Stress Counselor

BACKGROUND

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

The Department of Safety and Security is responsible for providing leadership, operational support and oversight of the security management system to enable the safest and most efficient conduct of the programs and activities of the United Nations System.

Under the guidance and supervision of the International Stress Counselor, the primary role of the Associate Stress Counsellor will be to provide psychosocial support to all UN personnel and their dependents in Afghanistan. The main role of the Associate Stress Counselor will be to assist the International Stress Counselor in maintaining the existing sustainable stress management system for all UN Agencies operating in Afghanistan and enhance Critical Incident Stress Management preparedness of UN security system in Afghanistan.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

The key objective is to enhance wellbeing and positive mental Health of UN staff and dependents.  The incumbent is to provide confidential counseling (individual as well as group) in a safe environment for critical incident stress, work related concerns as well as personal concerns. The candidate would assist in formulating and delivering Trainings based on needs assessment that improve coping, decrease stress and enabling the organization to achieve the results in most effective manner.

Under the administrative supervision of the Deputy Chief Security Adviser and the technical guidance of the CISMU Regional Stress Counsellor, the appointed Stress Counsellor will administrate a wide range of stress management activities, actively participating in emergency preparedness in the country in collaboration with UNDSS and the UN emergency coordination group as per the UNDSS CISMU standard operational procedures on critical incident stress.

Develop and implement a stress management plan applicable to all UN Agencies in the country.

Provide individual, group and critical incident counselling sessions to staff and dependents as/when needed. Plan and facilitate preventative stress management training on a variety of stress related issues to UN staff in the country and circulate useful reading resources related to stress periodically.To assist in establishing the Critical Incident Stress Intervention Cells (CISICs) including selecting Peer Helpers and family focal points, facilitate peer helper training sessions (jointly with UNDSS CISMU) and coordinate and follow up on all relevant activities related to peer helpers.

Promote welfare activities for UN staff in the country in collaboration with the existing Staff Association.

Identify, address and follow up on critical incident stress cases among UN staff and dependents in the country.

Be willing to visit and travel regularly to UN Offices/Sub Offices in the country in order to implement preventative     stress management training activities and offer technical consultations when needed.

Liaise with local experts and institutions in the country for referral purposes. Collaborate with UN managers, medical doctors, and local physicians on psychosocial wellbeing issues with the objective of establishing a network of professionals ready to support and intervene in case of need.

Advise UN management on stress mitigating strategies and activities

Perform ongoing assessments and monitor the determinants of stress in UN staff to include activities such as data collection, analyses and related documentation.

Provide monthly reports to the Chief Security Adviser with copies to UN Headquarters UNDSS CISMU Regional Stress Counsellor on all psychosocial support services.

COMPETENCIES

Core Competencies:

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making

People Management Competencies

Direct Reports: 2 National Stress counsellors

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site.

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies

Business Development: Knowledge Generation

• Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for content, or responsive to a stated need

Business Management: Customer Satisfaction/Client Management

• Customer Satisfaction/Client Management Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs.
• Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. Look for ways to add value beyond clients' immediate requests.
• Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns

Duty of Care: Psychosocial support to personnel

• Ability and certified qualification to provide psychological counselling services to teams and individual personnel

Duty of Care: Occupational safety, health and wellbeing

• Knowledge of OSHW concepts and methods and ability to apply them in the development of the OSHW strategies, policies, management systems and quality standards that are consistent with the business strategy. Ability to identity OSHW risks and to develop mitigation strategies and monitoring systems; to create OSHW incident reporting and response systems; understanding of the key workplace stressors and ability to design effective response measures

Business Management: Communication

• Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience
• Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channel

Business Development: Human-centered Design

• Ability to develop solutions to problems by involving the human perspective in all steps of the problem-solving process.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

• Master’s degree in Clinical or Counselling Psychology for Psychologists, or MD (Doctor of Medicine) in Psychiatry post bachelor’s degree in General Medicine for Psychiatrists OR
• A Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology or Psychiatry with 2 additional years of qualifying experience may be given due consideration in lieu of a Master’s degree.

Experience, Knowledge, and Skills

• Minimum 5 years  (Master’s degree) or 7 years (Bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible experience in clinical psychology, counselling psychology, psychoeducation or psychiatry, with at least two years of experience managing mental health programs at international level. Qualifying years of experience are calculated after the receipt of an accredited advanced level degree recognized by the United Nations.
• Additional training or experience in a broad range of related fields such as alcohol/substance abuse, stress management, critical incident stress and cross-cultural counselling and communication would be an asset
• Certification (country specific or international licensure or equivalent) authorizing the incumbent to deliver mental health services as a Psychologist, Clinical Psychologist, Counselling Psychologist or Psychiatrist is required
• Knowledge about the region and its cultural practices related to mental health and well-being is desirable
• Experience in crisis management or emergency response is required.
• Experience in providing stress counselling within the United Nations system or any other International Organization is desirable.
• Experience in working in crisis context providing on mental health and well-being is desirable.
• Well- developed communication, leadership and team building

Language Requirements:

• Proficiency in oral and written English.
• Working knowledge of French or any other regional language is highly desirable.

Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

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Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment. 

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Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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