Mental health and psychosocial support advisor (F/M) – Ukraine

For more than 40 years, Médecins du Monde, a campaigning medical organisation committed to international solidarity, has been caring for the most vulnerable populations at home and abroad. It has continued to highlight obstacles that exist in accessing health care and has secured sustainable improvements in health-for-all policies.

Those working for this independent organisation do not solely dispense care and treatment but condemn violations of human dignity and rights and fight to improve matters for populations living in precarious situations.

MdM currently works in 30 countries across all continents where it focuses on 5 priority areas: emergency and crisis, sexual and reproductive health, harm reduction, migrants and displaced populations (health rights), health and environment.

MdM International Network has been operating in Ukraine since 2014, improving access to health care, especially providing comprehensive Primary Health Care (PHC), Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) and Mental Health and Psychosocial support (MHPSS) services.

Since February 2022, MdM Spain is leading the country response for the network, while MdM-France is in charge of the operations in Southern Ukraine. The global strategy aims at ensuring the access to quality comprehensive healthcare services for the conflict-affected population in Ukraine.

In Southern Ukraine, MdM-France has set up its country office and a base office in Mykolaiv. A base office in Odesa is still running for specfic activities in Odesa. The program consists in supporting various local-based organization in the delivery of health services for people facing severe constraints to healthcare in Mykolaev and Kherson Oblasts.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Under the supervision of the health coordinator, you will be specifically in charge of:

• Implementing MHPSS activities as planned within project proposals and in constant coordination with national implementing partners
• Ensuring the strategic management of MHPSS program component in Ukraine, with the support of the HQ MHPSS Referent as needed
• Ensuring close coordination with UN agencies, NGOs, MHPSS local partners and MdM National Consortium MHPSS Coordinators

More precisely, your main responsibilities are the following:

Organization, coordination and supervision of MHPSS activities

• Understand and document the national MHPSS strategy in Ukraine
• Carry out and update the mapping of the actors involved in the response to MHPSS
• Lead the definition and adaptation of the strategy for MdM’s prevention and response to MHPSS
• Ensure the quality and relevance of MHPSS activities in all our areas of intervention in Ukraine
• Ensure that the MHPSS activities adapts to changes in context and population’s needs, as necessary
• Support the partners with the development, implementation and monitoring of MHPSS professional staff’s supervision
• Create and disseminate tools, guidelines and awareness-raising materials
• Ensure the development, implementation or update of tools for the management of MHPSS activities
• Actively participate to coordination efforts with MHPSS actors
• Manage the programme’s implementation, follow up the budget and project planning

Team Management/Capacity building

• Develop MHPSS training material and conduct regular training to MHPSS staff
• Provide regular coaching, supervision and support to MHPSS staff
• Participate to the recruitment of the staff
• Ensure proper induction and capacity building to the team
• Provide technical inputs/support to MHPSS and medical team members
• Train the relevant staff on the referral system and the reporting tools
• Support in the training of new MHPSS and medical staff, provide guidelines and tools when a new recruitment takes place
• Define, roll out and supervise the whistleblowing policy and tools

Coordination with NGOs/local associations and representation

• Participate to the different MHPSS meetings, playing a key role in any relevant MHPSS coordination mechanisms
• Liaise with the legal or appointed MHPSS authorities in the focused governorates where MdM is presently working
• Ensure coordination and work in close collaboration with partners
• Organize work in order to respond the needs and request of our partners

Reporting

• Collect data from the different bases, provide regular analysis and share feedback to the coordination team and partners
• Contribute to internal quantitative and qualitative reporting
• Contribute to SitRep mission reports.
• Participate in the writing of projects/proposals/reports for donors by ensuring that MHPSS are properly integrated

REQUIREMENTS:

• Psychiatrist or Psychologist with complementary training relevant to MHPSS humanitarian programs, gender, gender-based violence, child protection, etc.
• Project Management training
• Master’s in Public Health is an added value
• At least 3 years relevant professional experience in similar roles in humanitarian programs
• Experience to build up local partnerships, implementing tools and monitoring process in coordination with them
• At least 2 years’ experience in training and supervision of MHPSS staff
• Experience in developing training materials and training implementation
• Training in transcultural approach is highly desirable
• Experience in participating in program planning, needs assessments, interagency coordination, proposal writing is an asset.
• Understand a healthcare system (including organisation, curriculum of medical/MHPSS profiles and national healthcare programmes) and summarise the broad outlines
• Project cycle management: Plan, implement, and assesses MHPSS activities
• Define MHPSS needs within primary healthcare and adapt operational activities to the new field constraints
• Use project management tools
• Excellent knowledge of Windows environment (word, excel)
• Languages : English is mandatory (oral and written), knowledge of Ukrainian/Russian is a strong asset
• You embrace the core values and support the proactive philosophy of Médecins du Monde.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• 6-month fixed-term contract
• Starting date: as soon as possible
• Gross monthly salary: 3,306 euros
• Premium equal to one month salary paid in two instalments – minimum of 6 months seniority required
• Expatriation bonus (10% gross salary per month)
• Transportation cost, vaccines and visas covered
• Guesthouse housing
• 22.5 recovery days per year
• 5 weeks of paid leaves per year
• Health insurance (60% covered by MdM and 40% by the employee)
• Insurance (repatriation…)
• Médecins du Monde promotes trainings and internal mobility

As part of our measures to combat money laundering and financing of terrorism, any selected candidate may be subject to a background check on international sanctions lists (UN, the EU, France, the United States…). This information is handled confidentially and stored on a secure server. For more information on the processing of personal data throughout this process: http://bit.ly/3CSTDYO

TELEPHONE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED

Médecins du Monde reserves the right to fill the vacancy before the closing date for applications.

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