Assistant Mental Health and Psychosocial Officer

Job Description

Title: Assistant Mental Health and Psychosocial Officer

Company Name: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Representation in Bangladesh

Vacancy: Undefined

Job Location: Cox's Bazar

Employment Status: Contractual

Educational Requirements:
∎ Undergraduate degree (equivalent of BA/BS) in clinical/educational/counselling Psychology plus minimum of 1 year previous relevant job experience.

Job Context:
∎ Vacancy Notice No. VA/FTA/018/2019
∎ Category/grade: National Professional Officer (NPO), NOA
∎ Post Number : 10028789
∎ Type of contract: Fixed-term Appointment
∎ Date of Issue: 8 May 2019
∎ The effective date of assignment: As soon as possible
∎ Operational Context:
∎ Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) describes any type of local or outside support that aims to protect or promote psychosocial well-being and/or prevent or treat mental disorder. It is therefore, by definition, a multi-sectoral issue. Within the work of UNHCR and partners, MHPSS activities do not constitute a separate sector, but are mainly realized within existing sectors and work fields such as health, nutrition, community-based protection, child protection, and SGBV. The multisectoral MHPSS team is placed within the Public Health Unit and has strong functional ties with the other relevant units in protection and programme. The main task of the MHPSS team is to build and maintain capacity for MHPSS interventions within UNHCR and partners in order to foster delivery of quality MHPSS interventions for refugees and surrounding host communities.
∎ The Assistant Mental Health and Psychosocial Officer will enhance UNHCR`s efforts during the current emergency in Cox`s Bazar to ensure that mental health and psychosocial support is well integrated in the humanitarian response, especially in camp based primary health care services.
∎ The incumbent will be responsible for building the capacity of primary health care staff on assessment and management of priority mental health conditions using mhGAP HIG curriculum.
∎ The incumbent is a psychiatrist by background and has an experience in capacity building activities.
∎ The incumbent is a member of the MHPSS team and reports to the Mental Health and Psychosocial Officer. The supervisor defines the general work objectives and provides necessary advice and guidance.
∎ Under the overall direction of the Public Health Unit, the Assistant MHPSS Officer works directly with stakeholders, including other UNHCR staff, government, NGO partners, as well as the communities of concern.
∎ The incumbent supports the identification of MHPSS gaps and contributes to the design of a MHPSS strategy by ensuring that it reflects the needs of persons of concern and builds on the capacities of partners.
∎ To fulfil this role the Asst Psychosocial and Mental Health Officer is required to spend a substantial percentage of her/his time working outside the office, assessing MHPSS needs in the field, coordinating with the staff of partners, and monitoring the delivery of MHPSS programs.

Job Responsibilities:
∎ Accountability (key results that will be achieved):
∎ UNHCR's policies, standards and procedures around MHPSS are constantly and coherently applied.
∎ Capacity for MHPSS is built within staff of partners, particularly those working in community and other non-clinical settings.
∎ UNHCR and partners are equipped to identify, respond to, refer, and profile mental health and psychosocial problems of the population, including particularly vulnerable cases.
∎ Comprehensive psychosocial interventions package is delivered for priority conditions in community settings, outpatient treatment, and other approaches, in line with the established tools and in coordination with partners.
∎ Responsibility (process and functions undertaken to achieve results):
∎ Assist partners and UNHCR staff in the protection unit to develop, coordinate, and monitor appropriate MHPSS interventions.
∎ Contribute to capacity building of UNHCR staff and partner staff around community-based psychosocial support and evidence-based scalable psychological interventions through organizing training and supportive clinical supervision.
∎ Support the development of functional referral and follow-up mechanisms around people with MHPSS between community and services.
∎ Upon indication, assist UNHCR protection unit in assessing the MHPSS needs of persons of concern (high priority cases and or persons with complex or severe problems) initiate treatment and define appropriate follow up interventions.
∎ Undertake regular visits to various sites in order to assess MHPSS needs of persons of concern, with particular attention to vulnerable groups.
∎ Perform monitoring around MHPSS activities of partners including, upon request of the relevant units, partners in Community-based Protection, Child protection, SGBV and education, and maintain an adequate line of good quality and efficient reporting.
∎ Organize clinical supervision and support to health care workers around mental health care.
∎ Perform monitoring around mental health, including processes in general health services in primary health centres, but also in reproductive and child health, and around medical referrals for mental health to government hospitals.
∎ Provide support to the implementing partner to ensure the correct use of the mental health elements of Health Information System (HIS), collect data for the annual UNHCR reporting, review and analyse monthly health data, and compile annual reports on the mental health situation in camps.
∎ Work on establishing referral pathways from the community to the primary health care system and from the primary health care system to secondary care for persons with severe mental health conditions who need this.
∎ Authority (decisions made in executing responsibilities and to achieve results)
∎ Provide technical guidance to partners around MHPSS, particularly the partners who work outside health facilities.
∎ Keep regular contacts with local authorities and partners as requested by supervisor.
∎ Represent UNHCR MHPSS team in Protection Coordination meetings, as requested by supervisor.
∎ Ensure compliance of implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of MHPSS services.

Additional Requirements:
∎ Knowledge of and experience in various psychological interventions.
∎ Experience with provision MHPSS services in refugee settings or other disadvantaged communities.
∎ Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
∎ Computer skills (MS Office applications).
∎ Knowledge of local institutions
∎ Excellent spoken and written English and Bangla.
∎ Desirable Qualifications & Competencies:
∎ Proficiency in Chittagonian dialect or Rohingya language is an asset.
∎ Experience with capacity building (organising and giving trainings and workshop, performing and supportive supervision).
∎ Required Competencies:
∎ Managerial Competencies:
∎ Empowering and Building Trust
∎ Cross-Functional Competencies:
∎ Analytical Thinking
∎ Planning and Organizing
∎ Stakeholder Management
∎ Eligibility:
∎ Candidates must be Bangladeshi nationals.
∎ Internal staff members should consult the Policy and Procedures on Assignments of Locally recruited Staff (PPAL). If you have questions regarding eligibility, you may also contact the HR Unit.

Compensation & Other Benefits:

Application Deadline: May 21, 2019

Company Information:
∎ United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Representation in Bangladesh
∎ Business : International UN Refugee Agency
Humanitarian assistance


Category: NGO/Development