Psychosocial Support Coordinator – Capacity Building & Training

Education Department

Vacancy Announcement

Psychosocial Support Coordinator – Capacity Building & Training

Deadline for Applications

10 November 2019

Contract Type

Individual Service Provider (ISP)

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Vacancy Announcement Number

LF/988/2019

Duty Station & Department

Lebanon Field Office – Education Department

UNRWA encourages applications from qualified women and welcomes applications from qualified candidates with disabilities.

UNRWA, the largest United Nations operation in the Middle East with over 30,000 staff working across five areas of operation, is looking for professionals like you.

UNRWA's human development goals

UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states, regional bodies, business foundations and individual contributions. UNRWA has identified four human development goals as the focus of the Agency's operations in committing to fostering human development of Palestine refugees by helping them to: lead long and healthy lives, acquire knowledge and skills, achieve decent standards of living and enjoy human rights to the fullest possible extent.

How can you make a difference? 

You will be joining a team of around 3000 staff in the Lebanon Field Office working to foster the human development of some 470,000 registered Palestine refugees.••

The main responsibilities include:

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Support in the implementation of the Psychosocial support (PSS) Programme in Education in UNRWA schools in Lebanon, including planning, implementing, training, monitoring, evaluating, and reporting; Under the overall supervision of the Chief of Education, the direct supervision of the Education & Relief and Social Services Coordinator, and the technical guidance and support of the MHPSS Coordinator, develop the strategic direction of the PSS programme at UNRWA schools; Provide direct technical support to the School Counsellors (SC) in the provision of PSS activities and interventions for children between 6-18; Develop awareness session materials for caregivers, children, and youth based on Annual Plan; Work on developing a training platform on child protection/PSS related issues and response mechanisms, building on existing tools and materials; Support School Counsellors in developing their technical capacity and understanding of PSS through advancing their skills in developing individual and group counselling sessions, as well as working with young people on developing safety/care plans; Monitor the implementation and quality of awareness sessions to caregivers, children/youth, community members and provide coaching and support to SC's; Support in the training of education staff and school administration to build their capacity and understanding of PSS and CP strategies to streamline it into curriculum; Build the capacity of school staff, particularly SC's, on how to identify child protection and PSS related issues; Support UNRWA schools to develop strategies and plans to support vulnerable adolescents and children that may require additional psychosocial support and referrals; Conduct training sessions and work with School Counsellor Focal Points, and selected Training Team, to establish and/or enhance UNRWA's engagement in community based protection networks in the areas;

•         Work with the Education programme to streamline PSS into education and recreational activities for various age-groups;

•         Consult with other education and PSS actors to obtain support in building the capacity of School Counsellors and UNRWA staff and teachers;

•         Offer coaching and mentoring to PSS Focal Points and selected School Counselors, who will be part of the Training Team, particularly in the delivery of individual and group counseling sessions;

Support School Counsellors with the implementation of Open Day activities; Work with Sports Focal Points to ensure PSS is streamlined in recreational and sports activities to nurture and foster the well-being of children and adolescents; Supports the professional development of school counsellors and participate in the development of capacity building materials to enhance the psychosocial support and wellbeing of UNRWA students; Advocates for programmes and services that lead to student's better well-being and success within the school and to teachers empowerment; Network with education and other UNRWA programmes, as well as PSS/CP actors to coordinate the implementation of PSS and CP activities and services for students at UNRWA schools; Support in the procurement requests, to be presented on a timely basis to facilitate timely implementation of field activities related to PSS. Support in reporting and data analysis, as well as contribute to reporting.

Conditions of service•

The consultant will be based in Beirut, Lebanon; The duration of the consultancy is 11 months (extendable upon the availability of funds); Monthly Salary: $2,700 - $3,000. Remuneration for this consultancy will depend on the qualifications and experience of the selected candidate as determined by UNRWA salary scale for Individual Service Providers.

To qualify for this position, you will need:

Education

An advanced university degree (Masters of equivalent) from an accredited educational institution in Psychology, Counselling, or Clinical Social Work.

