By continuing to browse this site, you agree to our use of cookies. Read our privacy policy

Consultancy: Global roster of Consultant on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Expert - Health Section, PG, NYHQ - Req # 545129

New York City

  • Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund
  • Location: New York City
  • Grade: Consultancy - Consultant - Contractors Agreement
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Public Health and Health Service
    • Social Affairs
    • Humanitarian Aid and Coordination
  • Closing Date: Closed

o meet the global demand for technical support and coordination around child and adolescent mental health across sectors, UNICEF is expanding its roster of relevant experts and professionals who can be available for short term deployment or part-time support on a range of MHPSS related tasks as outlined below.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, hope.

 

Consultancy Title:  Global roster of Consultant on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Expert

Section/Division/Duty Station: Health Section, Programme Group, NYHQ

Duration: 01 November 2021 to 31 December 2022

 

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

There is increasing global recognition of mental health and well-being needs, especially among children and young people. Based on UNICEF annual reporting, the number of countries that developed multi-sectoral national plans for adolescent health and well-being tripled from 25 to 75 between 2017 and 2020 - although few included concrete actions to meet mental health needs. Furthermore, only one third of countries worldwide have national child and adolescent mental health policies in place.

UNICEF supports governments around the world in strengthening systems and building capacity to deliver coordinated services and programs that take a comprehensive view of mental health and promote the well-being of all children, adolescents, and their families. Since the pandemic, 118 UNICEF country offices across all regions have integrated mental health and psychosocial support as part of their COVID-19 response. We have a critical opportunity to continue and sustain mental health as a priority across the globe. We are also facing a surge in the demand for technical support on the development and implementation of child and adolescent mental health policy and programming.

To meet the global demand for technical support and coordination around child and adolescent mental health across sectors, UNICEF is expanding its roster of relevant experts and professionals who can be available for short term deployment or part-time support on a range of MHPSS related tasks as outlined below.

Terms of Reference / Deliverables

The consultant will work under guidance of the relevant section and technical specialist, and in collaboration with relevant teams, the MHPSS Expert may support implementation of UNICEF’s MHPSS activities in the following areas:

1. Conducting MHPSS needs assessment and situation analysis to inform planning and design of Child and Adolescent MHPSS policies, plans, and programs. Assessments will be tailored to local context and consistent with government guidelines. This may include:

  • Country level analysis: Rapid assessment of existing key structures, services, and available resources and efforts, with potential for collaboration in the field of MHPSS (e.g. family, social, protection, education and health systems and policies).
  • Community (population of concern) level analysis: Discussion (e.g. with key members of affected community, service providers, service users) about attitudes toward children and adolescents with mental disorders, help-seeking for mental health problems, ways of coping and community support, formal and informal (e.g. social supports, religious and traditional healers) resources and barriers to accessing services.
  • Mapping:  Support to stakeholders in mapping of existing programming, resources, services, and opportunities, using the basic 4Ws table that outlines who is doing what, where and until when.

2. Capacity building for local MHPSS service provision, including clinical and technical support in the development and implementation of training on:

  • Identification of MHPSS problems at all levels and through different service points across sectors
  • Provision of basic mental health and psychosocial support to children and families through existing services and structures
  • Provision of evidence-based psychological interventions by non-specialists
  • Provision of evidence based brief interventions by local specialists such as solution-focused therapy, CBT or IPT
  • Direct provision of clinical care or referral of children and caregivers requiring more specialized mental health care and management

3. Contributions to developing and reviewing MHPSS technical documents such as policy briefs, program guidelines, tools, training materials, educational content for campaigns, or research protocols related to child and adolescent MHPSS.

Qualifications

  • An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: Medicine, Nursing, Psychology, Global Mental Health or another relevant technical field.

Technical Expertise and Experience

  • Mental health professional with MSc, MSW, RN, Ph.D., MD, MS. Ed or equivalent degree (e.g. background in psychiatry, psychology, clinical social work, school counseling, psychiatric epidemiology) with 5+ years clinical and programming experience
  • Experience in development and/or humanitarian emergencies leading MHPSS service delivery and response through health, child protection, or education programs and systems
  • Experience in child and adolescent or family focused MHPSS
  • Experience in capacity building, coaching and staff care, strengthening various duty bearers’ understanding and implementation of MHPSS, including training in clinical psychological skills
  • Experience in overseeing program quality and development
  • Experience of working with and supporting local partners

Culture and Fit

  • Culturally sensitive and able to adapt to difficult contexts
  • Strong people and communication skills, diplomatic and assertive as needed
  • Good team player that can work as part of a multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary team
  • Capacity and willingness to be extremely flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances
  • Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy
  • Commitment to and understanding of child rights, the aims and principles of UNICEF, and humanitarian standards such as the Sphere Charter and the Code of Conduct.
  • A high level of written and spoken English
  • Fluency in French, Spanish, Arabic or other UN language is an asset.

Application Information:

Please indicate your expression of interest using a cover letter and up-to-date CV. Kindly include in the cover letter:

  • Your current remuneration expectations (daily rate)
  • Description of your profile, highlighting any strengths & experience in humanitarian response, development settings, integration of MHPSS in primary health care, school based health programming, digital MHPSS interventions, MHPSS as part of child protection programming, perinatal mental health, or other working areas and entry points for MHPSS, such as climate or peacebuilding.  

Requirements:

Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and provide Personal History Form (P11) Upload copy of academic credentials

  • Financial proposal that will include:
  • your daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
    • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
    • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
    • Indicate your availability
  • Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
  • At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
  • Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, race, sexual orientation, nationality, culture, appearance, socio-economic status, ability, age, religious, and ethnic backgrounds, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

This vacancy is now closed.
However, we have found similar vacancies for you: