Job Description

Title: Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Officer

Company Name: Handicap International (humanity & Inclusion) in Bangladesh

Vacancy: 1

Job Location: Cox's Bazar (Teknaf)

Employment Status: Full-time

Educational Requirements:
∎ Bachelor's Degree in Psychology or any relevant areas of Psychology.
∎ Preferable – Master's Degree in a relevant field.

Experience Requirements:
∎ At least 2 year(s)

Job Context:
∎ HI has been working in Bangladesh since 1997, focusing on creating sustainable changes to ensure the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities in society. HI is an independent and impartial aid organization working in poverty, exclusion, conflict, and disaster situations throughout Bangladesh. With projects in different districts of the country, HI works not only with people with disabilities and other vulnerable populations, but also with their families, their communities, and local humanitarian actors in order to respond to their essential needs, improve their living conditions, promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights, and provide sustainability in its action. As one of the key organizations in the disability sector, HI has a wide range of projects which assist in promoting the inclusion of persons with disabilities and their issues in emergency and development contexts, building capacities of local stakeholders, and reducing the impact of natural and human-made disasters. Particularly in Cox`s Bazar district, HI is providing services in rehabilitation, MH/PSS, SRH, protection, and inclusive education with an inclusion mainstreaming approach to refugees and host populations affected by the forcibly displaced undocumented Myanmar nationals. HI`s multi-sectoral mobile units (MU) and static approach are currently working in 15 camps located in both Teknaf and Ukhiya Upazilas and surrounding host areas providing comprehensive services in physical rehabilitation, primary health care, protection, and MHPSS.
∎ HI is currently implementing a development and humanitarian response project in Kurigram, and Cox`s Bazar district through 4 project offices (Kurigram, Ukhiya, and Teknaf) and 2 coordination offices (Dhaka and Cox Bazar).
∎ Operational Thematic: Livelihood, Health and Rehabilitation, Protection, Inclusion, Education, and Atlas Logistics
∎ Number of staff: Around 294 National staff and 06 international staff
∎ HI is currently looking for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Officer, Reporting to the Team Manager/Project Manager/Senior Project Manager, the MHPSS Officer contributes to the implementation of the mandate and the 10-year strategy of Humanity & Inclusion in the country where s/he is based. The MHPSS officer contributes to the implementation of his/her project, ensuring the optimal quality and the impact of the project. S/he works closely with the programme & technical team.
∎ Job Location: Teknaf
∎ Line Manager: Team Manager/ Project Manager/Senior Project Manager
∎ Type of Contract: Fixed-term
∎ Duration of the Contract: As early as possible to 31 August 2023

Job Responsibilities:
∎ Mission 1: Operational implementation
∎ Responsibility 1: Provide direct individual mental health and psychosocial support to persons of concern
∎ Assist with the identification of persons in need of MHPSS support including those engaged by other HI mobile unit team members, including rehabilitation and protection, and those experiencing emotional distress and isolation
∎ Conduct basic mental health assessments using the various assessment tools and establish a baseline for care
∎ Collaboratively develop an individualized care plan for persons of concern to support the development/maintenance of healthy coping mechanisms and achievement of psychosocial goals
∎ Conduct regular follow-up sessions as needed for participants with more complex or prolonged MHPSS needs to provide ongoing support according to the established care plan and adjust to meet the person’s developing needs.
∎ Facilitate timely, appropriate, and confidential referrals to specialized mental health care or other needed services when needed using the established referral pathways in their area of work; including internal referrals for HI-provided services
∎ Adapt existing interventions and develop innovative approaches to supporting persons of concern together with the MHPSS Technical Team
∎ Responsibility 2: Provide group mental health and psychosocial support to persons of concern
∎ Facilitate group sessions focusing on socio-emotional processing, skill-building, and social connectedness at the static point and home-based level.
∎ Facilitate theme-based (anger and stress management and substance abuse) focus group discussions to address stigma, community needs, and existing community responses to increase awareness and resilience.
∎ Ensure regular follow-up sessions for the group to address the areas to intervene, and referral to other services as per the need of the group participants.
∎ Responsibility 3: Support with communication with communities activities including monitoring and advocacy
∎ Conduct awareness and information sessions on psychosocial and mental health issues to reduce stigma and increase access to support for MHPSS needs including substance use and survivors of violence
∎ Identify barriers to accessing services and support solutions to ensure care, particularly for elder persons and persons with disabilities.
∎ Explore the causes of psychosocial stresses among the target population; at the individual level, family, and community level through focus groups and individual interviews.
∎ Explore the current health-seeking behaviors among the person who are currently accessing services and their communities to better develop outreach and engagement activities
∎ Support in developing MHPSS Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials for stigma and stress reduction and the promotion of help-seeking; ensure the integration of MHPSS themes into the IEC materials of other sectors within the mobile unit
∎ Support Para Counselor/Rohingya community volunteers through capacity building and case follow-up through supervision.
∎ Responsibility 4: Coordination and Collaboration within interdisciplinary HI teams and across external sectors including but not limited to Health, Protection, and WASH
∎ Conduct interdisciplinary case discussions as needed to identify comprehensive responses to emerging needs.
∎ To seek integrality and complementarity among sectors. Provide MHPSS services to cases identified by protection and/or Rehabilitation officers. Meaning persons with disabilities and caregivers.
∎ To identify service gaps.
∎ Develop and maintain relationships with other actors at the field level.
∎ Regularly monitor and update active referral pathways across sectors for timely response to the needs.
∎ Regularly updates on challenges and needs identified in the activities to HI Team Manager or any coordination staff, to enable sector-level advocacy and problem-solving if needed.
∎ Support Team Manager in attending camp-level coordination meetings to identify gaps, challenges, and solutions. Take an active part in sectorial coordination at the field level.
∎ Close collaboration with MHPSS Technical Team [TA, TO, Trainer] for technical guidance and capacity building
∎ Actively participate in HI training and other designated training, and share knowledge with colleagues and volunteers.
∎ Mission 2: Emergency Preparedness and Response
∎ Responsibility 5: Contribute to the programme’s emergency preparedness initiatives, and in an emergency, adapt his/her working arrangements to contribute to an effective humanitarian response from HI.
∎ Take active part with the emergency team to respond in an emergency including psychological first aid, identifying cases with acute trauma, providing basic trauma counseling, etc.
∎ Referral to other services for emergency and comprehensive care, including medical, protection, shelter, and other basic needs, also having the capacity to identify cases with specialized MHPSS needs and appropriate referral.

