Mental Health & Psychosocial Support Technichal Advisor

The Opportunity

 

Promote access for children and families affected by conflict in the oPt to high quality and well-coordinated MHPSS programming in line with global standards and latest research. Be involved in assessments, program design, training and evaluations on MHPSS as well as with development of new guidelines, tools and training materials on community-based psychosocial support models. Provide high-level technical assistance and training to Country Office and Partner staff implementing MHPSS programming to meet international quality standards, lead the setting up and delivery of MHPSS programs for children, adolescents and youths, and contribute to high quality of proposals and reporting.

 

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

 

• Support, mentor and advise on all matters of mental health and psychosocial support, for example assisting with input to programme design, strategies, training curriculum as well as input to projects proposals and ToRs;
• Develop and provide technical input to guidelines, manuals, training materials and tools;
• Ensure that MHPSS activities have sufficient resources and expertise at hand to build capacity, monitor, quality-assure, capture evidence and learning, and develop further the ability to provide quality and needs-based MHPSS interventions; 
• Develop methodologies and data collection techniques for assessments, indicators, programme management and evaluations;
• Be a focal point for SC oPt Program for MHPSS related activities and represent SCI in relevant groups and for a, including relevant donor meetings as required;
• Supervise and support field staff in the project sites in the planning, implementation and monitoring of PSS activities that may include: recreational and psychosocial activities, individual support to vulnerable children, and trainings;
• Organize regular meetings with the MHPSS focal points in the West Bank and Gaza, provide technical supervision to case workers and community mobilizers that provide 1-1 counselling to beneficiaries;
• Lead the continuous assessment of MHPSS needs of children, adolescents and youths and ensure that these are appropriately reflected in oPt program strategy and proposals;
• Support 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;
• Identify training needs of the MHPSS teams and assist the development of training modules, MHPSS implementation tools and awareness raising activities for staff, volunteers, key community members and partners’ staff on various topics; 
• Lead the scale up of the PSS program including assessment of new areas, recruitment of human resources and identification of MHPSS staff;
• Set-up of safe mechanisms for responding to the needs of vulnerable children at individual level;
• Invest in building positive relationships with the communities and raising awareness of MHPSS work; 
• Work with cultural sensitivity and respect the dignity of beneficiaries in targeted communities at all times;
• Coordinate the design of children, adolescents and youth and family assessments and psychometrics tools, and supervise their administration;
• Support the implementation of the monthly action plan for the main PSS activities;
• Technically supervise and support project field staff to provide basic psychosocial support for children through material review and approval, trainings, and on site observation and debriefing sessions;
• In cooperation with the CPiE/CP Advisor, ensure that the PSS activities (such as Child and Youth Resilience Program) are implemented according to SC and international standards;
• Assist Save the Children in developing and documenting a replicable psychosocial model; 
• Assist Save the Children in developing and rolling out MHPSS Monitoring & Evaluation tools;
• Coordinate with other specialists and advisors in the region;
• Support MHPSS team to identify severe cases to be referred to psychological/psychiatric service providers;
• Help in the capacity building of SC Staff across the humanitarian and development program;
• 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

• Work with the MEAL team to develop M&E and indicator tracking plans for all grants, inputting into the development of additional M&E tools as necessary to monitor project progress;
• Work with the MEAL team to ensure appropriate, timely and accurate data collection at all PSS staffing levels against agreed indicators to enable both internal and external reporting;
• Work with the MEAL team to identify and incorporate project suitable accountability mechanisms.

Staff Management, Mentorship, and Development
• Support in ensuring appropriate staffing within the operations component of the project team, within budget parameters.

 

Representation & Advocacy & Organizational Learning

• Help shape broader sector strategies through influence of and leadership within inter-agency coordination forums, ensuring the specific needs of children are being addressed.  This may involve representing Save the Children in inter-agency forums. 
• Document lessons learnt, best practice and case studies to shape in-country strategies and program approaches, and contribute to broader sector learning.
• Pro-actively identify advocacy opportunities, case studies and research opportunities, which link with wider organizational strategic objectives, and turn these into action.
• Lead on organizational level program policy, innovation, learning or representation initiatives in consultation with relevant internal stakeholders.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

 

Required

 

• Advanced degree in psychology, mental health or other relevant field
• Minimum 8 years of experience in MHPSS field work
• Sound knowledge of protection in humanitarian aid context
• Ability to analyse information, evaluate options, and think and plan strategically
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including team leading and influencing
• Experience in capacity building and training of local communities, and MHPSS stakeholders regarding Protection with MHPSS mainstreaming programming
• Practical experience in training and/or facilitation of groups and strong participatory facilitation skills
• Well-developed writing skills and demonstrated skills in developing training curriculums and manuals that are adapted to local contexts and target audiences
• Extensive knowledge of monitoring and evaluations systems and approaches for psychosocial support
• Ability to communicate clearly, concisely and persuasively, including the ability to advocate for and explain difficult psychosocial issues
• Ability to write clear and well-argued assessment and project reports
• Commitment to Save the Children values and Child Safeguarding. 
• Proficient language skills in Arabic and English, including excellent written and oral communication skills

 

Desired

 

• Proven capacity to supervise, and coach staff in MHPSS programming technical skills and  quality management for interventions
• Experience of designing and managing major donor projects and understanding of donor compliance
• Previous experience in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
• Experience in representing an organisation in the coordination mechanism in emergency contexts
• Experience in working in the Palestinian context

 

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.