Your skills and experience don’t quite match the requirements? MSF-OCBA is committed to promoting diversity and equity by providing equal access to employment opportunities. We understand that women, people of color, Indigenous people, members of the LGBTQI+ community, and other underrepresented groups often hesitate to apply for a job if they don’t meet all the requirements. At MSF-OCBA, we strive to create a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace. Therefore, if you are interested in this position but your experience doesn’t perfectly match the selection criteria, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might be the ideal candidate for this or other positions.
GENERAL CONTEXT
Doctors Without Borders is an independent international medical and humanitarian organization that provides assistance to populations in distress, victims of natural or man-made disasters and victims of armed conflict, without discrimination and without distinction of race, religion, belief or political affiliation.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is a civil society initiative that brings together people committed to assisting others in crisis. As such, MSF is by choice an association. Every person working with MSF does so out of conviction and is prepared to defend MSF’s values ​​and principles.
CONTEXT OF THE POSITION
Collaborating with MSF health staff on integrating psychiatric treatment into basic healthcare services to ensure treatment for patients suffering from common and severe psychiatric disorders.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS
- Providing treatment to patients suffering from common and severe psychiatric disorders while paying particular attention to the cultural context.
- To train and supervise national and international medical staff (doctors and nurses) for the diagnosis and treatment of common and severe mental health disorders based on MSF guidelines.
- Taking part in the interventions of the mental health team when it intervenes, offers to supervise and provide support to national psychologists and counselors.
- Ensure that the guidelines and psychotropic treatments listed in MSF’s standard drug list are available.
- Ensure that the information necessary for treatment and monitoring is properly collected for supervision of care delivery.
- Evaluate the psychiatric services available in the country of intervention, including the possibilities for psychiatric hospitalization and the quality of these services.
- Establish a link with the MoH and explore the viability of psychiatric treatment.
- Establish communication/collaboration with other medical specialists involved in the project in order to develop a multidisciplinary approach to healthcare services.
SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE MSF SECTION / CONTEXT
This psychiatrist position is for a total duration of 12 months in order to support the 3 projects (capacities of the staff involved in the activity) for 50% of his time and the rest of the time will be to support the Directorate General of Health in the deployment of MHGap (training and supervision)
The psychiatrist’s mission is to carry out the following activities on the mission:
- To support the PF in the psychiatric activities of the mission.
- Essentially, monitoring the progress of staff trained in MHGap within projects (diagnostic capacity, rational use of psychotropic drugs, use of tools, care pathway, etc.)
- Strengthening the capacities of psychiatric nurses and other people involved in projects in order to improve the quality of care for people suffering from severe and moderate mental disorders (psychiatric component) within the framework of MSF programs in Mali.
The psychiatrist will need to complete project-based training according to the following validated modules:
- Basic concepts of care and clinical practice
- Depression
- Suicide
- Psychosis
- Agitation
- Substance abuse disorders
- Other pervasive psychological complaints
- Stress-related conditions
- Training at the bedside, accompanying patients in the diagnostic process and guidance of the actual psychiatric care and, if necessary, defining reference criteria for the most complicated cases beyond field skills.
- To provide training and supervision to national medical staff (doctors and nurses) on the treatment and management of acute mental disorders in accordance with MSF protocol,
- Implement an mhGAP supervision plan and ensure regular supervision in line with the mental health strategy of each project.
- Ensure that appropriate information on patient treatment and follow-up is collected in order to monitor treatment progress and provide technical input and recommendations.
- Supporting mental health workers in providing psychological care with a view to improving all related aspects.
- Implementation/strengthening of management tools for data collection and patient records for the program.
- To bring a fresh perspective to the quality of psychological and psychiatric care for patients through consultations and other visits.
- Supporting teams in analyzing data generated by the mental health service and making the right decision for service improvement.
- Patient records are correctly filled out with all relevant data:
- The psychiatric database is kept up to date and the Psychiatric Register,
- Monthly reports are provided to the MHAM for compilation into the monthly report (SITREP).
- Evaluate the level of implementation of the recommendations left by his predecessor
- Supervision of mental health activities in projects and support for teams at the CSRéf, CSCom level and an overview of community activities.
- Strengthen data reporting from the service and implement an appropriate system for archiving patient records under cohort.
- Strengthening adherence to MSF’s psychiatric care protocol in collaboration with the MoH.
- Strengthen the collaborative link between MSF and the MoH in terms of monitoring psychiatric patients and clearly define the guidelines for all the staff of the service regarding the referral circuit.
- To empower psychiatric nurses to work autonomously and provide adequate and high-quality care to patients.
- Strengthen teams in the use of psychotropic drugs in interaction with other products prescribed by other doctors.
- Actively participate in identifying needs and ordering psychotropic drugs for projects/missions.
- Ensure that the inclusion and exclusion criteria are respected by the teams.
- Establish a clear system for the storage and use of these psychotropic substances.
SELECTION CRITERIA
- Medical degree with registered psychiatry diploma.
- Resident in psychiatry with 6 semesters (three years) validated in psychiatry, plus at least two years in adult psychiatry), plus clinical training.
- A valid license/registration to practice in the country of residence.
- Minimum of 2 years of experience as a psychiatrist with adults.
- Minimum 2 years of diverse professional clinical experience in mental health, if possible in multidisciplinary settings.
- International field experience working with diverse populations and cultures is a plus.
- Experience in clinical supervision and training management is a plus.
- Fluency in French and English is mandatory. Arabic, Spanish, or Portuguese are an asset.
WORKING CONDITIONS
- Expected start date: first half of 2026
- Location: Mali, Bamako, with travel to projects
- Contract type: Fixed-term contract (CDD) – Full-time
- Contract duration: 12 months (renewable)
- Salary according to the MSF OCBA field pay scale, level 9.
- Contractual terms, conditions, and salary will be established based on the official residence of the selected candidates and in accordance with MSF’s standard job and salary scales.
- No family position
- Adhere to MSF principles and our management values: respect, transparency, integrity, responsibility, trust and empowerment
- Adhere to the commitments for responsible behavior
How to apply
HOW TO APPLY
- To apply, all candidates must send their CV and a cover letter to the following address:
https://careers.msf-applications.org/job-invite/9832
- Closing date: March 1, 2026, 23:59 CET (Central European Time)
MSF is a civil society initiative that brings together individuals committed to assisting other human beings in crisis situations. As such, MSF is by choice an association.
Every person working with MSF does so out of conviction and is ready to defend MSF’s values ​​and principles.
All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.
MSF offers a work environment that reflects the values ​​of gender equality, teamwork, integrity, and work-life balance. MSF does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, nor any type of harassment, including sexual harassment, nor discrimination. All selected candidates will therefore be subject to reference checks.
Médecins Sans Frontières, as a responsible employer, under the 2013 General Law on Disability (LGD), invites people with a recognized disability and an interest in the humanitarian field to apply for the position mentioned above.