Coordinator, MHPSS Emergency Response Team, Democratic Republic of Congo

Job Summary

The primary responsibility of the MHPSS ERT Coordinator is to provide technical support to mental health and psychosocial programs; ensuring assessment, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of MHPSS activities. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function with or without reasonable accommodation.

Main Tasks and Responsibilities

General

Provide technical and administrative support to mental health and psychosocial program staff; providing guidance on planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of MHPSS activities in different sites. Conduct routine project needs assessments and program reviews to ensure successful implementation and donor compliance as well as compliance with International Medical Corps (IMC) MHPSS Quality Standards. Manage MHPSS program team ensuring there is adequate cover during periods of absence, training needs are met and performance evaluated. Work directly with any MHPSS Consultants when required by the program. Ensure link and coordination between MHPSS department, and other departments/sectors especially protection and health department. Participate and represent MHPSS program in regular staff meetings, meetings with donors, regional meetings etc. Liaise closely with any new or previous sub grantees. Participate in IMC Emergency Response Team (ERT) for strategic planning; working to create MHPSS component in country strategy. Assess the capacity of the local staff and work on a capacity building plan that is in line with the program and country strategic objectives. Participate in identification and hiring of MHPSS program staff. Participate in performance appraisal of national and expatriate MHPSS staff.

External Coordination

Actively participate in or co-chair interagency Mental Health and Psychosocial Support reference group together with representatives from other agencies and organizations. Represent International Medical Corps at other relevant coordination meetings and cluster meetings (e.g. health, protection). Work to improve interagency coordination, sharing of information, and promote MHPSS guidelines, best practices and Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) MHPSS reference group endorsed materials and resources. This includes translation and dissemination of global MHPSS guidelines and materials and planning joint assessments and response strategies. Liaise and collaborate with existing government structures, local authorities and NGOs/Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) in organizing MHPSS activities. Identify and work with suitable local partner organizations and institutions for joint MHPSS work. Identify and where appropriate collaborate with existing formal and informal community leaders and service providers.

Assessment

Conduct an MHPSS needs assessment among the affected populations in consultation with IMC MHPSS Technical Unit (TU) advisors. This will include using assessment tools consistent with IASC guidelines and the MHPSS WHO/UNHCR assessment toolkit (e.g. extent of mental health integration at hospitals and Primary Health Care (PHC) clinics; and a rapid community-based assessment of MHPSS needs and resources, mapping of existing services and supports). Produce high quality report (with IMC TU support) and disseminate and discuss findings externally, including with donors.

Program Development

Take a lead in MHPSS program development and proposal writing in consultation with IMC MHPSS TU advisors. Develop the strategy and mechanisms to integrate mental health and psychosocial support into IMC programs in keeping with IASC guidelines of mental health and psychosocial support in emergencies.

Training and Capacity Building

Assess and initiate training of identified staff in appropriate skills in consultation with IMC MHPSS TU advisors. Train ERT and national staff in key relevant aspects of IASC guidelines and Psychological First Aid (PFA). Organize external workshops in coordination with other agencies and organizations (e.g. IASC MHPSS Guidelines orientation). Organize tailored training and continued on the job mentoring and capacity building for national staff. Produce and share training materials and training reports including relevant data (e.g. attendance, pre-/post-tests, training evaluations).

Reporting and M/E

Develop data collection tools and forms to capture MHPSS activities, results and impact in consultation with IMC TU MHPSS advisors. Establish systematic data collection for reports. Take a lead in writing MHPSS section of all donor reports. Submit data required for donor reports, and monthly reports. Submit program information, data and success stories to promote visibility (e.g. IMC website, media).

General

Deployed personnel are expected to assist with the setup, maintenance and demobilization of the clinical spaces and base camp as required.

Policy Adherence

Actively promote PSEA (prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse) standards within International Medical Corps and among beneficiaries served by International Medical Corps. Adhere to the Code of Conduct, maintain humanitarian principles and respect international humanitarian law at all times. The fluid nature of emergency response requires personnel to adapt to a rapidly changing landscape; duties may be reconfigured to meet operational requirements. Perform other duties as assigned. The duties and responsibilities listed in this document are representative of the nature and level of work assigned and not necessarily comprehensive.

Minimum Qualifications

Typically, a 4-year University degree in related area. Equivalent combination of relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate. The qualified candidate will be a mental health professional (psychologist, clinical social worker, psychiatrist, or psychiatric nurse) with MA/S or equivalent in social science (e.g. psychology, clinical social work or sociology) or medical field (e.g. psychiatric nurse, psychiatrist). Typically, 7+ year of relevant and progressive experience working in mental health related field, including minimum of 4 years of progressively responsible professional experience in humanitarian MHPSS work, including in emergencies and in conflict settings. Knowledge of humanitarian field, protection, international development, public health or other relevant field. Knowledgeable in and has used the IASC MHPSS guidelines and best practices as part of their previous work experience. Demonstrable technical expertise in the assessment of and design and delivery of responses to pre-existing and emergency induced MHPSS needs. Training experience required; capacity and proven track record in national staff and partner training, including capacity building of the national counterparts to management level. Strong organizational and supervisory skills. Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work within different cultural environments. Ability to work within a team structure or in isolation, flexible, and can cope with stressful workloads and working with limited resources. Ability to travel on short notice to project sites. Experience in working in the country or region is a plus. Fluency in written and spoken English is required; fluency in Spanish, French, Arabic is desirable.

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