Jobs in Región del sudeste,gb

Requisition ID :  req52666

Job Title :   Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Officer SW

Sector :  Health

Employment Category :  Fixed Term

Employment Type :  Full-Time

Open to Expatriates :  No

Location :  Buea, Cameroon

Work Arrangement : Job Description

1.ORGANISATIONAL DESCRIPTION

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worsthumanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives.Founded in 1933, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance torefugees and internal displaced persons forced to flee from war or disaster. Atwork today in over 40 countries and 22 cities, we restore safety, dignityand hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leadsthe way from harm to home.

2.COUNTRY PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The IRC startedoperations in Cameroon in 2016 to respond to the increasing concerns for people affected by violence linked to Boko Haram, in the Far North of the country.Assistance to displaced populations extends across the Far North, notably MayoSava, Mayo Tsanaga and Logone & Chari, delivering lifesaving programming toincrease access to water and improving hygiene practices in vulnerabledisplaced and host communities, cash programming to enable poor families tomeet basic needs and improve food security, and protection programming,including meeting specific needs of women and girls. Following the increasingcrisis in the North - West and South - West regions of Cameroon, the IRCexpanded its operations into the South - West region in August 2018, and North- West in December 2019, delivering lifesaving humanitarian assistance tointernally displaced populations. The IRC’s field offices are in Maroua andKousseri in the Far North, Buea in the South - West, Bamenda in the North -West, and a representation office in Yaoundé.

IRC Cameroon is committed to continue to provide essential humanitarianservices, with a focus on safety in communities and ensuring affected populations can meet their basicneeds, whilst also building the resilience of beneficiaries, especially women and girls.

3. JOBCONTEXT

Ongoing crisis inthe South-West and North West, has severely impacted the mental wellbeing ofindividuals and communities, with growing incidences of self-harm beingreported in affected communities. The drivers and associated risk factors ofmental health issues are varied and complex including, amongst others,physical, sexual, and emotional violence, socio economic conditions,discrimination and exclusion, gender norms, being parents themselves, beingin humanitarian and fragile settings, as well as a lack of access toquality support and services.

Failing to address mental health issues amongst IDPs and host communities canimpact their physical and mental health. Mental Health and Psychosocial Support(MHPSS) is recognized as a cross cutting issue for sectors addressing healthand social welfare of affected persons. MHPSS describes any type of local oroutside support that aims to protect or promote psychosocial well[1] being and / or prevent or treat mental disorder. It is therefore, by definition,a multi-sectoral issue. Within the work of IRC, MHPSS activities do notconstitute a separate sector, but are mainly realized within existing sectorsand work fields such as community-based protection, child protection, and SGBV.The main task of the MHPSS Officer is to build and maintain capacity for MHPSSinterventions within IRC to foster delivery of quality MHPSS interventionsfor internally displaced persons and host communities.

4. MAINRESPONSIBILITIES

The MHPSS Officerwill provide technical and programmatic oversight of IRC’s MHPSS interventionsin the South-West Region directly contributing to the achievement ofprogrammatic outcomes under the ECHO-funded project. The incumbent will beresponsible for the following :

Technical Quality of MHPSS Interventions

• Lead / support the design of MHPSS interventions, tools and materials,leading training, and coaching IRC staff
• Undertake regular site visits to assess MHPSS needs of persons of concern,with attention to people with specific needs.
• Support staff welfare in identification, recommendation, and referral ofmental health related matters among staff
• Support the development of functional referral and follow-up mechanismsbetween community, MHPSS services and protection partners.
• Provide mental health and psychosocial support services along with healthstaff as needed
• Actively lead or participate in coordination mechanisms related to MHPSS inthe area ( Health, general coordination, potential MHPSS coordination group) andadvocate for principles of IASC MHPSS guidelines.
• Ensure compliance of implementing partners (where applicable), with globalprotection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of MHPSSservices.
• Assist in assessing the MHPSS needs of persons of concern (people with highpriority needs and or persons with complex or severe problems), initiate treatment anddefine appropriate follow up interventions.
• Implement / oversee social and recreational activities in different affectedcommunities, for PROL, WPE and CP activities.
• Share information on MHPSS services : when where and how to access theservices, provide feedback or complaint on services provided or staff conduct etc.-Establish communication with communities’ mechanisms to address stigmatizationand quality of rights in mental health.
• Coach, train, and mentor staff with the aim of strengthening their technicalcapacity, exchanging knowledge within the team, and providing professional development guidance on MHPSS.

Integrated protection :

Reporting :

Others :

Qualifications

Education :

Knowledgeand Experience :

Required Skillset :

Languages :

Fluency in oral and written English and French is required.

The deadline for submission of applications is 15 July 2024 .