MHPSS Officer

Role Purpose:

The role will be responsible for providing and/or ensuring provision of MHPSS services to vulnerable and at-risk children, their families and communities, learning spaces, community centers and schools using models including child and youth resilience, HEART, structured play and recreation, home-based care, individual counseling, group counseling, among others. The MHPSS officer will support the counseling of children who suffer or at risk of mental and psychological problem. The MHPSS Officer will work in close collaboration with other colleagues in child protection, education, health, nutrition as well as other sectors and ensures integrated services and contextualized MHPSS messaging for children, caregivers and the communities.

 
Key Responsibilities:

•        Support the planning and rollout of models including child and youth resilience, HEART, structured play and recreation, home-based care, individual counseling, group counseling, among others while ensuring MHPSS and child protection principles and standards are followed and complied with.
  
•        Build capacity of counselors, case workers, community volunteers and key stakeholders on MHPSS and how to integrate MHPSS in their day-to-day work with vulnerable and at-risk children, caregivers and their communities.
  
•        Assess MHPSS capacity building needs among other sectoral staff, community structures, caregivers, teachers and children themselves and develop and implement capacity building plans.
  
•        Develop and conduct assessment to understand the MHPSS needs of children, caregivers, teachers and community members and use the results to develop appropriate MHPSS prevention and response interventions.
  
•        Ensures that case management staff are appropriately reflecting MHPSS support in their daily work with children and caregivers.
  
•        Provide appropriate tailored/focused counseling support for cases with mental and psychological support that may require such support.
  
•        Conduct regular visits to the field project sites to support MHPSS interventions/services and to conduct counseling sessions for children of concern, caregivers and other stakeholders.
  
•       Compile the weekly and periodic data, as appropriate, of cases supported with MHPSS services.
  
•       Provide high quality periodic reports as may be required from time to time.
  

Requirements

•        Minimum of B.Sc. in Psychology, Psychiatric Nurse, and any related counseling or psychological course.
  
•        At least 3 years’ work experience in implementing mental health and psychosocial support programming
  
•        Proven capacity to train, supervise, and coach staff on key MHPSS topics
  
•        Practical experience on MHPSS community-based approaches.
  
•        Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
  
•        Capacity to work with a team.
  
•        Capacity to work under pressure.
  
•        Computer skills in word and excel.
  
•        Fluent in written and spoken English
  

Note:

• No applications will be received at CASFOD office neither through any email address.
  
• CASFOD is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
  
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Women and Persons with Disability are highly encouraged to apply.
  
• Background and reference checks will be conducted, and ethics is part of annual performance appraisals.
  
• CASFOD will require applicants to self-declare prior issues of sexual or other misconduct, termination of past employment, criminal records, and concerns registered with government authorities regarding