Première Urgence Internationale recherche Une Coordonnatrice en santé mentale et soutien psychosocial, Maiduguri, Nigeria 

Première Urgence Internationale (PUI) is a Humanitarian, non-governmental, non-profit, non-political and non-religious international aid organization. Our teams are committed to supporting civilian victims of marginalization and exclusion, or hit by natural disasters, wars and economic collapses, by addressing their fundamental needs. Our aim is to provide emergency relief to uprooted people in order to help them recover their dignity and regain self-sufficiency. The association leads on average 200 projects per year in the following sectors of intervention: food security, health, nutrition, construction and rehabilitation of infrastructures, water, sanitation, hygiene and economic recovery. PUI is providing assistance to around 6 million people in more than 22 countries – in Africa, Asia, Middle East, and Europe.

Following the intensification of the Chad Lake conflict in Nigeria (North East of the Country), PUI opened its Nigerian mission in 2016. PUI is also assisting the Nigerian refugees in Cameroon.

Find out about our history and values.

Humanitarian situation and needs

With the largest population in Africa (between 178 and 200 million inhabitants), Nigeria is ranked as one of the strongest economy of the continent relying on oil and petroleum products as well as mineral resources (gold, iron, diamonds, copper etc…). Despite a strong economy, Nigeria suffers from important development disparities between North and South provinces of the country, social and economic inequalities, and from a high rate of corruption at every level of the economic and administrative systems. Moreover, Nigeria is a very diverse country, hosting multiple ethnic groups and religion.

The on-going conflict in the North-East States of the country (states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe) and widespread violence triggered a large scale humanitarian crisis. This context is exacerbated by the extreme violence from armed-opposition groups ISWAP (Islamic State’s West Africa Province) and JAS (Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad) targeting civilian populations in NE Nigeria. In October 2019, there were 2 019 000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the country according to the UNHCR and 7.1 million people were considered to be in a humanitarian emergency situation. Three years of conflict have seriously deteriorated living conditions in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States and have depressed agricultural production, exacerbating populations’ critical needs for life-saving assistance.

Our action in the field

Our current operational strategy is based on the following objectives:

• Increase basic humanitarian assistance coverage to those in need within Borno State
• Contribute to developing a deeper understanding of the humanitarian needs within communities Food and nutrition insecurity is reduced for crisis-effected populations
• Self-reliance is strengthened within accessible and safe regions
• The overall protection environment of targeted communities is enhanced
• Vulnerable and conflict-affected individuals with specific protection needs and risks can access specialized protection services
• Contribute to the reduction of morbidity and mortality especially for women, children

And the main programmatic objectives of the mission for 2020 can be synthetized as follows:

• Continue and further develop the response to urgent needs of IDPs and Host Communities living in Maiduguri City through Food Security, Health, Nutrition and Protection activities.
• Further develop the integrated multi-sector response in Maiduguri City with the widening of the sectoral scope of PUI intervention by adding Protection, WASH… to the response portfolio (either directly or through coordinated approach with external actors)
• Develop the support to vulnerable populations in Monguno, through the launch of 2 Health, Nutrition and Protection projects

Click here for more information about our response to the crisis.

As part of our activities in Nigeria, we are looking for a Mental Health & Psychosocial Support Coordinator in Maiduguri. 

OVERALL OBJECTIVE 

The Mental Health & Psychosocial Coordinator (MHPSS Co) enforces the mission’s MHPSS strategy and the quality of current and future programmes during the design, implementation, and evaluation stages.

The MHPSS Co will contribute to the identification of programmatic priorities through needs assessment, the design and guidance for MHPSS programming in Nigeria, as well as any other areas where needs are identified. In addition, the MHPSS Co will ensure that MHPSS programs are implemented in accordance with international standard protocols, guidelines and best practices, providing support to programme managers and directly to national MHPSS staff.

TASKS AND RESPONSABILITIES

• Evaluation/Strategy: S/he takes part in developing the operating strategy and proposes new services to respond to needs identified in the target country. S/he carries out MHPSS monitoring for the country and analyses strengths and weaknesses
• Programmes: S/he provides functional support, related to technical aspects during programme implementation.
• Representation/Coordination: S/he ensures PUI’s representation to partners, donors, and authorities within the sector, in the technical field of expertise, and ensures that information about the mission is properly distributed.
• Human Resources / Training: S/he supports the MHPSS team (PUI employees), provides support to project managers for recruiting technical staff and oversee the technical training content and activities on the basis of identified needs.
• Logistics and Administration: S/he ensures the activities for which s/he is responsible, comply with logistical and administrative procedures.
• Safety: S/he contributes to compliance with safety rules within the mission and communicates any safety-related information to the Head of Mission.

Focus on 3 priority activities related to the context of the mission

• Follow closely with the Project Managers the implementation of the newly-developped MHPSS Framework
• Support the Project Managers with training their staff, including developing additional training materials in line with the MHPSS Intervention Framework
• Develop activity sheets and guidelines on relevant clinical interventions and tools

Do not hesitate to look at the job description below for all the details you need.