Mental Health Supervisor; MSF

MENTAL HEALTH SUPERVISOR – Dushanbe

Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) is an independent medical international humanitarian association that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, healthcare exclusion and natural or man-made disasters. MSF is working in Tajikistan in the field of Tuberculosis and HIV. Our projects focus on providing treatment and support for children suffering from MDR Tuberculosis (TB) and their families based in Dushanbe, and Zero TB Project based in Kulob.

MSF is currently looking for a qualified, capable, flexible and motivated person for the position of MENTAL HEALTH SUPERVISOR for its TB Project based in Dushanbe. MSF offers a package of benefits (25 working days of annual leave per year, medical coverage, training opportunities as required and carrier) and the opportunity to work for an internationally renowned humanitarian organization.

Job Location:  Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

Main Purpose:

• Participate in the planning, supervision and coordination of mental health / pycho-social related services in the programme in accordance with MSF standards in order to provide the most appropriate mental health support for patients

Accountabilities:

• Participate in the planning, organization and coordination of Mental Health activities, in close collaboration with the Mental Health activity manager and other medical team members, in order to ensure an efficient and effective implementation of the resources needed while maintaining high levels of quality in Mental Health MSF programs and activities.
• Coordinates activities of counseling services with other relevant actors and liaises with the local counterparts (like MoH, WHO, ICRC and NGO) on mental health matters, including referral services.
• Supervise the daily mental health activities and patient support according to MSF protocols and standards in order to provide the most appropriate support for clients with psycho social needs
• Liaise with the other MSF team members of the project.
• Supervise, in close coordination with the HR department, the associated processes (recruitment, training/induction, evaluation, potential detection, development and communication) of the staff under his/her responsibility in order to ensure both the sizing and the amount of knowledge required
• Oversee the administrative processes associated with psychosocial functioning.
• When needed, give psychological support to patients according to MSF protocols to improve mental health conditions of patients and enhance their functionality.
• Compile the data and statistic linked with MH activities and report to the MH activity manager
• Offer clinical counselling supervision to mental health counsellors in collaboration with the Mental Health Activity Manager.
• Ensure the patient’s related information is kept confidential

Requirements:

• Psychosocial activities, program monitoring, and team support:
• Ensures quality of psychosocial activities and, in collaboration with MHAM, develops strategies to improve the quality of MH services in Pediatric Tuberculosis Program, Penitentiary Program, and any new programming.
• Oversees and coordinates daily activities and quality of services of counselors and social worker
• Is aware of complex patients who are at high-risk of treatment failure, safety concerns, co-infections, and other vulnerabilities.  Will provide supervision, support, and monitor the quality and effectiveness of the counselors’ interventions.
• Provides psychological support (individual, family, and group) to patients according to MSF protocols when cases require more advanced psychological assessment and interventions.
• Collaborates with counselors, medical staff, and local psychiatric services to identify psychiatric cases and support MHAM with implementation of psychiatric standard of practice (SOP)
• Collaborates with MHPSS (mental health psychosocial services) team, medical staff, and local domestic violence (DV) actors to identify DV cases and support MHAM with  implementation of DV SOP.  
• Collaborates with Health Promotion (HP) team to coordinate health education activities between counselors and HP.  Assists with creation and review of psychosocial related education messages/topics used in psychosocial activities, and ensures that all messages are in accordance with protocols and best practice
• Attends stakeholder meetings with Social Worker to develop partnerships and resources for beneficiaries and project activities
• Provides monthly individual and group supervision to mental health counselors and social worker in collaboration with Mental Health Activity Manager (MHAM)
• Will regularly observe and provide on-the-job training and coaching for counselors and social worker in the field to ensure quality services and to improve knowledge and skills
• Will provide regular mental health team meetings to discuss programmatic changes, needs, challenges, updates, and team issues to receive feedback from team and find solutions collaboratively
• Will regularly review and ensure proper documentation in patient files of counselor and social worker services to monitor quality and completion
• Gathers and analyses program information and discusses with Mental Health Activity Manager
• Ensures precise and reliable written monthly reports of mental health activities, using  data collection tools and reporting forms. Assist counselors and social worker with compilation of the data as needed. Provides reports to MHAM.
• Supports in oral/written translation and functioning as a liaison between patients, national staff and expatriates
• Works with other departments collaboratively to provide multidisciplinary and holistic services to beneficiaries
• Reports Red Flag incidences to MHAM

 Logistics:

• Oversees administrative and logistical needs of psychosocial activities, including preparing internal requests, movements, translators, etc
• Coordinates supplies needed for program activities, such as celebrations, school uniforms and supplies, winter items, etc

HR:

• Identifies training needs for his/her team in collaboration with HR/Admin department.
• Supports MH Activity Manager in organizing and facilitating mental health trainings.
• Organizes training sessions and supports sensitization sessions for MSF staff and MoH in order to improve knowledge and skills
• Manages timesheets, annual leaves, lunchsheets, and related HR needs of mental health team
• Provides evaluation of social worker and counselors
• Encourages teamwork, solution-focused approach, positive communication, and motivation
• Communicates regularly with MHAM about operations, challenges, updates, trainings, high-risk cases, and staff related issues.  Will also provide handover information to MHAM when going for training or annual leave. 

Other:

• Actively participates in operational research planning and implementation.
• Takes active part in assessing emergency mental health and humanitarian needs.

Will be adaptable and flexible to changes and needs of the project and MH department activities

Salary: Starting Gross salary is 6460 TJS.

Please send your CV and cover letter (mentioning position in the subject line) to:

dushanbe@oca.msf.org or MSF Holland, Bukhoro Street 5/3, 734025 Dushanbe.

Deadline for applications is 24th of September, 2021. Please kindly note that the applications sent after this date will not be taken into consideration.

Kindly note that only short listed candidates will be invited for an interview. MSF does not enter into correspondence with regard to the reasons for non-selection of candidates.