Armenia – Psychologist in Yerevan – Local recruitment At Première Urgence Internationale

Starting Date : ASAP

Location : Yerevan, Armenia

Duration of Mission : 7 months

Première Urgence Internationale (PUI) is a non-governmental, non-profit, non-political and non-religious international aid organization. Our teams are committed to supporting civilians’ victims of marginalization and exclusion, or hit by natural disasters, wars and economic collapses, by answering their fundamental needs. Our aim is to provide emergency relief to uprooted people in order to help them recover their dignity and regain self-sufficiency.

The association leads in average 190 projects by year in the following sectors of intervention : food security, health, nutrition, construction and rehabilitation of infrastructures, water, sanitation, hygiene and economic recovery. PUI is providing assistance to around 5 million people in 20 countries – in Africa, Asia, Middle East, Eastern Europe and France.

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General Context

On 27 September 2020, heavy fighting broke out along the border in and around the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh —the most serious escalation since 2016. Civilian casualties have been reported on both sides, while many houses and public infrastructures in the conflict zone, such as schools, roads and communication networks, were also damaged. According to official statements, around 90.000 people – equivalent to two-thirds of the Nagorno-Karabakh population – have been displaced as a direct result of the conflict. Nearly 90% of the spontaneous arrivals were women and children, and the majority of them fled to the capital Yerevan as well as to the cities of Goris and Sisian. Following heavy clashes, the President of Azerbaijan, the Prime Minister of Armenia, and the President of Russia signed a 9-point statement on cessation of hostilities on 9 November 2020.

The massive influx of spontaneous arrivals is adding pressure on already limited resources in cities and localities where they seek safety. Moreover, the pandemic of COVID-19 and the post-conflict situation affect the capacity of the hosting communities to provide sustained support. While the health care system is stretched, MHPSS needs increased significantly.

PUI’s Position/ Strategy in the Country

Première Urgence Internationale is an NGO resulting from the merger of Aide Médicale Internationale (AMI) and Première Urgence (PU) in 2011. Following the conflict escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh at the end of September 2020, PUI decided in October to organize a first exploratory mission in order to meet state authorities and humanitarian actors in Armenia, and thus evaluate the support that the organization would bring to this response.

In light of the fast evolution of the context and the ceasefire signed between Armenia and Azerbaijan, PUI decided to organize a second needs-assessment in December, in particular in MHPSS. Indeed, the conflict’s escalation is part of long-term tensions that had already impacted the mental health of Armenians, but the war has definitely exacerbated pre-existing MHPSS needs. Considering the results of these two assessments, PUI wants to contribute to the reduction of the suffering of host communities, spontaneous arrivals and returnees affected by the conflict in Armenia through a MHPSS approach at first.

For 2021, the major objective of PUI is to bring about strong sectoral improvements in MHPSS in Armenia and look into new PUI sectors to include in our mission strategy over 2021.

In this context, PUI is looking for a Psychologist (national position). https://www.premiere-urgence.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/JD_ARM_Psychologist-2_Local-recruitement.pdf

Overall Objective

The Psychologist works within the Première Urgence Internationale’s project in Yerevan. The beneficiaries are host and refugee communities supported by the local partner associations. The psychologist is focused on the provision of targeted clinical supervision, trainings and direct provision of psychosocial support when relevant: he/she develops individualized clinical supervision, capacity building interventions and trainings in accordance with the gaps and needs identified. In collaboration with the partner associations, s/he conducts focused counseling sessions for individuals and families, contributes to the quality of the community-level psychosocial support activities, supports the psychologists and psychosocial workers in their clinical practice, and supports the referrals of cases for psychological consultations. He/she contributes to data collection.

Tasks and Responsibilities

• Provide technical support and capacity building to the partners’s MHPSS staff
• Support adequate referrals of community centers’ beneficiaries in need of psychological care
• Participate in providing psychosocial interventions in the community centers
• Participate in training activities
• Participate in data collection and reporting

Specific objectives and linked activities

1. IMPROVE QUALITY CARE BY PROVIDING TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND CAPACITY BUILDING TO PUI’S MHPSS STAFF PARTNERS

• Conduct KAP Survey at the beginning and end of the project to assess the clinical knowledge, practices and needs of the supported MHPSS teams, and evaluate the progress and remaining gaps.
• Provide on the job training through the direct observation of the PSS sessions
• Develop individualized and group clinical supervision. Debrief on the observed PSS sessions with the team in order to strengthen and develop the psychosocial interventions and clinical competencies.
• Make needed adjustments to the capacity building plan according to the impact assessment and beneficiary feedback
• Work in coordination with other organization providing MHPSS services
• Conduct all actions with high level of professionalism (confidentiality and ethics included)

2. SUPPORT PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS FOR THE BENEFICIARIES

Individual consultations are offered by the PUI psychologist as part of the psychosocial activities carried out by the partner in the community centres. The psychologist in this context of intervention is in charge of supporting the psychosocial workers – and not replacing them.

• When adequate and according to PUI guidelines, offer immediate psychological support through individual / family sessions in the community centers to beneficiaries who need more than PSS support.
• Foster on-the-job capacity building by providing co-counseling sessions when possible, with the consent of the patient: allow PSS staff (individually) to observe and/or participate in these consultations for training purposes
• Allow the psychologists to observe the clinical practice of these staff in individual consultation situations and to adapt their interventions (training/supervision) according to what she has observed from the practice of the PSS staff.
• Ensure and support the referral of beneficiaries for psychological consultations and advanced services provided by the partners associations when needed
• Support the follow-up the referred cases
• Support the provision of MHPSS and Covid-19 awareness messages through the design and dissemination of culturally adapted IEC materials within all supported associations
• Participate in advocacy with the community leaders
• Mainstream of protection throughout all actions
• Ensure high level of confidentiality and ethics throughout the actions
• Observe and evaluate the activities on daily basis and providing feedback and suggestions for improvement to the MHPSS Staff of partner associations

3. PARTICIPATE IN DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING

• Ensure all activities (beneficiary and capacity-building activates data) are accurately collected and reported, according to PUI guidelines
• Contribute to the MHPSS statistic reports and reports to the donors
• Follow-up the referrals

Profile

• Training: You hold a Masters degree in psychology (or related field), and/or a training in trauma-focused interventions.
• Professional Experience: Strengthened by minimum two (2) years of clinical practice in mental health care, an experience in Community-Based MHPSS, and an experience in the provision of training and clinical supervision.
• Knowledge and skills: You have excellent writtten and verbal communication skills, and an understanding of the Armenian society and health care system.
• Languages: Russian and/or Armenian are mandatory, Russian would be appreciated.
• Required Personal Characteristics:
  • Abilty to practise neutrality and impartiality in all occasions
  • Creativity
  • Willingness to work outside / in a tent structure throughout the project period
  • Readiness to commute daily from Yerevan to Nagorno-Karabakh
  • Ability to conduct manualized interventions