Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Manager – Liwa Chad – M/F At ALIMA

ALIMA PRESENTATION

THE ALIMA SPIRIT: ALIMA’s purpose is to save lives and care for the most vulnerable populations, without any discrimination based on identity, religion or politics, through actions based on proximity, innovation and alliance of organizations and individuals. We act with humanism, impartiality and respect for universal medical ethics . To access patients, we are committed to intervening in a neutral and independent manner.

**CARE – INNOVATE – TOGETHER:**Since its creation in 2009, ALIMA has treated more than 10 million patients, and today deploys its operations in 12 African countries. In 2022, we have developed more than 60 humanitarian medical response projects to meet the needs of populations affected by conflicts, epidemics and extreme poverty. All of these projects support national health authorities through nearly 511 health structures (including 47 hospitals and 464 health centers). We work in partnership, particularly with local NGOs, whenever possible in order to improve access and the transfer of skills which ensures the sustainability of our actions for our patients. Furthermore, to improve the humanitarian response, we are carrying out operational and clinical research projects, particularly to combat malnutrition and viral hemorrhagic fevers.

THE ALIMA TEAM: More than 2,000 people currently work for ALIMA. The field teams, closest to the patients, receive their support from the coordination teams generally based in the capital of the countries of intervention. They receive support from the 4 desk teams and the emergency and openings service team based at the operational headquarters in Dakar, Senegal. The Paris and New York teams are actively working on fundraising and representing ALIMA. The rest of the ALIMA Galaxy includes individuals and partner teams who work on behalf of other organizations such as the medical NGOs BEFEN, ALERTE Santé, SOS Médecins, KEOOGO, AMCP-SP, DEMTOU-Humanitaire, PAC research organizations -CI, Inserm, the Universities of Bordeaux or Copenhagen and many others.

OUR COUNTRIES OF INTERVENTION: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Chad, Ukraine.

**OUR PROJECT THEMES:**Malnutrition, Maternal Health, Primary Health, Pediatrics, Malaria, Epidemics (Ebola, Cholera, Measles, Coronavirus, Lassa Fever), Research, Hospitalization, Emergencies, Gender-Based Violence, vaccinations, health mental,…

ALIMA in CHAD:

The history of ALIMA programs in CHAD

ALIMA programs in CHAD: Chad faces a complicated security situation given the regular incursions of the former Boko-Haram (current Islamic State in West Africa). ALIMA began its activities in Chad in 2012 in partnership with the Chadian medical NGO Alerte Santé. In 2012, the project implemented in the Ngouri health district, in the Lac health province, was implemented thanks to the support of ECHO, UNICEF and WFP. This project continued during 2013 and 2014 during which the emphasis was placed on improving the quality of care, a major challenge in Chad given the difficulties in mobilizing qualified medical skills. In 2015, 6,500 SAM children were cared for, including 724 children suffering from medical complications, hospitalized at the Ngouri District Hospital UNT. In addition, a pediatric component has also been integrated into AS/Alima’s action in Ngouri, making it possible to care for 8,606 children in pediatric consultations and 419 in hospitalization. Due to significant deficiencies in the medical field in the Lac region and the worrying nutritional situation (the WHO alert threshold of 2% has been exceeded), ALIMA/AS will continue its action in the 12 health areas of the Ngouri district in 2016. From 2016 the project in 2016 supports SAM and MAM children in 12 health areas, to set up a PB-mothers component as well as a wash in Nut component. This volume of activity has continued to increase. Since April 2013, ALIMA/AS has also supported the treatment of SAM in N’Djamena thanks to the support of ECHO. Before the implementation of this ALIMA/AS project, only the Notre Dame des Apôtres dispensary in the South district offered free treatment for malnutrition in the capital. With two years of activities, the project has made it possible to show the extent of the problem of malnutrition in urban areas (in N’Djamena the SAM rate reached 2.8%). In 2015, the project cared for 16,490 SAM children on an outpatient basis, including 3,330 in hospitalizations at the Chad-China Friendship Hospital. A workshop on the management of severe acute malnutrition in urban areas was also organized. In 2016, outpatient treatment of SAM in the first 4 UNAs and hospitalization in 1 UNT will continue. In addition, a training center will be set up within the UNT in order to be able to provide training to doctors, nurses and nutritional workers wishing to strengthen their capacities in the field of SAM management. In these two projects, ALIMA/AS works in collaboration with local and national health authorities and numerous training sessions are organized. In addition to these two regular projects,ALIMA and Alerte Santé also implemented two emergency interventions in 2014 to quickly respond to the influx of refugees and returnees from the Central African Republic. In the Gaoui camp, ALIMA/As provided primary care as well as screening and treatment for SAM, thanks to the support of UNICEF. On the other hand, community health and water, hygiene and sanitation activities were carried out in the Doyaba camp, with a hospital component supporting secondary care at the Sarh District Hospital, thanks to the support from the French Embassy. Malnutrition considerably weakens the health of children in addition to exposing them to malaria and diarrhea. In N’Djamena, this results in a significant proportion of diarrhea among SAM children admitted to structures supported by ALIMA and appears to significantly increase the probability of mortality. Faced with the non-existence of alternatives allowing a better understanding of the local epidemiology of diarrheal pathogens, ALIMA is considering the very promising option from 2016-2017 of resorting to the use of qualitative molecular diagnostics through the Biofire system, in the aim of evaluating the infectious causes of acute diarrhea in SAM children with complications, thus improving drug prescriptions and therefore the treatment of these patients. A research project is therefore underway within the UNT of the HATC. Following an evaluation carried out by ALIMA teams from April 25 to May 2, 2018 in Bagassola including a visit to MSF Switzerland mobile clinic sites highlighting the needs in terms of health and nutrition, the gap at the health district level of Liwa and the lack of positioning of humanitarian actors who could resume activities, ALIMA offered to support the Liwa DS in the field of health and nutrition. The objective of the action was to contribute to the reduction of morbidity and mortality among displaced and indigenous populations in the Liwa health district, through the establishment of mobile clinics and the treatment of patients in health stations. Fixed Health and Liwa District Hospital.this results in a significant proportion of diarrhea among SAM children admitted to structures supported by ALIMA and appears to significantly increase the probability of mortality. Faced with the non-existence of alternatives allowing a better understanding of the local epidemiology of diarrheal pathogens, ALIMA is considering the very promising option from 2016-2017 of resorting to the use of qualitative molecular diagnostics through the Biofire system, in the aim of evaluating the infectious causes of acute diarrhea in SAM children with complications, thus improving drug prescriptions and therefore the treatment of these patients. A research project is therefore underway within the UNT of the HATC. Following an evaluation carried out by ALIMA teams from April 25 to May 2, 2018 in Bagassola including a visit to MSF Switzerland mobile clinic sites highlighting the needs in terms of health and nutrition, the gap at the health district level of Liwa and the lack of positioning of humanitarian actors who could resume activities, ALIMA offered to support the Liwa DS in the field of health and nutrition. The objective of the action was to contribute to the reduction of morbidity and mortality among displaced and indigenous populations in the Liwa health district, through the establishment of mobile clinics and the treatment of patients in health stations. Fixed Health and Liwa District Hospital.this results in a significant proportion of diarrhea among SAM children admitted to structures supported by ALIMA and appears to significantly increase the probability of mortality. Faced with the non-existence of alternatives allowing a better understanding of the local epidemiology of diarrheal pathogens, ALIMA is considering the very promising option from 2016-2017 of resorting to the use of qualitative molecular diagnostics through the Biofire system, in the aim of evaluating the infectious causes of acute diarrhea in SAM children with complications, thus improving drug prescriptions and therefore the treatment of these patients. A research project is therefore underway within the UNT of the HATC. Following an evaluation carried out by ALIMA teams from April 25 to May 2, 2018 in Bagassola including a visit to MSF Switzerland mobile clinic sites highlighting the needs in terms of health and nutrition, the gap at the health district level of Liwa and the lack of positioning of humanitarian actors who could resume activities, ALIMA offered to support the Liwa DS in the field of health and nutrition. The objective of the action was to contribute to the reduction of morbidity and mortality among displaced and indigenous populations in the Liwa health district, through the establishment of mobile clinics and the treatment of patients in health stations. Fixed Health and Liwa District Hospital.

