Child Protection Officer (Psychosocial support and alternative care) NO-A (TA) Tijuana, BC

Contract

This is a NO-1 contract. This kind of contract is known as National Professional Officers. It is normally only for nationals. It's a staff contract. More about NO-1 contracts.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child,

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. Therefore, the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

UNICEF has developed a multi-country plan to protect the rights of children and adolescents in migration contexts, called “Children on the Move”. UNICEF offices in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico are participating in this initiative. The plan offers a comprehensive approach and specific actions to address the rights of children and adolescents, who are following the migration route in the countries of origin, transit, destination and return. In Mexico, UNICEF is working with civil society organizations to develop field experiences on alternatives to detention, psychosocial support and articulated social and community services for migrant children and adolescents, asylum seekers and refugees. The initiative is aimed at the professionalization of the shelters that receive migrant children and their connection with the state institutions to guarantee their rights in Mexico.

UNICEF is also supporting authorities for the rapid identification, registration and care of unaccompanied and separated children and adolescents who have entered or are moving through Mexico at both the northern and southern border. UNICEF is providing technical assistance to child protection authorities to apply standard procedures and case management; UNICEF is also supporting implementation of alternative care options for short and longer-term response. In addition, UNICEF is a key actor providing mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) to children on the move, and their families, currently housed in different shelters across the country, through recreational and sporting activities with specialized partners.

Additionally, in the last months, there has been a considerably increase in migration in the country, due to several migrant caravans, coming mainly from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, that have crossed the Mexican territory and have begun to settle in Mexico, waiting for an opportunity to enter into the Unites States. Between January and February 2021, 1,743 children and adolescents were identified by immigration authorities in Mexico (four times more in February than in January). In addition, during the same period, 3,320 Mexican children and adolescents were returned from the United States to Mexico. The large flows have strained the capacities of the Mexican authorities to respond, especially in the last couple of months, when migrants have been concentrating in both the Northern and the Southern borders. This situation has caused a humanitarian crisis in the country that has forced UNICEF Mexico to respond with the strategies developed by the Children on the Move initiative. Therefore, to address this situation UNICEF Mexico opened a Field Office in Tijuana, Baja California.

In addition, the U.S. Government has announced the end of the Migrant Protection Protocol (MPP) and the fast tracking of processes to facilitate access to the U.S. for those 26,000-30,000 people under the MPP who have been waiting on Mexican soil. IOM, UNHCR and UNICEF have been asked to support the operation. UNICEF Mexico will support assistance services at the Migrant Integration Center in Tijuana, Baja California, as well as other shelters, through the management and referral of highly vulnerable child protection cases, in coordination with UNHCR, IOM and local partners. UNICEF will also ensure the monitoring, technical support and referral of unaccompanied or vulnerable children and adolescents.

Under the direct supervision of the Field Office Manager in Tijuana, the Child Protection Officer will provide professional technical assistance and support the section by carrying out the specific activities and responsibilities listed below, to help develop, implement and monitor the “Children on the Move” multi-country initiative’s Action Plan in Mexico, and the emergency response actions undertaken to face the migration crisis in the country with a focus on migration and psycho-social care of the Child Protection program, ensuring effective and timely delivery that is consistent with UNICEF’s rules and regulations in Tijuana, Baja California.

How can you make a difference?

1. Promote and follow up the implementation of psychosocial support activities:
   1. Carry out advocacy activities to guarantee the rights of the children, based on promoting the coordination amongst the three levels of the government with different actors to find short and medium-term solutions to protect and support children and adolescents in extreme vulnerability in the state of Baja California (to activate the comprehensive protection system);
   2. Monitor and visit the sites -such as private and public shelters and other institutions- where children and adolescents are located to carry out the logistical organization to distribute the supplements required, and to provide follow-up of the psychosocial activities (transport, travel expenses, supporting staff, stationary, case management support, etc.);
   3. In case shelters or spaces that are enabled to receive large groups of migrants with children and adolescents, to coordinate and implement UNICEF’s strategy to enable child friendly spaces/corners for children and adolescents with the objective to promote their psychosocial recovery, and to detect specific protection needs. In this case, the following specific tasks will be developed:
   4. Carry out the operations to open/maintain child-friendly spaces/corners.
   5. Supervise and monitor the activities and projects for children on the move of UNICEF’s implementing partners and allies;
   6. Coordinate with the authorities and other actors that work within the shelters and spaces/corners where UNICEF´ strategy is executed;
   7. Provide recommendations in order to improve the shelters and spaces operation;
   8. Follow-up the situation and needs of the children and adolescents who attend the spaces daily. If necessary, in coordination with the Child Protection Officer, refer or report the cases that require particular or specific attention from the protection authorities;
   9. Follow-up to any relevant situation to ensure the correct functioning of the spaces.;

2. Provide technical assistance to implement the alternative care model

3. Promote UNICEF alternative care model for children and adolescents in the context of migration in Tijuana from a child-rights approach;

4. Provide technical assistance to implement the alternative care model for children and adolescents;

5. Provide technical and operational support on strategies, processes and best practices on child protection in emergency, migrant response, psycho-social care, adolescent development, participation and gender related issues to support programme implementation, operations and delivery of results.

6. Carry out internal coordination activities and prepare monitoring reports

   1. Follow-up the implementation of the all the above-mentioned activities as required by UNICEF Mexico and its Field Office in Tijuana;
   2. Participate in the organization of all the field visits as required by UNICEF;
   3. Communicate permanently with UNICEF México, and with the other UNICEF field liaisons to share the challenges, progresses and good practices, and to coordinate the actions in the field;
   4. Prepare monitoring reports regarding programme results and situation analysis.

The efficiency and efficacy of the technical support provided by the Child Protection Officer will contribute to improve the work of the special protection system to guarantee the rights of the children; her/his advocacy efforts will bring about the implementation of psychosocial activities with all the actors involved (public and private) in protecting the rights of the children; will promote the coordination of local actors to provide specialized services to migrant and refugee children; and will guarantee the fulfilment of their rights and their inclusion in the communities regardless their immigration status or condition in Tijuana and Mexicali , Baja California.

Success in child protection programs and projects, in turn, contributes to maintaining/enhancing the credibility and ability of UNICEF to provide program services for mothers and children, specially migrants and refugees, which promote greater social equality in the country.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Education: A university degree in one of the following fields is required; Law, Social Sciences or other related areas; desirable a master’s in human rights or related areas.

Experience:

• A minimum of one year of relevant experience in the field of child protection, and adolescent rights, international protection procedures and migration contexts. • Experience working in field location/areas. • Experience in advocacy efforts on migration and special protection system for children, with a focus on psycho-social care and alternative care • Background/familiarity with emergency is considered as an asset. • Experience in cultivating relations with public and private institutions (NGOs, shelters, UN Agencies, among others) at federal and local level.

Language Requirements: Fluency in Spanish, Proficiency in English.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are...

• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (1) • Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1) • Works Collaboratively with others (1) • Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1) • Innovates and Embraces Change (1) • Thinks and Acts Strategically (1) • Drives to achieve impactful results (1) • Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
• Candidates must be citizen of Mexico to be considered eligible for this post.