MENTAL HEALTH ACTIVITY MANAGER (Flying)

1. MSF Holland is looking for - MENTAL HEALTH ACTIVITY MANAGER (Flying)

• Number of Positions:  One

• Place of work:    Kule, Gambella Region 

• Terms of employment:   One Year with the possibility of extension

• Activity Rate:   100%

• Remuneration and Benefits:

• Starting gross salary/month: 105,000.00 ETB

• Hardship allowance:30 % of Salary

• Medical Coverage:  as per organizational scale

• Date of  application: 14th  August – 28th August 2024

1. Main Purpose

1. Accountabilities

• In close collaboration with other medical team members, identifying the needs of MH support in the target population and participating in the definition, planning, organization and update of the appropriate MSF strategy and the Mental Health (MH) activities and its budget.   Monitoring and evaluating MH support activities.

• Reviewing and developing the technical materials, tools, guidelines and documents, and coordinating and ensuring the implementation of all Mental Health standard protocols and procedures set by MSF in order to provide the most appropriate treatment for patients. 

• Planning and supervising, in close coordination with the HR department, the associated processes (recruitment, training/induction, briefing/debriefing, evaluation, potential detection, development and internal communication) of the staff under his/her responsibility in order to ensure both the sizing and the amount of knowledge required.

• Coordinating and ensuring that Mental Health activities (in and outside health facilities), with the clients are performed with regular follow-up in order to provide the most appropriate treatment for clients with psycho social problems. Ensuring Mental Health team is calm and neutral during sessions regardless of personal feelings and/or beliefs and that the translators are trained about terminology and appropriate behavior during sessions.

• Mapping and regularly updating the existing Mental Health services, including other INGO’s, local NGO’s, community groups and governmental health services, etc. and maintaining good and regular communication and collaboration with other components of the project according to objectives and context. Identifying possible advocacy issues and informing MC and PC before taking any action. (Note: Advocacy is not under Mental Health Activities Manager accountabilities)

• Ensuring in close collaboration with medical department, that MH department participates in counselling as well as Prevention Parent to Child Transmission (PPTCT) and Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VTC) activities when needed

• Participating in monthly reports according to guidelines (SitRep, statistical report, etc.) and reporting problematic situations and cases with the Medical Coordinator to help with decision making and problem resolution.

• Ensuring that psychiatric patients coming to MSF facilities receive proper treatment including psychotropic medication and psychosocial support either within an MSF program or thru referral to an appropriate resource.

Background

MSF-H has four established projects in addition to emergency response activities in Ethiopia

1)       Kule: 104 bed secondary health facility, outpatient and community level services focusing on refugees from South Sudan. Care includes adult and paediatric services, malnutrition, sexual and reproductive health (SRH), sexual and gender based violence (SGBV), mental health of psychosocial and psychiatric illnesses, and other chronic diseases. Mental health team is comprised of the mental health activity manager, mental health super-visor, psychiatric nurse and counsellors

2)       Tigray: Supporting the post conflict recovery of the regional health care system with a focus on primary care, maternal health, sexual violence and mental health. The mental health supervisor and team provide care for mental health as a project pillar while also trying to ensure its integration into the Ministry of Health system. Decentralisation of Kala Azar and snakebites treatment is inclusive in the project ambitions

3)       Amhara: The project runs a health centre in Abdurafi, that is vertical through treating Visceral Leishmaniasis (Kala Azar) and snakebites including researches in both fields. In the whole of Amhara region, the project does exploratory assessments for further emergency response to the conflict and interventions may include a mental health component. The project has two mental health counsellors currently supporting care of patients with snakebites and Kala Azar admitted in Abdurafi health centre. 

4)       Somali Region: The Somali Region Emergency Response Unit (SRERU) focuses on 4 scenarios: measles, cholera, malnutrition and acute displacement / mass casualty. While there are no permanent mental health pro-fessionals in the team, depending on the need the MHAM may be asked to support the project in identifying mental health needs and incorporating related mental health activities.

Job Specifications

The MHAM spends 70% of their time in Kule project providing direct support to the teams and be available to support other projects’ needs in their 30% time. This proportion is indicative and maybe adjusted based on opera-tional needs. The request for the support comes through the line manager, the Medical Team Leader.

Monitoring and evaluating MH support activities. In close collaboration with other medical team members, identi-fying the needs of MH support in the target population and participating in the definition, planning and organisa-tion. The MHAM will contribute immensely to the project mental health strategy development with the evolution of the project context and foreseen future shaping of the service/programme in line with universal current trend of MHPSS and MhGAP and national guidelines. The MHAM will link up with the Mental Health Advisor for tech-nical support and organise regular support calls with various project teams for knowledge sharing. Ensure that the team guarantees the privacy and confidentiality of patient data and a professional and smooth working relationship with various departments. Regular reporting and communications within MSF on mental health.

The Mental Health Activity Manager will be accountable for the provision of all specialised mental health services (psychosocial care and psychiatric care) in the project, with key emphasis in strengthening the clinical care (psy-chiatric care) competence of the project clinical team that includes the psychiatric nurse, clinical officers and med-ical doctors. MHAM will ensure that mental health supervisors can do clinical supervision. The MHAM will con-tinuously assess the learning needs for the teams, ensure capacity-building initiatives for the mental health team in collaboration with the Mental Health Advisor and contribute to improvement of their job performances.  MHAM will be responsible for ensuring that all MH team is adequately trained and clinically supervised. Work in close collaboration with Sexual Reproductive Health team to support SGBV survivors through provision of all required mental health packages. Assess the quality of mental health support provided to SV survivors and how to mitigate any harm resulting from poor knowledge or lack of previous support

The MHAM will work in close collaboration with the MTL and Project Coordinator in the assessment of pro-gramme developments. Lead in the mental health strategy planning, development, updating, implementation, moni-toring and evaluation. Provide contribution to project MTLs for defining, planning, organising and updating the mental health activities and its budget.

Secondary Accountable Points

Opportunity permits, the MHAM will also participate in national level mental health cluster meetings and working groups and ensure that project teams do the same at their level

1. Requirements

1. Education

Essential: Master in Clinical Psychology or MD degree with specialization in Psychiatry

1. Experience

Essential: working experience of at least two years in direct clinical work with patients as a psychologist, a psychiatrist, or other similar professional appointments 

1.                   : Leadership and people management roles

Desirable: working experience with MSF or other NGOs 

               : working experience in developing countries

               : Mentoring and Coaching

1. Languages                                

Essential: Mission language essential (English )  and  Amharic 

1. Desirable: Local Working Languages (Nuer, Tigrinya, Somali)

1. Knowledge

Essential: Basic computer skills (e.g. excel, MS Word, MS PowerPoint). 

Desirable: MhGAP, Guidelines and Protocols of MHPSS in the Ethiopian context

1. Competencies

• People Management and Development L2

• Commitment to MSF Principles L2

• Behavioural Flexibility L3

• Results and Quality Orientation L3

• Teamwork and Cooperation L3

• Initiative and Innovation (in MHPSS implementation) L3

• Analytical Thinking L3

• Strategic Vision L3

• Cross-cultural Awareness L3