Staff counsellor (Multi-Country), P-3, FT, based in Yaoundé, Cameroon #116854 (open to non-Cameroonian only)

The Cameroon CO is looking for a Staff Counsellor (Multi-Country), P-3 to provide psychological health and wellbeing with the goal of building the resilience of staff and non-staff and to develop and implement a wellbeing programme aimed at attending to the psychological needs of UNICEF staff and management in WCAR.

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, well-being.

UNICEF has been working in Cameroon since 1975 to allow women and children to fully realize their rights to development without restriction, as enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. UNICEF provides financial and technical support to Cameroon across seven areas to fully realize the rights of women and children. These areas include Health, HIV/AIDS, Water-sanitation-Hygiene, nutrition, education, child protection, and social inclusion. UNICEF focuses mainly on children and the most vulnerable and excluded families. Cameroon’s 2020 population is estimated at 26,545,863 people according to UN data. The population is young and generates strong socioeconomic demand. In rural areas, limited access to basic social services and the effects of climate change led to household impoverishment and severe child deprivations. The task is immense but not insurmountable; it requires the energy of all stakeholders in Cameroon and out of Cameroon: also, women, men, youth and children, government, technical and financial partners, donors, civil society, the private sector, parliamentarians, communities. Everyone is invited to take part in the struggle to meet the challenges that lie ahead. It is together that we will act for Cameroon, a country that summarizes the challenges and hopes of Africa.

To learn more about UNICEF Cameroon, use the below

link https://unicef.sharepoint.com/sites/CMR/SitePages/AboutUs.aspx.

How can you make a difference?

Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Representative Operations, P-4, and the technical supervision of the Regional Staff Counsellor, the Staff counsellor (Multi-Country), P-3 will provide psychological health and wellbeing with the goal of building the resilience of staff so that they can continue to function at high levels to meet the mandate of the organization. He or she will develop and implement a wellbeing programme aimed at attending to the psychological needs of UNICEF staff and management in WCAR.  The work will be done from the preventative and curative perspective at the individual, team, and organizational levels.

 The key responsibilities are :

• Preventative and protective psychosocial support
• Provide Critical Incident Stress Management to groups and/or individual staff Following critical incidents
• Monitoring and oversight

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

1. Facilitate the provision of effective psychosocial support to managers and individual staff prioritizing emergency locations with the aim to mitigating stress and increasing protective factors and provide a safe and confidential environment where staff members are able to address professional and personal problems, either individually or in groups (modality: assessment, short-term intervention, referral).

2. Provide support and advice to the leadership and managers in offices on healthy work practices and approaches on how to effectively support staff and encourage resilience. Recommend suitable staff support strategies to managers during and following emergencies and other crises.

3. Provide Critical Incident Stress Management to groups and/or individual staff following critical incidents. A holistic approach to critical incident management is used and may include services such as practical support, psychoeducation, psychological first aid, strategic advice to leadership, family support and individual or group interventions.

4. Develop a creative system to build a network of external mental health providers available to provide services to staff and deliver preventative psychoeducational programmes/training to address systemic issues and recurrent problems within teams and offices; develop and deliver tailored workshops and webinars for staff; raise awareness on common mental health themes and act as an advocate for anti-stigma programming.

5. Coordinate the Peer Support Volunteer (PSV) Programme for the country office.

6. Providing on a regular basis statistics and trends on issues related to staff well-being, whilst maintaining confidentiality.  Alert the Regional Staff Counsellor and/or the HR Manager on trends that may be of concern in offices or offices requiring targeted support or Managerial intervention. Capture lessons learnt and best practices for dissemination as appropriate.

For more information, the Job Description can be accessed through this link:  WCAR Staff counselor JD Specific.docx

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• Advanced University degree (Master’s or equivalent) in counselling, clinical psychology, organizational psychology, or a field related to mental health. Certification or country specific licensure authorizing the incumbent to deliver mental health services is considered an asset.
• Minimum of five (5) years of professional experience – among which three at international level in psychological counselling, training skills, with special emphasis on managing critical incident stress.
• Fluency in French and English is required.  Knowledge of another official UN language or local language of the duty station is considered as an asset.

The following skills are desirable:

• Additional training experience in a broad range of related fields, such as alcohol/substance abuse, stress management, critical incident stress and cross-cultural communication would be an asset.
• Well-developed communication, leadership, and team building skills.
• Work experience with developing and delivering online and face-to-face workshops and webinars on a range of well-being and mental health is desirable.
• Experience either working in a hardship location or providing counselling services to staff working under very difficult and insecure environments is an asset.
• Experience in United Nations System or international development/humanitarian aid sector is desirable

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability (CRITA) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: https://uni.cf/UNICEFValues

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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 be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

“The VA is open to all (internal and external candidates)”  Talented Female candidates are vividly encouraged to apply.