POSITION LOCATION

Position based in LIWA, Chad

PROTECTION OF BENEFICIARIES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS

Level 3: As part of their duties, the position holder will be required to visit programs and be in contact with children and/or vulnerable adults. Therefore, a criminal record check or presentation of a certificate of good conduct will be necessary. In situations where it is impossible to provide a criminal record or a certificate of good conduct, a sworn declaration will be requested.

FUNCTIONAL AND HIERARCHICAL LINKS

● Line Manager: Project Coordinator

● Functional Manager: Referral Doctor

MISSIONS

• You are responsible for the proper functioning of the psychosocial activity of the project.
• You are responsible for the integration and monitoring/psychological support of patients and their families with the medical teams of the Alerte Santé / ALIMA intervention sites;
• You ensure the prevention of psychosocial risks linked to the context of the intervention with the teams;
• You provide care for people suffering from serious mental disorders and requiring psychological or psychiatric assistance;
• You ensure capacity building and supervision of psycho-social agents recruited on the project;
• You identify and refer serious cases that require lengthy specialized follow-up to a reference structure;
• You put in place tools likely to improve access to psychosocial assistance for the affected population;

MAIN ACTIVITIES

• Identify with the medical team the different problems and needs of patients;
• Ensure individual and/or therapeutic group consultations on intervention sites with patients and their entourage;
• Participate in team meetings for sharing and clinical discussion around patients;
• Organize awareness sessions on psycho-social well-being and training with external activity teams;
• Carry out and lead training for teams;
• Provide training for community relays for the purposes of raising community awareness of mental health and psychosocial well-being and promoting psychosocial well-being through community and family activities;
• Organize emotional debriefings or defusing in the event of a critical or security incident;
• Train teams in psychological first aid so that each staff member can be a support for the patient and their colleagues and feel less helpless;
• Collect elements for monitoring and preparing the department’s activity report
• Monitoring, analysis and reporting;
• Participate in and produce minutes of meetings related to your activity;
• Produce a weekly summary of activities;
• Ensure follow-up of the recommendations of the Medical Referent;
• Prepare a mission report with recommendations.

EXPERIENCES & SKILLS

Training

You hold a master’s degree in psychology or any equivalent diploma, you have proven professional experience of a minimum of 3 years and experience in case management in the context of population movements. You have the ability to problematize and summarize the main psychological issues, to set priorities, and to work in a team. You have a good knowledge of psychotrauma;

LANGUAGES

Excellent written and oral expression in French and English

TERMS

Duration and type of contract : 6-month renewable fixed-term contract under French law .

Taking position : ASAP

Salary : According to ALIMA salary scale + valuation of experience + Per Diem

ALIMA supports:

• Travel costs between the expatriate’s country of origin and the place of mission
• Accommodation costs
• Medical coverage from the first day of contract to one month after the date of departure from the country of mission for the employee and his dependents
• Evacuation for the employee and his dependents.