Psychosocial Counselor

Summary: The Psychosocial Counselor (PSC) will work as part of an interdisciplinary team to provide trauma focused counselling and rehabilitation through individual and group sessions, trauma resilience workshops and telehealth to community members in Bashiqa, Bartella and other locations in Ninewa plains suffering from the psychological and physical effects of war and violence and provide co-located rehabilitation activities, mentoring and support to partner organization staff. In recognition of the intersection between justice and healing, the PSC will deliver other activities including coordination with legal and advocacy organizations to enhance healing and access to transitional justice efforts.

This position will include participating in significant training and capacity building activities so as to develop unique treatment skills required to address the needs of survivors of psychological trauma, human rights violations and conflict. The PSC will be expected to invest time and energy into learning and developing skills both related to rehabilitation and transitional justice support and will also be responsible for demonstrating improved clinical skills and in conducting psychosocial treatment services at a high-quality.

Job Responsibilities

• Provide appropriate and comprehensive assessment to clients throughout their episode of care in order to continuously evaluate their progress and changing needs for intervention and establish treatment goals and plans.
• Determine and facilitate appropriate treatment for survivors based on solid clinical reasoning. Interventions could include; psychoeducation, individual or group counselling, therapeutic documentation or telehealth.
• Educate and empower clients about prevention and/or self-management of their symptoms.
• Use own cultural knowledge and closely consult with clients to ensure the cultural appropriateness of all interventions.
• Support needs assessments with community organizations and key stakeholders to ensure interventions match the psychosocial support and social cohesion needs of community groups.
• Assist in the daily clinical operations to ensure clients are given appointments in a timely manner, group work activities and room designation is scheduled and coordinated fairly, equipment is shared and organized appropriately and other CVT client procedures are followed.
• Ensuring that all required documentation is competed in a timely and professional manner.
• Ensure that all work with clients observe CVT’s confidentiality policies, guidelines around protected health information is adhered to and ethical practices are observed at all times and are in accordance with CVT PHI standards.
• Ensure cleanliness of treatment space and equipment used with clients and maintain a clean, professional appearance.
• Is proactive and participatory in developing services and helping support/orientate colleagues.
• Assist with translating written material when needed and able.
• Assist with developing referral systems and encourage collaboration between local groups and leaders, local and international NGOs, and government ministries.
• Attend interagency meetings and networking events to strengthen organizational relationships, improve service delivery and strengthen transitional justice pathways.
• In consultation with Associate Trainers and clinical team collaborate with staff in partner organizations to strengthen and deliver clinical treatment services:
• Participate in meetings with partner organizations related to strengthening and deliver clinical treatment services.
• Deliver clinical service in collaboration with partner organization staff and within the partner organization’s centers.
• Take responsibility for maintaining professional development by keeping up to date with evidence-based practices.
• Attend all regularly scheduled trainings and meetings necessary for professional development and team coordination.
• Regularly travel to partner organization locations in order to provide services to survivors, collaborate with organizations, raise awareness and consult with vulnerable communities.
• As appropriate facilitate therapeutic documentation opportunities alongside Resilience Programming Trainer.
• Adherence to all relevant CVT policies and procedures with respect to child protection, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies.
• Case manages clients’ interdisciplinary care through regular communication with CVT’s physiotherapists, Associate Physiotherapist Trainers, Resilience Programming Trainer and social workers to best identify clients’ on-going needs.
• Consistently communicate before and throughout client sessions with other disciplines to supply and receive relevant information about the background and progress of clients and to refer those who need further medical attention.
• Provide and attend internal trainings to orient new staff and provide on-going interdisciplinary insights.
• Recognize and respect boundaries between disciplines and establish regular communication mechanisms to address client urgent and/or on-going concerns.
• Assist with community outreach and awareness, education, and sensitization campaigns and programs when needed.
• Build trust and maintain professional relationships with community members, survivors groups and partners.
• Assist with developing referral systems and encourage collaboration between local groups and leaders, local and international NGOs and government ministries.
• Attend interagency meetings to improve service delivery to clients and access opportunities to forward CVT’s work.
• Collaborate with staff in partner organizations to strengthen and deliver clinical treatment services:
• Participate in meetings with partner organizations related to strengthening and deliver clinical treatment services.
• Deliver clinical service in collaboration with partner organization staff and within the partner organization’s centers.
• Liaise with clinical staff from within CVT and partner organizations to help survivors whose physical functioning may have been affected by war related experiences and encourage them to approach CVT for support.
• Training:
• Participate in meetings and activities with partner organizations to identify needs and establish training plans.
• Assist in designing, planning, logistics, implementing and facilitating external training for partners, local decision makers, community members and local and international NGO’s, and government/ministry staff on trauma and health issues in order to develop a more supportive environment for people whose physical functioning has been affected by experiences of war and violence.
• Contribute to completing the documentation and reporting of external trainings.
• All activities providing in partner organizations will be delivered with supervision from Associate Psychotherapist Trainer, including live supervision of clinical services.
• Attend regular debriefings, case conferences and supervision meetings to ensure information and skill-sharing.
• Contribute to training materials for self care and staff support workshops for partner organizations, provide individual debriefing, consultation and supportive sessions to partner organization staff as requested.
• Implement clinician recommendations and training in day-to-day clinical work.
• Provide feedback on training and supervision.
• Request support from Associate Psychotherapist Trainer and peers as needed.
• Submit files to the Associate Psychotherapist Trainer for regular review and support.
• Set objectives for each week and month which contribute to achieving the objectives of the site. Plan the activities required to achieve these objectives.
• Submit weekly and monthly statistics form and reports.
• Set and follow through on a personal self-care schedule, raise self-care or vicarious trauma issues regularly with supervisors to allow for ongoing support and management of self-care and potential vicarious trauma.
• Recognize and seek support when needed from internal and/or external resources to address concerns of any workplace stress, signs of burnout and/or vicarious traumatization in an expedient manner.

