“Outraged by the injustice faced by people with disabilities and vulnerable populations, we aspire to a world of solidarity and inclusion, enriched by our differences, where everyone can live in dignity”.
Handicap International is changing his name and becomes « Humanity & Inclusion ». HI, Humanity & Inclusion is an independent and impartial aid and development organisation with no religious or political affiliations operating in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. We work alongside people with disabilities and vulnerable people to help meet their essential needs, improve their living conditions and promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights.
HI has offices in 63 countries.
For further information about the association: www.hi.org.
MISSION CONTEXT:
HI has been working closely with the Government of Sierra Leone, international and national partners in the country since 1996, supporting vulnerable groups and people with disability. Program sectors include capacity building in rehabilitation, advocacy and rights, mother and child health, economic empowerment, mental health, protection and inclusive education. HI is currently implementing 4 projects for the promotion of inclusive education, Mental Health and protection.
On 5th November a fuel tanker collided with another truck, and exploded 45 minutes after, at Wellington PMD Junction, on the main road through Easter Freetown. In the interim, some community members rushed to the scene and took advantage of the leakage to scoop fuel and store it in nearby makeshift structures. In the course of scooping the fuel, the explosion occurred that resulted in the fire disaster that occurred. The severity of the fire led the Government of Sierra Leone to declare the incident as level 2 (national emergency response). The fire was reported to have rapidly affected nearby traffic, as well as those attempting to collect fuel. This incident led to the death of at least 138 people. Around 200 people are being treated in hospitals and clinics across the city, some with burns up to 75% of their body, which indicates that the death toll will increase highly in the coming days. To respond to this emergency, HI is implementing an emergency project focus on MH/PSS and rehabilitation support to the victims, their family and front-line workers.
DESCRIPTION OF THE POSITION:
Under the responsibility of the Operation Managers and with the support of the MHPSS Global Specialist at HQ, the MHPSS Specialist will be in charge of ensuring the quality of the emergency response by supporting HI MHPSS partner (CAPS) technically, directly providing technical support to mental health nurses involved in the health treatment of the explosion injured, and supporting the psychosocial health care of HI and partner’s staff.
As such, the MHPSS Specialist will ensure efficient implementation and quality of the psychosocial response who is focusing on psychological first aid (PFA) for all the injured, their family members and the health staff. The intervention towards the direct victims suffering from burns will aim at supporting them understanding the situation, its consequences and at managing the pain. Psychological First Aid consists in assisting people who have experienced serious crisis situations. It is an emergency intervention involving humane, supportive and practical help, requiring active listening and communication skills (importance of good communication, effective and ineffective listening habits) and basic helping skills (confidentiality, communicating concerns – empathy, non-verbal skills, valuing openness, validation). Psychosocial support will also be provided through individual counseling to injured on change, acceptance and pain management. The objective is to accompany personally them to put in place personal mechanisms for resilience in the face of distress. The action will also address the psychosocial issues that may arise from the incident to the family members of the injured and deaths. It includes as well individual and group psychosocial counselling, the objective being to support them releasing their own personnel emotional and social distress (including grief management), to improve their capacity to take care of the injured and to improve their self-care management. In Sierra Leone HI work with a long-time partner, CAPS who has been trained on PFA and group counselling. They will mobilize 4 psycho-social officer working alongside with the mental health nurses.
MAIN RESPONSABILITIES OF THE EXPATRIATE:
1/Ensure the quality of activities implemented by CAPS
2/Provide technical support to the 24 mental health nurses
3/Support the psychosocial health care of HI and partner’s staff
PROFILE THOUGHT:
•you hold an advanced University Degree (Master’s level or equivalent) in mental health or psychology from a recognized University or academic Institute
•you have experience in capacity building and training development and implementation in the field of MHPSS
•you have at least 3 years of experience in the field of MHPSS in emergency setting
•you have experience working collaboratively with multiple external stakeholders
•you have experience working with person with psycho-trauma
•you have comprehensive knowledge of the IASC Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings guidelines and associated products
•you have the ability to work under pressure and without constant supervision
•you have excellent reactivity and flexibility
•you have strong interpersonal and intercultural skills
•you are resilient to stress and uncertainty
SPECIFICITIES OF THE POSITION:
•Security: the overall situation in Sierra Leone is calm, however there are some factors that should be considered from a security perspective, in particular:
-The population’s vulnerability to external shocks
-The health system is generally deficient in Sierra Leone
•Living conditions: the Office and the international staff houses/apartments are comfortable. The power supply is erratic but all houses have generators and air conditioning and drinking water is supplied. Most items can be found in supermarkets. Mobility restrictions within the city and the adjacent beaches are subject to evolution of COVID-19 in the Country.
JOB CONDITIONS:
At HI, the conditions offered are up to your commitment and adapted to the context of your mission. Particular attention is paid to health issues and your personal situation.
We offer an induction and training path adapted to our staff members and we have a HR policy oriented toward mobility and professional development.
• 1 month international contract starting ASAP
• The international contract provides social cover adapted to your situation:
o Unemployment insurance benefits for EU nationals
o Pension scheme adapted to the situation of our employees: if you already have a personal pension scheme HI will contribute at the same level of your personal monthly contribution with a maximum of 272.53€/month ; if you do not have a personal pension scheme, we will open a private pension account with your contribution of 272.53€/month and a contribution of HI of the same amount
o Medical coverage with 50% of employee contribution
o Repatriation insurance paid by HI
• Salary from 2769 € gross/month upon experience
• Perdiem: 518,03 € net/month, paid in the field
• Paid leaves: 25 days per year
• Position: non accompanied
• Housing: collective, fully covered by HI
If you are resident in the country: local package