation of voice and confidence in communicating in public
• Work as team player and has flexibility in his/her work
• He/she can work independently and innovatively to develop and implement supervision and training activities that help expand community participation
• Experience working in humanitarian emergency settings is an asset
• An understanding of and commitment to IRC’s mission and values.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability. ​​