Job Description

Title: Psychosocial Support (PSS) Officer

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

Vacancy: 01

Job Location: Cox's Bazar (Teknaf)

Employment Status: Full-time, Contractual

Educational Requirements:
∎ University degree in Clinical / Educational & Counseling Psychology or related to Mental Health and Psychosocial Field.

Experience Requirements:
∎ At least 2 year(s)

Job Context:
∎ Handicap International (Humanity & Inclusion) is inviting applications from development professionals, willing to serve as a Psychosocial Support (PSS) Officer, to its ongoing innovative emergency BPRM project: Inclusive specialized services for vulnerable persons including persons with disabilities in Cox`s Bazar Rohingya camps and host communities.
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∎ The Psychosocial Support (PSS) Officer will identify Psychosocial (PSS) needs and provide direct individual and group support to women, children, and men with specific attention to traditionally excluded and at-risk individuals namely elder persons and persons with disabilities. The Psychosocial Support (PSS) Officer will establish and maintain collaborative relationships with other actors across sectors to facilitate healthy working relationships and effective referral pathways. They will work closely with community volunteers at the camp level. They will plan and implement activities, with the assistance of the Technical Unit, and report to the Team Manager regularly. They will take part in capacity building training and activities as guided by the Psychosocial (PSS) Technical Team. They will represent the inclusive and equitable service mandate of HI in all activities conducted.
∎ Line Manager: Team Manager
∎ Type of Contract: Fixed-term
∎ Duration of the Contract: From as early to 30 June 2021
∎ Job Location: Teknaf, Cox`s Bazar

Job Responsibilities:
∎ Main responsibilities
∎ For all duties, Psychosocial Support (PSS) Officer maintain strict compliance with safety, confidentiality, and do no harm principles.
∎ Objective 1: Provide direct individual mental health and psychosocial support to persons of concern
∎ Assist with the identification of persons in need of Psychosocial Support (PSS) 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 Mental Status Exam and other assessment tools to 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 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 Psychosocial Support (PSS) Technical Team
∎ Objective 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
∎ Conduct follow up individual sessions as needed for participants with more complex or prolonger Psychosocial Support (PSS) 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
∎ Objective 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 Psychosocial Support (PSS) 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 Psychosocial Support (PSS) Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials for stigma and stress reduction and the promotion of help-seeking; ensure the integration of Psychosocial Support (PSS) themes into the IEC materials of other sectors within the mobile unit
∎ Support Rohingya community volunteers through capacity building and case follow up
∎ Objective 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 wrap around responses to emerging needs
∎ Provide Psychosocial Support (PSS) to protection cases as needed to support the specific needs of persons with disabilities and 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 needs
∎ Support Team Manager in attending camp level coordination meetings to identify gaps, challenges, and solutions
∎ Regularly report status and challenge updates to HI coordination staff to enable sector level advocacy and problem-solving if needed
∎ Close collaboration with PSS Technical Team [TA, STO, Trainer] for technical guidance and capacity building

Additional Requirements:
∎ Age 21 to 63 years
∎ Minimum 2 years of clinical mental health experience
∎ Experience in providing humanitarian/emergency mental health support; experience in Rohingya Refugee Response a plus
∎ Understanding of age, gender & disability and inclusion principles and practices - particularly related to PSS & Protection
∎ 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 clients
∎ Proven analytical and planning skills;
∎ Good oral and written communication skills in Bengali and English; Chittagonian or Rohingya is a plus
∎ Computing skills (MS office package- both in English and Bangla);
∎ Knowledge 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 of working with INGO/NGO;
∎ Person with disability are encouraged to apply

Salary:
∎ Tk. 52731 - 55881 (Monthly)
∎ Hardship Allowance will be added in addition to working in Cox`s Bazar District.

Compensation & Other Benefits:
∎ Mobile bill, Tour allowance, Medical allowance, Provident fund, Weekly 2 holidays, Insurance, Gratuity
∎ Festival Bonus: 2

Application Deadline: 31 Oct 2020

Company Information:
∎ 21 Oct 2020
∎ Handicap International (humanity & Inclusion) in Bangladesh
∎ Address : House # 3/A, Road # 36, Gulshan , Dhaka-1212
∎ Web : https://hi.org/en/index
∎ Business : Business: Handicap International (HI) is an international aid organization specialized in the field of disability. Non-governmental, non-religious, non-political and non-profit making, it works alongside persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups, whatever the context, offering them assistance and supporting them in their efforts to become self-reliant. Since its creation, the organisation has set up programmes in approximately 60 countries and intervened in many emergency situations. It operates as a federation made up of a network of eight associations (Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, United Kingdom, USA) which 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 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 not only with persons with disabilities but also with their families, their communities, and the society. The main office is based in Dhaka, and presently there are 3 site offices in Sitakundo, Kurigram and in Cox’sbazar.

Presently HI Bangladesh is implementing projects on integrating disability in community based disaster risk reduction and response; economic empowerment of extreme 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