Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Officer

Handicap International (which runs projects under its operating name, Humanity & Inclusion - HI -), is an independent and impartial international aid organization working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. Working alongside persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups, our action and testimony are focused on responding to their essential needs, improving their living conditions and promoting respect for their dignity and their fundamental rights. Handicap International is a not-for-profit organization with no religious or political affiliation. It operates as a federation made up of a network of associations.

OBJECTIVE OF THE POSITION:

The MHPSS officer will be in charge of providing technical supervision and coordination of all MHPSS activities under the supervision of the Inclusive Education Project Manager. S/he will ensure that the coaching, training, and capacity-building needs of the partners’ are timely addressed and that the MHPSS activities meet quality standards in the humanitarian sector. This includes the specific focus on reducing the vulnerability of crisis-affected populations in West Bank and Gaza through the provision of health and protection services, with particular attention to specific vulnerabilities related to gender, age, and disability.

Responsibilities:

Responsibility 1: Contribute to the development of MHPSS tools for the project implementation and to the capacity-building materials of the project team at the partners’ level.

Aim: Ensure the partners’ team understands and is able to apply the chosen modalities of intervention in compliance with global and HI MHPSS technical framework.

Tasks:

• Support the development and/or adaptation of methodologies and protocols and the creation of high-complexity technical resources, including full training packages (training needs assessment tools, training manuals and materials, pre-post training tests), users’ guidelines, etc.;
• Develop or adapt low/medium complexity technical instruments
• Organize and/or participate in the testing of the resources whenever appropriate and adjust them based on the results of the test. Draft lessons learnt
• Provide ad-hoc support to the team during resources use including field coaching
• Assess project partner capacity building needs, define suitable training plans and training package
• Train the project’s partners and relevant actors and stakeholders on the methodologies and resources of MHPSS intervention.
• Produce training and coaching reports and coordinate feedback with the service providers for strengthening continuous staff development.

Responsibility 2: Support the implementation of project activities.

Aim: Ensure  that the project intervention contributes to positive outcomes for the beneficiaries

Tasks:

• Provide ad-hoc MHPSS support, coaching, and follow-up to the project’s partners, actors, and stakeholders during the implementation of the following activities:
• Through regular discussions with partners’ staff, collect information about any technical issues and needs faced by the MHPSS teams at the partner level and report them to the IE Project Manger  and relevant HI technical staff along with suggestions for improvement.
• Attend and participate to MHPSS working group meetings to ensure coordination with other partners, and provide or collect information on available services and referral modalities and criteria for specialized mental health services.
• Support the partners’ staff to plan and implement internal and external referrals for specialized mental health services when needed according to the existing mechanisms and modalities.
• Support the partners’ staff to plan and implement information/orientation sessions for beneficiaries to increase awareness of what mental health is and the services available for it according to the existing mechanisms and modalities.
• Support the various initiatives towards change, in collaboration with the MHPSS team at partners level, including the continued improvement of technical resources.
• Follow-up and monitor the MHPSS activities /services provided by the service providers in line with the identified services criteria and ensure a monthly report tracking. o Identify specific training needs, and share findings with the IE Project Manager.
• Provide technical support to the IE technical officer  in designing and delivering recreational activities for children with and without disabilities 

Responsibility 3: Contribute to project’s monitoring, lessons learning and reporting 

Aim: Ensure the project intervention remains on the right track and it takes into account of positive/negative/successful/failure practices

Tasks:

• Ensure that the project monitoring data and documents are received on time, providing reminders to partner staff if necessary.
• Verify compliance with defined methodologies and proper use of monitoring and data collection resources, requesting clarifications and providing feedback to partners if needed.
• Participate in assessments and evaluations relating to the quality of MHPSS and partners’ activities.
• Regularly extract specific data from the project documents sent by partners’ staff, and send it along with analysis of this data, to the line manager, technical advisor and other relevant HI staff.
• Contribute to include and transfer the project monitoring assessment tools and follow-up documents to HI Database/ CTO system.
• Develop case studies and success stories to illustrate changes induced by the project and for communication use.
• Plan and produce activity reports and contribute to the production of the donor report as appropriate.
• Contribute to the preparation and implementation of project quarterly reviews and participate in the organization of technical reviews and technical missions as required.
• Participate in a professional network at the national level in the field of expertise of the project.
• Develop lessons learning exercises, data collection and analysis, and the production of dissemination documents with identifying good practices under the project.
• Facilitate the field implementation of project evaluations and research.

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Professional skills

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably post-graduate studies or a degree in Psychology, Social Protection, Mental Health, or a related field.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in MHPSS sector, in emergency or/ and development context.
• Skills in developing training and providing coaching for capacity building.
• Ability to develop information material.
• Analytical skills.
• Ability to work with partners, civil society organizations or public authorities.
• Skills in users centered approach.
• Knowledge of referrals mechanisms.

Cross-cutting skills

• Ability to respect deadline and work under pressure.
• Very positive personality, with strong orientation towards solutions.
• Adaptability, flexibility.
• Autonomy in work.
• Excellent communication skills Proactive, solution maker, strongly positive, constructive and dynamic personality.

PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS:

HI workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in HI Code of conduct.  In accordance with these values, HI operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti-fraud, bribery, and corruption.

DISABILITY INCLUSION:

The candidate or his/her representative must let the HR representative know that s/he needs an adjustment or change at the test and the interview for a reason related to a medical condition by sending a request for accommodation at the email: [email protected].

By applying to this position, you grant HI’s recruitment team your consent to perform a reference check on you with respect to the misconduct disclosure scheme.

The initial contract will be for a period of up to 9 months, to be extendable based on the availability of funds.

Handicap International is an equal-opportunity employer and particularly welcomes applications from persons with disabilities

Interested candidates should fill out the form MHPSS Officer and submit their resume with a motivation letter to reach on or before October 23rd, 2024. Incomplete applications or applications received after the deadline will be disregarded.

Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply and those shortlisted will be contacted.