National Professional Officer (Mental Health)

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends. Related to mental health, WHO Sri Lanka office aims to improve quality of life people in Sri Lanka by supporting the government in prevention and control of priority mental health, substance use and neurological disorders, preventing suicides, and promoting mental health, advocating for integrated mental health and social care services in PHC and community-based settings, preparing and responding to mental health and psychosocial issues during health emergencies and promoting the rights of people with psychosocial, intellectual and cognitive disabilities.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Under the direct supervision of Medical Officer (NCD) and the overall guidance of the WHO Representative and in close collaboration and coordination with the Ministry of Health and partners, the incumbent will:

1. Facilitate policy support as needed for enabling planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the essential components of the National Mental Health policy and plan;

2. Support scaling up services for mental, neurological and substance use (MNS) disorders via implementation of WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP);

3. Provide technical tools, SOPs etc. to ensure provision of comprehensive, integrated mental health and social care services in primary care and community-based settings;

4. Support implementation of strategies for mental health promotion and prevention especially in schools and workplaces and promote programs targeted at vulnerable groups, including children, elderly and people affected by conflicts and disasters (e.g. psycho-social interventions after disasters and during emergencies);

5. Provide technical assistance to strengthen information systems and research to improve data on burden of mental and neurological disorders;

6. Provide technical assistance to the country in developing mental health related tools and guidelines including LIVE LIFE: an implementation guide for suicide prevention;

7. Support the country to update the mental health law taking into consideration regional and international human rights instruments;

8. Provide support to improve mental health literacy, address stigma and discrimination and promote the rights, opportunities and care of individuals with mental disorders;

9. Encourage using WHO Quality Rights toolkit to evaluate quality of mental health services;

10. Increase awareness of disability issues, and promote the inclusion of disability as a component in national and sub-national health programmes;

11. Facilitate collection and dissemination of disability-related data and information;

12. Support the country to conduct the WHO/WB Model Disability Survey and/or WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHO DAS 2.0);

13. Represent WHO country office in the UN Disability Inclusion Inter-Agency Coordination mechanism at the country level, and contribute to reporting via the UNCT Accountability Scorecard on Disability Inclusion tool;

14. Support proposal writing and donor reporting for Mental Health, Psycho-Social Support and Disability programs;

15. Perform any other duties as assigned by the supervisor(s).

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: Bachelor degree in Medicine or public health
Desirable: Master’s degree in public health or medical science

Experience

Essential: At least two (2) years of professional work experience in the field of mental health, and/or psychiatry
Desirable: Experience of working with the MoH and/or province level; Experience in developing mental health guidelines, training modules and other tools; Experience in conducting of WHO disability assessment Schedule (WHODAS.2)

Skills

Essential: Sound understanding of principles of public health, to be able to provide quality technical inputs, and good problem-solving, analytical and negotiation skills

Desirable: Knowledge of WHO programmes and practices an asset

WHO Competencies

• Teamwork
• Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
• Communication
• Ensuring the effective use of resources
• Building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English. Expert knowledge of local language.

REMUNERATION

Remuneration comprises an annual base salary starting at LKR 6,980,640 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable) and 30 days of annual leave.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level.

• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.

• A written test and/or an asynchronous video assessment may be used as a form of screening.

• In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.

• According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible.

• Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual.

• The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits and employs staff regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics.

• The WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its staff. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply.

• Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to reasonableaccommodation@who.int

• An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice.

• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.

• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

• For information on WHO’s operations please visit: http://www.who.int.

• WHO also offers wide range of benefits to staff, including parental leave and attractive flexible work arrangements to help promote a healthy work-life balance and to allow all staff members to express and develop their talents fully.

• The statutory retirement age for staff appointments is 65 years. For external applicants, only those who are expected to complete the term of appointment will normally be considered.

• Please note that WHO’s contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Staff Health and Wellbeing Services (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at shws@who.int.

• This is a National Professional Officer position. Therefore, only applications from nationals of the country where the duty station is located will be accepted. Applicants who are not nationals of this country will not be considered.

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