Save the Children  recruits a MHPSS Officer – (200003SN) in Dohuk

Role purpose: 
Provide high quality individual and group support to children, adolescents, their caregivers and teachers, provide high-level technical assistance to MHPSS program staff, lead the setting up and delivery of Iraq MHPSS programs for children, adolescents, their caregivers and teachers and contribute to high quality of proposals and reporting.

Scope of role:

Reports to: CP Coordinator and the MHPSS Specialist.

Staff directly reporting to this post: No staff reporting but consequent coordination with other officers, facilitators, community mobilizers and case workers.


Key areas of accountability:

Under supervision of MHPSS Specialist:

  •  Provide high quality individual and group support to children, adolescents, their caregivers and their teachers, through the use of evidence based MHPSS techniques that build beneficiaries’ coping strategies, trust, resilience and self-confidence in a durable way.
  •  Supervise and support the field staff in the project sites in the planning, implementation and monitoring of PSS activities that include recreational and psychosocial activities, individual support to vulnerable children, children with disabilities, and case management activities.
  •  Technically supervise and support project’s field staff on providing basic psychosocial support for children through material review and approval, MHPSS trainings, and on site observation and debriefing sessions.
  •  Support MHPSS team and in coordination with the MHPSS specialist, to identify severe cases to be referred to psychological/psychiatric service providers in the area.
  •  Ensure that MHPSS activities at field level have sufficient resources at hand to build capacity, monitor, quality-assure, capture evidence and learning, and help in developing further in their ability to provide quality and needs-based MHPSS interventions.
  •  Identify training needs of the MHPSS teams and support the MHPSS specialist in the development and conducting of training modules, MHPSS implementation tools and awareness raising activities for staff, volunteers, key community members and partners’ staff on various topics;
  •  Lead on regular participatory activities with different groups of children, adolescents and youths to identify issues affecting children in their communities, and assist the teams to develop appropriate responses;
  •  Support in the continuous assessment of MHPSS needs of children, adolescents, their caregivers and teachers and ensure that these are appropriately reflected in field offices’ contextual strategies.
  •  Support the designing of children, adolescents and youth and family assessments and M&E tools and supervise their administration.
  •  Invest in building positive relationships with the communities, with specific focus on caregivers and teachers and raising awareness of MHPSS work;
  •  Participate in regular national meetings with other MHPSS focal points in each intervention location, in order to provide and receive technical supervision to MHPSS program staff.
  •  Be a focal point for SCI MHPSS Program for MHPSS related activities and represent SCI in relevant groups within the area of intervention (participate in relevant local WG).
  •  Work with cultural sensitivity and respect the dignity of refugees and members of the host communities at all times
  •  Make sure the implementation of the monthly action plan for the main PSS activities according to SCI standards and quality benchmarks.
  •  Ensure that the PSS activities (such as Child and Youth Resilience Program) are implemented in the particular field according to SC and international standards and sensitive to the needs of the targeted children and adolescents.
  •  Perform other functions relative to Child Protection activities and initiatives that may be assigned by the direct supervisor.
  •  Respect boundaries of work and technical capacity and do not engage in harmful practice.
  •  Ensure that in all interventions and support provided, gender equality is guaranteed.
  •  Set-up of safe mechanisms for responding to the needs of vulnerable children at individual level;
  •  Ensure full compliance of Child Safeguarding Policy at field level and especially with SC engaged personnel.
  •  Respond to all Child Safeguarding Policy concerns expressed or discovered appropriately and effectively.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Accountability

  • Support the MEAL team and in coordination with the MHPSS Specialist, the MEAL framework, and support in MHPSS assessments.
  •  Provide technical support to MHPSS staff in terms of technical and/or sensitive assessments and monitoring and evaluation.
  •  Work with the MHPSS Specialist and MEAL team to identify and incorporate project suitable accountability mechanisms.

Staff Management, Mentorship, and Development

  • Provide daily and weekly technical MHPSS support to all MHPSS and Case-Management staff on the ground.
  •  Be responsible to identify staff wellbeing issues through regular weekly coaching and supervision; in coordination with the MHPSS Specialist.
  •  Support in ensuring appropriate staffing within the operations component of the project team, within budget parameters.

Competencies:

Delivering results
Takes personal responsibility and holds others to account to deliver our ambitious goals for children, continually improving own performance or that of the team/ organisation.

Applying technical and professional expertise
Applies the required technical and professional expertise to the highest standards; promotes and shares best practice within and outside the organisation.

Working effectively with others
Works collaboratively to achieve shared goals and thrives on diversity of people and perspectives; knows when to lead and when to follow and how to ensure effective cross-boundary working

Communicating with impact
Communicates clearly and confidently with others to engage and influence; promotes dialogue and ensures timely and appropriate messages, building confidence and trust with others.

Qualifications and experience:

Required

  •  Degree in psychology, mental health or other relevant field
  •  Minimum 2 years of experience in MHPSS field
  •  Sound knowledge of protection in humanitarian aid context specifically in Iraq
  •  Proven capacity to supervise, and coach staff in child protection technical skills and project management
  •  Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including team leading and influencing.
  •  Experience in capacity building and training of local communities, and protectıon stakeholders regarding education programming
  •  Excellent written and oral communication skills Arabic and English
  •  Comfortable with high levels of ambiguity and able to take decisions independently in fluid context.
  •  Commitment to Save the Children values and Child Safeguarding.

Desired

  • Previous experience of managing a community center MHPSS project or similar
  •  Experience in working with refugees and returnees

We strongly encourage females to apply.

The Organisation:
We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard.

We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:

  •  No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday
  •  All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
  •  Violence against children is no longer tolerated

We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children.  We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive environment where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Location: Dohuk

Employee Status: Fixed Term

Closing Date: Jul 22, 2020

Apply here