Additional Requirements:
∎ Age at least 18 years
∎ At least 2 years’ experience of working on the same thematic preferably in development and humanitarian context.
∎ Experience in providing humanitarian/emergency mental health support; experience in Rohingya Refugee Response is an added advantage.
∎ Understanding of age, gender & disability, and inclusion principles and practices – particularly related to MHPSS & Protection is an added value.
∎ Experience participating in training (material development, training facilitation) and on-the-job capacity building of staff and community volunteers.
∎ Have the capacity to maintain close relationships with partners, stakeholders, and beneficiaries.
∎ Proven analytical and planning skills.
∎ Good oral and written communication skills in Bengali and English; Chittagonian or Rohingya is an added advantage.
∎ Computing skills (MS office package- both in English and Bangla).
∎ Knowledge of gender, age, disability, and inclusion issues in Bangladesh and the Rohingya community.
∎ Experience in working in remote community settings.
∎ Experience in contributing to data collection and indicator tracking within development projects or programs.
∎ Experience in working with INGO/NGO.
∎ Person with disability are encouraged to apply

Salary:
∎ Tk. 62758 - 69693 (Monthly)
∎ A hardship allowance will be added to working in Cox`s Bazar District only. Salary will be determined based on experience, qualification, and budget availability.

Compensation & Other Benefits:
∎ Mobile bill, Tour allowance, Medical allowance, Provident fund, Weekly 2 holidays, Insurance, Gratuity
∎ Festival Bonus: 2
∎ Medical Coverage: Staff & dependents will get general/outpatient, hospitalization, dental, and optical, medical insurance facilities as per the HI policy.
∎ Maternity Coverage: Staff & dependents will get maternity medical coverage facilities as per the HI policy.
∎ Group Life Insurance Coverage: Staff will get the death benefit, accidental benefit, permanent partial disability, permanent total disability benefit, and critical illness benefit as per the HI policy.
∎ Leave: Staff will get sick leave, Casual leave, annual leave, medical leave, and event leave as per HI policy.

Job Source: Bdjobs.com Online Job Posting.

Application Deadline: 20 May 2023

Company Information:
∎ 7 May 2023
∎ Handicap International (humanity & Inclusion) in Bangladesh
∎ Address : House 3/A, Road 36, Gulshan-2, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh
∎ Web : https://hi.org/en/index
∎ Business : Business: Handicap International (HI) is an international aid organization specializing in the field of disability. Non-governmental, non-religious, non-political, and non-profit making works alongside persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups, whatever the context, assisting them and supporting them in their efforts to become self-reliant. Since its creation, the organization has set up programmes in approximately 60 countries and intervened in many emergencies. It operates as a federation made up of eight associations (Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, United Kingdom, USA) that provide human and financial resources, manage projects, and raise awareness of Handicap International`s actions and campaigns.

HI has been working in Bangladesh since 1997, with a focus on creating sustainable changes in terms of ensuring the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities in society. HI promotes an inclusive approach by focusing on access to services for all whenever possible rather than developing specific actions for persons with disabilities. HI works with persons with disabilities and with their families, their communities, and society. The main office is based in Dhaka, and presently there are 4 project offices (Kurigram, Sitakundu, Ukhiya, and Teknaf) and 1 coordination office (Cox Bazar).

Presently HI Bangladesh is implementing projects on integrating disability in community-based disaster risk reduction and response; economic empowerment of extremely poor persons with disabilities; mainstreaming disability in livelihood interventions; support to refugees and surrounding communities, capacity building of professional associations; and support to Disabled People`s Organizations; among others.

Category: NGO/Development

: Interested candidates meeting the above requirements should apply with the latest CV with 02 References (Current/Last Supervisor only) including the Head of HR of the current employer to bdjobs.com by Saturday, 20 May 2023. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified. Handicap International-Humanity & Inclusion is an equal-opportunity employer. Women and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply and will be preferred in case of similar qualifications to other candidates.HI promotes and upholds the principles of equal opportunities and policies (PSEAH, Child Protection, etc.). HI has a zero-tolerance approach to any harm to, or exploitation of, a vulnerable adult or a child by any of our staff, representatives, or partners. Recruitment to all jobs in HI includes, in particular, criminal record checks and the collection of relevant references. Safeguarding our beneficiaries is our top priority in everything we do.HI is committed to a safe workplace for all people to grow professionally regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, or race. HI extends this commitment to equality and Do No Harm to all staff, volunteers, partners, and beneficiaries. The humanitarian principles focus on equity and inclusion with a solid commitment to these values. A competitive candidate will uphold and implement these values in their personal and professional life.Any persuasion by the person, phone, email, or other means in this regard will automatically disqualify the candidate. The selected employee should clearly understand that all final offers of employment are contingent upon a successful reference check, the pre-employment screening will be performed for all selected applicants. Please be noted that this position will be confirmed after confirmation of the award.