MHPSS Facilitator

Duty Station: Hebron/Ramallah 

Starting Date: ASAP

End Date: Dec-2024 (with the possibility of renewal)

Première Urgence Internationale is a French non-profit, non-political, non-religious non-governmental international organization (NGO); which has been operational in the Occupied Palestinian Territory since 2002. 

PUI is operating in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip. The organization is working in different fields such as shelter, Food security and livelihoods, Agriculture, Heritage, Economic recovery and Cultural Heritage.

PUI’s humanitarian and development aid strategy focuses on providing support to populations affected by the coercive environment and subsequent violations of international humanitarian/human rights law in both the West Bank (WB) and the Gaza Strip (GS). It combines several sectors of intervention to prevent the loss of livelihoods and displacement of populations as a consequence of protection threats, addresses the lack of services (Health, Education, WASH), and the lack of access to agricultural lands or job opportunities.

Overall Objective

Under the direct responsibility and technical supervision of the MHPSS Supervisor, the MHPSS facilitator is responsible for delivering Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) services according to PUI’s MHPSS strategy, standards, and procedures. By supporting the assessment, designing, implementing, and monitoring of all components of a multi-faceted psychosocial support intervention aimed at serving communities most vulnerable affected by the occupation.

The position entails frequent travels to areas of operations all over the West Bank and East Jerusalem. 

Tasks and Responsibilities

• Field Implementation of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Activities
• Promotion of internal and external liaisons
• Capacity and strengthen-building activities
• Monitoring, evaluation, and reporting
• Compliance with safety and internal procedures

Specific objectives and linked activities:

1. IMPLEMENT MENTAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT ACTIVITIES

• Participate in conducting MHPSS assessments using tools such as focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and community mapping exercises considering AGD criteria to identify the community’s mental health and psychosocial needs and capacities.
• Provide mental health and psychosocial support services to different groups of people belonging to the communities identified as most vulnerable, including but not limited to community-level activities, Psychological First Aid (PFA), individual or group basic counselling, and follow-up, regular and structured group sessions, training sessions, and other activities based on identified needs and capacities.
• Facilitate specific thematic, empowering workshops, and/or events for community members and other actors. The themes and topics of the events/ workshops will derive from an initial assessment and involve all groups of people benefiting from the aforementioned support modalities.
• Provide mental health and psychosocial services to different groups of people identified as most vulnerable by supporting other organizations when necessary and upon request by the PUI oPt mission.
• Facilitate MHPSS activities within the targeted communities either through direct engagement or through remote means, ensuring the provision of services tailored to address challenges presented by the context.
• Mobilize communities and facilitate community-wide mental health and psychosocial well-being promotion outreach and awareness raising, through different modalities according to the particularities of the communities, considering both community and household levels.
• Design MHPSS-related supporting tools and Standardized Operating Procedures (SOP) and present them for validation from the PSS Supervisor and/or MHPSS Coordinator, contributing to the smooth implementation of the activities on the field.
• Work together with other team members and prepare/produce various mental health and psychosocial well-being information, education, and communication (IEC) material according to the identified needs and capacities of the targeted population.
• Implement the MHPSS services according to PUI SOPs and standardized guidelines along with a subsequent Action Plan to ensure a seamless implementation of the activities.
• Ensure timely availability of necessary materials or logistics arrangements for MHPSS activities by promptly communicating requirements to the MHPSS Supervisor.
• Liaise and build partnerships with community leaders and other relevant actors to encourage participation in, support for, and a better understanding of the program activities.
• Provide support to other organizations or partners according to the identified needs, in collaboration with the clusters and MHPSS Technical Working Group and with support from the MHPSS Supervisor.
• Work with the MHPSS Supervisor and fellow MHPSS Facilitators to create a weekly plan to schedule the team’s program activities ensuring their smooth implementation.
• Contribute to the adaptation of tools to monitor the incorporation of psychosocial principles, including the overall goal of the common monitoring and evaluation framework for MHPSS in emergencies.
• Support ensuring the complementarity and comprehensive nature of all inter-sectorial interventions that include MHPSS activities or goals.
• Contribute to the development of MHPSS Emergency Response Plans for the oPt mission in the event of mass incidents and implement the devised activities, delivering timely and appropriate services to the affected population.
• Provide safe and timely inter-sectoral referrals, including referrals to specialized MHPSS actors, and to protection or other sectors, according to reported needs and following the Multi-sectoral Referral System.
• Support and contribute to the implementation of the MHPSS Strategy for the PUI oPt mission.

2. PROMOTE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL LIAISONS

• Promote and partake in timely, internal coordination and collaboration with different PUI teams
• Participate in timely, external coordination and collaboration with PUI partners and other relevant agencies according to the needs and instructions of the MHPSS Supervisor.
• Establish regular communication and strengthen collaboration in the field with potential stakeholders, partners, key leaders, and CBOs by conducting regular visits to the field within the most vulnerable communities.
• Promote collaboration within the mission to more effectively address crosscutting issues.
• Contribute to regular updates of a functioning inter-sectoral service mapping with a focus on MHPSS and protection concerns.
• Be available for external or internal coordination, meetings, ad hoc or regular, according to needs.