Work

experience

Extensive experience (3-5+) in managing PSS cases directly, and receiving and referring high-level cases;

3+ years delivering PSS/child protection capacity building trainings;

Experience developing material for awareness sessions for caregivers, community members, children/youth, center/school staff/administration;

Experience working with children/youth programming, psychosocial support, or protection with an NGO, INGO or UN agency;

Experience training Community Based Protection Networks;

Experience in providing technical supervision and guidance to psychologists or psychosocial support staff;

Experience in developing outreach strategies to reach targeted groups;

Understanding of and experience in developing community-based approaches and responses to child protection needs;

Demonstrates experience in implementing awareness sessions to youth and caregivers in centers and communities;

In-depth understanding of referral pathways and ability to train on child protection, PSS indicators or referrals;

Previous work experience in refugee settings, preferably with UN organizations, or other relevant international or national non-governmental organizations (NGOs);

Language(s)

Excellent command of spoken and written English and Arabic.

You will also need to demonstrate the following competencies:

An advanced university degree (Masters of equivalent) from an accredited educational institution in Psychology, Counselling, or Clinical Social Work. Extensive experience (3-5+) in managing PSS cases directly, and receiving and referring high-level cases; 3+ years delivering PSS/child protection capacity building trainings; Experience developing material for awareness sessions for caregivers, community members, children/youth, center/school staff/administration; Experience working with children/youth programming, psychosocial support, or protection with an NGO, INGO or UN agency;

•         Experience training Community Based Protection Networks;

•         Experience in providing technical supervision and guidance to psychologists or psychosocial support staff;

•         Experience in developing outreach strategies to reach targeted groups;

•         Understanding of and experience in developing community-based approaches and responses to child protection needs;

•         Demonstrates experience in implementing awareness sessions to youth and caregivers in centers and communities;

•         In-depth understanding of referral pathways and ability to train on child protection, PSS indicators or referrals;

•         Previous work experience in refugee settings, preferably with UN organizations, or other relevant international or national non-governmental organizations (NGOs);

Desirable Qualifications

•         Experience overseeing the technical capacity of a team of PSS actors;

•         Experience in developing M&E tools to assess and measure the performance of PSS activities and the improved well-being of children/youth;

•         Experience implementing PSS activities in educational settings, whether formal or non-formal education;

•         Fluent in English & Arabic

•         Strong management skills, with good understanding of relevant cross-cultural issues and ability to work with refugee and host community populations;

•         Demonstrated skills in data collection and database management, organized, and able to handle many responsibilities simultaneously;

For guidance on how to prepare for competency-based interviews:

••••••••••• https://careers.un.org/lbw/home.aspx?viewtype=AYI

Recruitment in UNRWA Lebanon – How it works:

https://jobs.unrwa.org/frmFieldAnnouncementsList.aspx?id=3

Who we are

For over 70 years, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA) has been working on the ground in five fields of operations in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip providing direct assistance and protection for some 5 million Palestine refugees in the Middle East. UNRWA is mandated by the UN General Assembly to provide this assistance and its mission is to help Palestine refugees achieve their full potential in human development until there is a just and lasting solution for their plight. UNRWA restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who have been uprooted by conflict with services encompassing education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance.

For more details on UNRWA, please visit: www.unrwa.org

How to apply

To start the application process, applicants are required to register at http://jobs.unrwa.org by creating a personal profile, cover letter and completing UNRWA Personal History Form. Only applications received through http://jobs.unrwa.org will be considered. Due to the large number of applications received for UNRWA vacancies, only applicants short-listed for interview will be contacted. Please ensure that the e-mail address that you will indicate in your Personal History Profile is accurate, candidates shortlisted for test or/and interview will only be contacted by e-mail. No follow up phone calls will be made.

The United Nations does not charge fees at any stage of the recruitment process. The United Nations does not concern itself with information related to bank accounts.

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General information

This vacancy notice is open to internal and external candidates. As an Area post, preference will be given to local candidates already based in the duty station of the post.

UNRWA is a United Nations organization whose staff are expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity, neutrality and impartiality. This includes respect for and commitment to human rights, diversity, and non-violent means of dealing with all kinds of conflict. UNRWA staff are expected to uphold these values at all times, both at work and outside. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for UNRWA jobs. UNRWA is a non-smoking work environment.

The Agency reserves the right not to make an appointment, to make an appointment at a lower grade, or to make an appointment with a modified job description

Date of issue: 28 October 2019