MHPSS Counsellor

Job Summary

Duties and Responsibilities:

Under the supervision of the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Supervisor, the MHPSS counsellor provides psychosocial and/or psychological interventions in an individual or group format. 

The MHPSS Counsellor will liaise with the mental health team (MHPSS Supervisor and MHPSS Counsellors) on the implementation of MHPSS interventions and activities, more specifically:

General Duties

Program Management

• Deliver one-on-one (Individual) and group counseling sessions to identified clients within IRC Clinics, and in line with IRC integrated approach
• Develop psychosocial activities; community mobilization, awareness raising, and any other related activity requested by MHPSS Supervisor.
• Support MHPSS Supervisor in delivering training or workshops
• Support in the creation of materials including publicity documents.
• Engage with the community to deliver and promote IRC MHPSS project activities in the designated locations.
• Assist in writing monthly, quarterly, annual reports, monitoring and evaluation activity and progress reports of project activities including monthly reporting to the MHPSS Supervisor.
• Assist in the implementation of preventive MHPSS interventions at the community and PHC level.
• Coordinate referrals
• Any other related IRC tasks as assigned by the MHPSS Supervisor or MHPSS Coordinator
• Under the guidance of MHPSS Supervisor and MHPSS Coordinator support in the collection of information related to behaviors of the community to reinforce quality of MHPSS services
• Collaborate and participate, in any field survey, data collection and/or needs assessment organized by IRC in relation to MHPSS
• Participation in IRC internal meetings, trainings and individual meetings with the MHPSS Supervisor or MHPSS Coordinator
• The activities may change based on the changing context

Specific Duties:

• Provide MHPSS consultations within PHC setting:
• Provide individual or group consultations to beneficiaries presenting in PHC or referred and in need of MH interventions
• Assist in the identification of psycho-social needs and proposition needed interventions in collaboration with the mental health team and PHC staff
• Weekly reporting activities and data collection
• Coordinate with MHPSS supervisor on cases requiring higher level interventions
• Provide psycho-social support for mental health beneficiaries:
• Work directly with MHPSS Supervisor to develop individualized treatment plans for MH beneficiaries
• In coordination with community mobilizers use participatory methods to adapt activities in accordance to the needs of the different target groups (children, women etc)
•  Community mental health interventions:
• Participate in defining effective and culturally appropriate approaches and interventions on the community level
• Focus on information dissemination and collecting opinions to foster knowledge and self-care practices for communities in areas of intervention
• Initiate and facilitate group interventions
• Analysis, detection and reduction of risk factors influencing the mental health status at community level:
• In collaboration with the mental health team, explore and detect potential risk factors influencing mental health status of the target population
• Coordinate with other actors concerned to reduce and/or eliminate potential risk factors.

Job Requirements

·       Degree in Psychology, Psychosocial Counselling, Health Social Counselling or other related field.

·    At least 1 – 2 years of professional experiences in relevant field (clinical Psychology, Psychosocial Counselling, PSS provider or other related field)

·       Strong communication and facilitation skills,

·       Experience working in humanitarian sector is an asset – specifically in MHPSS programs

·       Good knowledge of counselling and community mobilization methods and tools

·       Proactive and ability to work with multicultural team would be highly appreciated

·       Ability to communicate effectively in local languages both verbally and in writing.

·       Ability to speak and write English language is an asset.

·       Self-motivated, possessing persuasion skills, ability to maintain relationship and able to work on own initiative.

·       Communication and reporting skills

·       Fluency in Pashto, Dari and English

·       Computer skills (including MS Word, Excel, Access, and internet) an advantage

·       Ability to work closely, professionally, and constructively with all others regardless of nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, race, tribe, or cultural background