equired experience, competencies, education, certificates or licenses:

• Minimum BA degree in Psychology or Counseling or other relevant discipline.
• Fluency in Arabic language.
• Computer literacy in Email & Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook).
• Two years of relevant experience.
• Excellent interpersonal skills including; Demonstrating an excellent ability to use empathy, attentive listening, reflective questions and awareness of body language.
• Able to communicate effectively with people from different backgrounds.
• Strong organizational and analytical skills.
• Ability to work independently and as a team member.
• Ability to demonstrate self-reflection and willingness to develop personally and professionally.
• Strong desire to invest time and energy to develop new skills.
• Readiness to work in somewhat challenging areas.
• Able to prioritize work tasks and manage schedule.
• Able to complete written and electronic documentation.
• Demonstrated flexibility to adapt to changing program requirements, beneficiary needs, and political climate.
• Must consistently promote and represent a humanitarian and human rights understanding of their work internally and externally, including promoting acceptance of differences and non-discrimination.
• Commitment to and role modeling of human rights approach including maintaining respect regarding any sensitive issues such as religion, minority or political affiliation and treating colleagues equally regardless of differences. Strong commitment to serve beneficiaries regardless their religion, gender, minority affiliation or political background.
• Commitment to the ethical and sensitive implementation of project activities, including a commitment to confidentiality, diversity, equity and inclusion, quality service provision, and the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (including online).

Preferred experience, competencies, education, certificates or licenses:

• Fluency in Shabak, Kurdish or English languages.
• Experience working as part of an interdisciplinary team.
• Work experience with survivors of war trauma.

Interested candidates must submit an updated CV with a Cover Letter to: [email protected]

Please put “Psychosocial Counselor” in the Subject line.

Application deadline:  December 7^th, 2024.

Only short-listed applicants will be invited to interview.