Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Officer At International Organization for Migration

Context and Core Functions / Responsibilities

Under the general guidance of the Chief of Mission (CoM), the overall supervision of the Head, Peacebuilding and Stabilization Division, and the direct supervision of the Programme Coordinator (Mental Health and Psychosocial Support), the successful incumbent will be responsible for the implementation of the MHPSS pillar of IOM Iraq’s Peacebuilding and Stabilization Programme in Ninewa, Salah Al din, Anbar and other southern governorates of Iraq. The candidate will be based in Erbil but with travels to work locations for field supervision. Given the limited resources in the field of mental health countrywide in general, s/he will focus on building technical capacity of staff, clinical supervision and providing close supervision to all steps of projects implementation and MHPSS case management

Core Functions / Responsibilities

• Support the timely rollout of MHPSS activities, overseeing project planning, implementation, monitoring, and troubleshooting in the geographical areas of responsibility under supervision of MHPSS programme coordinator.
• Support the design and implementation of MHPSS assessments, analyse problems/gaps, and propose/prioritize timely programmatic responses to mental health and psychosocial issues identified and contribute to preparation of research articles published by the MHPSS programme.
• Apply MHPSS programme and case management standard operating procedures (SoPs), to strengthen and systematize IOM’s MHPSS activities.
• In coordination with the MHPSS Programme coordinator and other relevant colleagues/units, recruit, train, and ensure the close technical and clinical supervision of IOM’s MHPSS staff within the teams supervised by the officer.
• Support the programme coordinator in the development of strategies and curricula to strengthen the MHPSS capacity of governmental and non-governmental service providers and implementing partners of IOM.
• Provide technical support to IOM Iraq national officer in Baghdad to enhance compliance with MHPSS guidelines and improved quality of interventions across assigned locations, the quality of MHPSS
• In coordination with the PSD Reporting Officer and IOM’s Partnerships and Coordination Division (PCD), develop and maintain mechanisms for the timely generation of statistical data on MHPSS services, trends, and activities.
• Support the programme coordinator to develop knowledge products and advocacy tools for representation in relevant governmental and non-governmental fora and donor engagements. .
• Support the programme coordinator to consolidate IOM’s partnership with academia in Iraq.Assist the MHPSS Programme coordinator, Head of PSD, PCD officers, and other relevant colleagues/units to prepare project proposals, narrative and progress reports, cost modifications, and public information material, as required by project donor(s) and/or IOM.
• Ensure gender and protection mainstreaming within all project activities.
• Undertake duty travel as required.
• Perform any of duties as may be assigned

Required Qualifications and Experience:

Education

• Master’s degree in Clinical or Counselling Psychology, Psychiatry, Social Work, Mental Health or a related field from an accredited academic institution with five years of relevant professional experience.
• University degree in the above fields with seven years of relevant professional experience

Experience & Skills

• Experience in MHPSS project management, case management and reporting (required);
• Experience in the design and/or implementation of MHPSS interventions in conflict and/or post-conflict settings (required);
• Proven ability to clinically supervise, train, and direct staff and manage operations in complex post-conflict contexts (required).
• Experience in liaising and building effective partnerships with donors, government authorities, and/or other national/international institutions, such as research institutions and local and international NGOs (required);
• Experience in capacity building of local organizations and/or government partners (desired);
• Advanced knowledge of MHPSS provision in community based programmes (desired);
• Familirairy with the humanitarian architecture as well as the durable solutions framework (desired);
• In-depth theoretical and practical knowledge of and the IASC MHPSS in Emergency Settings guidelines and associated products (eg, IASC Assessment toolkit, the 4Ws mapping tool, M &E framework, and the Health, Protection and CCCM booklets, IOM manual on Community-based MHPSS in Emergencies and Displacement (Desisired);
• Demonstrable knowledge of political and humanitarian issues and/or work experience in Iraq or the middle east is an advantage (desired).

1. Travel required: No

Languages:

• Excellent command of English is required.
• Working knowledge of Arabic and/or Kurdish is a strong advantage.

Travel required (Yes/NO)

• Travel required (Yes). Travel to field locations. These locations are Salah Al Din, Ninewa (Hassan Sham U3, Jeddah One and Mosul), Anbar, Baghdad, and Basra.

Competencies

Values

• Inclusion and respect for diversity: respects and promotes individual and cultural differences; encourages diversity and inclusion wherever possible.
• Integrity and transparency: maintains high ethical standards and acts in a manner consistent with organizational principles/rules and standards of conduct.
• Professionalism: demonstrates ability to work in a composed, competent and committed manner and exercises careful judgment in meeting day-to-day challenges.

Core Competencies – behavioural indicators

• Teamwork: develops and promotes effective collaboration within and across units to achieve shared goals and optimize results.
• Delivering results: produces and delivers quality results in a service-oriented and timely manner; is action-oriented and committed to achieving agreed outcomes.
• Managing and sharing knowledge: continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge and innovate.
• Accountability: takes ownership for achieving the Organization’s priorities and assumes responsibility for own action and delegated work.
• Communication: encourages and contributes to clear and open communication; explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring and motivational way.

Managerial Competencies

• Leadership: provides a clear sense of direction, leads by example and demonstrates the ability to carry out the organization’s vision; assists others to realize and develop their potential.
• Empowering others & building trust: creates an atmosphere of trust and an enabling environment where staff can contribute their best and develop their potential.
• Strategic thinking and vision: works strategically to realize the Organization’s goals and communicates a clear strategic direction.