Social Services Specialist, USAID Supporting Victims of Violence Activity     

Position description

POSITION SUMMARY:  

The Social Services Specialist (SSS) will provide support to the USAID Supporting Victims of Violence Activity by ensuring quality, accessible protection service provision by different stakeholders including community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, violence Interrupters, youth leaders, church leaders, and first responders. The SSS will also oversee the project’s support for wrap-around services including legal aid, medical, referrals, and psychosocial support services for survivors, witnesses, and perpetrators of violence.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:  

• Coordinate with partners to train civil society organization (CSO) grantees with support of external consultant, including faith-based organizations (FBOs) to provide on-the-spot interventions like basic counseling skills, conflict resolution, mediation support, and referrals.
• Convene relevant violence response actors from the Government of Jamaica and CSOs in multi-day workshops.
• Coordinate with colleagues to establish and support survivor advocacy committees.
• Support the implementation of a referral mechanism for violence response by developing memorandums of understanding (MOU) with government entities to ensure parties are aware of their roles and responsibilities, to update their standard operating procedures to reflect the agreed-upon referral process, share best practices for trauma-informed care resources, and ensure timely/effective referrals.
• Attend monthly partner check-in meetings.
• Collaborate with partners and CSOs to draft call for concepts, co-design workshops, and issue grants to CSOs.
• Provide training of trainers to CSOs to reach community leaders (e.g., peer educators, FBOs, influencers) in basic counseling, dispute resolution, mediation, and referrals.
• Incorporate information on services and reporting into outreach materials.
• Engage with local organizations to expand services for LGBTQI+ communities and expand mobile legal aid clinic.
• Collaborate with the Jamaican Constabulary Force and other agencies to sensitize local police and train guidance counselors.
• Provide trauma-informed training to frontline workers.
• Train CSOs in counseling, conflict resolutions, and referral systems.
• Other duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS:   

Education:  

• Bachelor’s level degree or higher required in organization development, international development, social services, or a relevant social science discipline.

Experience:

• At least 8 years’ experience in social service support mechanisms including interventions like basic counseling skills, conflict resolution, mediation support, and referral mechanisms for violence response.
• Knowledge in social work, rehabilitation, psychosocial support, and/or community referrals.
• Experience working with different stakeholders including government departments and agencies, civil society organizations, and faith-based organizations preferably in the area of violence response.
• Demonstrated effective coordination and networking skills, interpersonal skills, creative problem solving, conflict, and ethical management skills.
• Experience working on projects funded by USAID or other international donors preferred.
• Fluency in English required.
• Willingness to travel regularly within Jamaica.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Computer literate in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Application instructions

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