Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Ukraine Lead At Americares

About the position:

Americares is ramping up support to local organizations in Ukraine who provide MHPSS services and who need assistance with capacity building, technical assistance, and financial support. The MHPSS Ukraine Lead will identify and address gaps in MHPSS programming – particularly to provide capacity building, and technical assistance, and to support partner organizations in implementing MHPSS programming in an emergency environment. Areas of training and technical assistance may include, but are not limited to, Psychological First Aid (PFA), crisis stabilization and self-care.

The position reports into the MHPSS Officer in Poland.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Specific activities may include but are not limited to:

• Coordinate with local NGOs, government stakeholders and response actors to communicate Americares mission and to determine appropriate response objectives in line with the coordinated response objectives and IASC and related guidelines.
• Represent Americares at coordination meetings related to MHPSS focused on the Ukraine:
• Identify new potential partners to provide capacity building and technical support and to deepen existing relationships to support their MHPSS programming.
• Feedback to the MHPSS Lead on potential future MHPSS interventions to support response strategy.
• Perform MHPSS assessment to support strategy and program development and coordinated response. Assessment to include analysis of the changing nature of the conflict and its impact on MHPSS capacities and systems for IDP (internally displaced person) communities and population.
• Ensure that any MHPSS response follows IASC, Americares policy and related guidelines.
• Regular meetings with the MHPSS Lead on technical issues and strategic direction and supervisory meetings with the MHPSS Ukraine Support position.
• Provide debriefing and crisis stabilization for local NGO workers as needed.
• Provide capacity building for local NGOs in PFA / PSS, staff care, trauma-informed care and related training.
• Work with the Protection and Safeguarding Officer to support protection mainstreaming efforts and to strengthen safeguarding and protection capacities of local partners.
• Co-represent Americares in protection, child protection and related cluster meetings.

Key Requirements and Competencies:

• Advanced degree in psychology or related discipline, with coursework in mental health and psychosocial programming in humanitarian or low resource settings
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in mental health and psychosocial programming with significant experience in developing countries and in disaster/humanitarian crisis contexts
• Proposal development and review experience preferred
• Proven track record in developing strategies, designing programs, and conducting training and providing technical assistance in MHPSS
• Experience in humanitarian coordination from an MHPSS background
• Experience with IASC and UN Guidelines, community-based psychosocial support initiatives, and Psychological First Aid
• Fluency in Ukrainian and English required
• Willingness to travel and work in remote areas
• Able to work collaboratively across multiple teams and stakeholders
• Able to operate independently and as part of a team

About Americares:

Americares is a health-focused relief and development organization that responds to people affected by poverty or disaster with life-changing health programs, medicine, and medical supplies. Each year, Americares reaches more than 90 countries and all 50 U.S. states with over $600 million in innovative health programs and quality medical aid. Americares is the world’s leading non-profit provider of donated medicine and medical supplies.

Americares global health programs seek to confront crisis and create change by creating pathways to health and opportunity. We aspire to support individuals, families, and their communities to realize improved health outcomes that lead to years of good health, so they can reach their full potential.

In response to the Ukraine Crisis, Americares is addressing health needs of individuals and families inside Ukraine, fleeing Ukraine and host communities. Americares programming focuses on delivering medicine and medical supplies, reinforcing health services, and addressing mental health and psychosocial support of affected populations.

As a global health organization, we are committed to ensuring a safe environment for our staff, partners, and visitors. All Americares staff and visitors who are on-site at any of our locations or will be traveling for work are required to be fully vaccinated (which includes a booster, when eligible) against COVID-19 unless an exemption required by law is applicable.

Americares is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

To request a disability accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact us at talentcenter@americares.org.