3. CAPACITY BUILDING AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

• Participate in the design and implementation of capacity-building initiatives including training, mentorships, etc. for PUI staff and other partners, based on the needs and requests of the MHPSS Supervisor.
• Recommend targeted training topics based on operational challenges and needs to enhance the quality and effectiveness of the MHPSS services.
• Demonstrate a proactive attitude towards continuous improvement by actively seeking opportunities to enhance technical and professional competencies.
• Engage and actively participate in structured self-care and skill-strengthening practices, such as individual or group supervision sessions, case studies, debriefings, and other collaborative support sessions.
• Participate in and actively contribute to regular MHPSS meetings, sharing insights, suggestions, and updates to foster collaboration and enhance program effectiveness.
• Recognize instances where supervision or debriefing are necessary and communicate these needs to the MHPSS Supervisor aiming to improve the quality of MHPSS services and promote self-care and support practices.
• Contribute to maintaining a healthy work environment by fostering open and assertive communication, promoting teamwork, and actively supporting the well-being of other PUI members.
• Contribute to the identification of improvement areas in terms of adopting the “psychosocial approach” within the PUI oPt mission, and actively propose recommendations aiming at covering those gaps.

4. MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REPORTING

• Review, draft, or adapt tools to timely monitor delivered activities, including but not limited to session outcome reports, pre and post-tests, referral tracker, etc, following MHPSS Supervisor instructions and requests.
• Ensure timely, accurate, and comprehensive documentation of the MHPSS activities in alignment with the PUI Data collection tools and standards.
• Provide constructive feedback, and recommendations and share best practices derived from the implementation of the MHPSS activities.
• Ensure timely and comprehensive updates on the progress of the activities to the MHPSS Supervisor, including but not limited to arrangements and implementations.
• Adhere to PUI MEAL standards and requirements and support in facilitating the MEAL process with communities, groups and individuals participating in the MHPSS activities.
• Ensure utmost respect to confidentiality, and take appropriate measures to safeguard it throughout work-related activities.
• Report continuously to the MHPSS Supervisor on the achievement of individual objectives, implementation of the activities, and needs or capacities identified in the field.
• Ensure timely and comprehensive internal or external reporting when requested by the MHPSS Supervisor, MHPSS Coordinator, or Field Coordinator.
• Recognize and document the psychosocial needs arising from humanitarian crisis, emphasizing the impact of the occupation on the population in relevant reports or when requested by the MHPSS Supervisor.

5. COMPLIANCE WITH SAFETY AND PUI PROCEDURES

• Adhere to safety rules, security instructions and PUI protocols.
• Ensure that the implementation of the MHPSS activities does not place beneficiaries, PUI staff or any other persons at risk of harm.
• Report on the security situation to MHPSS Supervisor, Field Coordinator or Log/Security assistant.
• Upon request from MHPSS Supervisor, contributes to PUI’s security analysis by his/her input.
• Ensure that protection principles are met at all times.

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Required Knowledge and Skills

EDUCATION: 

Required: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Social Work, Sociology, or related field;

Desirable:

• Training in counselling, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or related topics.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: (Humanitarian, International)

Required: 

• Minimum 1 year of working experience in NGOs, iNGO or CBOs
• Minimum 2 years of experience in direct service provision in the field of MHPSS, preferably working in providing group support activities, individual counselling, or focused non-specialized support to vulnerable populations.
• Experience and ability to work in unstable environments
• Experience in participating in the design and implementation of capacity-building initiatives around mental health
• Demonstrated capacity in conducting field-level assessments, including safety audits and developing assessment tools.

Desirable:

• Clinical experience with victims of conflicts, survivors of S/GBV and survivors of torture, refugee / displaced populations

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Required: 

• Good writing skills in English
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills
• Excellent report writing and communication skills
• Ability to communicate effectively with a variety of people;
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills
• Familiarity with the IASC Guidelines on MHPSS in Emergency Settings and other interagency standards.
• Understanding of key protection and MHPSS mainstreaming principles and their practical applications in humanitarian work
• Good understanding of the communities, culture and traditions across the WB including East Jerusalem.
• Knowledge of Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) responsibilities within humanitarian response.
• Knowledge of the importance of confidentiality and data protection-relevant protocols.
• Ability to work in challenging conditions and find suitable techniques to mitigate any probable challenges.
• Ability to work in volatile and complex humanitarian settings
• Ability to take initiative and be proactive in tackling changes and seeking opportunities.

Desirable:

• Capacity Building
• PSS intervention in humanitarian setting.

LANGUAGES

• Arabic
• English

Required: English mandatory: very good command of spoken and written English.

SOFTWARE (Pack Office, Other (to be specified)

Required: Good knowledge of MS Office software - Including Word, Outlook, and Excel.

Required Personal Characteristics (fitting into the team, suitability for the job and assignment)

• Ability to work on own initiative and collaboratively as part of a diverse team and manage a varied workload
• Excellent communication skills, diplomacy, and a solution-oriented attitude
• Good ability to manage deadlines in emergency response contexts
• Adherence to supervisor's guidance and communication channels
• Curiosity and interest in the organization's activities
• Honesty, integrity, and transparency
• Sense of initiative and anticipation
• Good teamwork skills
• Adaptability, flexibility
• Cultural sensitivity
• Analytical skills
• Punctuality
• Autonomy
• Rigor

*To have a valid driving license

PUI provides a work environment that reflects the values of integrity, diversity and gender equality. Therefore, we strongly encourage applications from women and underrepresented cultural or social groups, particularly people with disabilities and people from communities highly affected by occupation-related violence (including settler violence).

All PUI workers adhere to the values and principles outlined in the PUI Code of Conduct and policies, including the Protection from Exploitation and Abuse Policy and the Child Protection Policy.”

If you believe you are the candidate we are looking for, you could apply using the two mandatory steps:
1. Please fill in the form in the link below:

MHPSS – APPLICATION FORM

2. In addition, please submit a cover letter and a detailed resumebefore Saturday September 14,2024 by sending an e-mail to [email protected]. Please indicate the Position Title " MHPSS Facilitator " in the E-mail subject line.

Incomplete applications or Unfilled Forms will not be considered. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.