Clinical Psychologist for Children and their Caregivers (Consultant) - Tripoli

Job Description

The clinical psychologist for children and their caregivers, will support in providing psychological support for the high-risk cases mainly under the case management component or their caregivers as needed and indicated by the Quality and Implementation Manager or the Case management officer. The psychologist will conduct, remote (through phone calls or WhatsApp) or face to face, one-on-one and group sessions for children exposed to high risks, vulnerabilities, and distress. In addition, the consultant will support case workers through coaching sessions to build their capacity on dealing with children with challenging behaviors when/if needed.

Deliverables:

- Conduct one on one and group sessions for children exposed to high risks vulnerabilities remotely, through home visits or within the Case management room in the municipalities or at the IRC’s partner premises. - Provide structured clinical assessments and clear case formulation: Assess the needs of the beneficiaries on the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional levels. - Use standardized assessment tools. - Develop a consistent and acceptable treatment plan with clear objectives in relevance to the need assessment with a logical and consistent timeframe that includes estimated dates for case evaluation, closure, and post-support check-up. - Monitor and evaluate the psychological progress of the child. - Maintain irreproachable levels of confidentiality and privacy. - Complete intake assessments, evaluations, treatment recommendations, reviews, follow-up, and other documentation for each consultation and as necessary in an organized and efficient manner. - Ensure that emergency cases are properly managed, referred, and followed. - Submit updates on the cases to the designated case worker after every session or field visit conducted including feedback, concerns, and recommendations for the case of every child. - If needed, provide coaching to the case workers and partner staff to support their capacity to deal with children with challenging behaviors.

Timeframe, and Schedule:

- Delivery of specialized MHPSS consultations per child or caregiver. - Target: Maximum of 55 hours till end of contract based on the need. The assessment consultations should not be less than 45 minutes and the follow-up sessions should not be less than 30 minutes independent of the modality. - Timeframe: Between 15 April and 15 December 2022. - Delivery of one report/month on the child’s situation including feedback, concerns, and recommendations for each case. - Target: 1 report/month of service delivery. - Timeframe: Reports should be submitted end of each month. - Provide coaching to the case workers and partner staff in order to support their capacity to deal with children with challenging behaviors. - Target: 1 full-day coaching session of 5 hours. - Timeframe: Between May and November.

Payment Mode:

Payments will be issued based on the number of hours and sessions conducted during the month having one payment for each month covering the hours completed during the respective month.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Child Protection Quality and Implementation Manager and coordinates with the Case management officer and the MHPSS manager at the health Program.

Position directly supervises: N/A

Other Internal and/or external contacts: MHPSS Technical Advisor

Qualifications

Education:

- The qualified candidate must have a MA in clinical psychology. - A completed clinical training/practicum in a university center consisting of at least 100 hours of training under supervision and 300 hours of applied training.

Having:

- Lebanese colloquium certificate for clinical psychologists. - License to practice the clinical psychology profession from the Ministry of Public Health. - N.B: A letter of recommendation from a senior clinical psychologist supervisor (holder of a doctorate and/or a scholar) and membership in one of the registered psychological associations of Lebanon is preferable.

Work Experience:

- Minimum of 7 years of professional experience in MHPSS. - Skilled and experienced in evidence-based approach in mental health (e.g., IPT, CBT, TF-CBT, EMDR). - Previous experience training MHPSS staff and supervising implementation is strongly preferred. - Experience supporting children at high risk level. - Knowledge of and experience in using established inter-agency standards and guidelines in MHPSS and CP, such as the IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings, Setting the Standard – A Common Approach to Child Protection for International NGOs, and Minimum Standards for Child Protection In Humanitarian Action.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

- Ability to maintain confidentiality, respect, non-discrimination, and safety of beneficiaries always. - Excellent communication. - Ability to developing a consistent and acceptable improvement plan with clear objectives. - Ability to recognize mental health priority conditions as per the mhGAP. - Skilled in at least in one evidenced-based psychotherapy approach. - Using different relaxation and stress management techniques. - Ability to develop rapport with the patient. - Interviewing skills. - Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills, creativity, and flexibility. - Experience providing clinical supervision or leading trainings is a plus. - Ability to work autonomously, take initiative and responsibly escalate issues. - Excellent coaching skills, including the capacity to provide structured feedback. - Ability to work in a multidisciplinary team. - Demonstrated cultural sensitivity, non-discrimination, and readiness to work with men, women, and girls and boys from diverse backgrounds, particularly the most marginalized segments of the community. - Ability to adhere to ethical considerations and principles regarding work with vulnerable populations. - Candidate must be skilled in: - Developing person-centered, goal and strength focused, recovery-oriented care plan. - Mental health in complex emergencies (IASC guidelines, Psychological First Aid, mhGAP…). - Biopsychosocial model in mental health. - Community-based approach in mental health. - Human rights-based approach in mental health. - Knowledge about the predictable stresses of humanitarian aid work and the policies and practices needed to mitigate them. - Good digital literacy and knowledge in Microsoft Office and internet use.

Language Skills:

Ability to fluently communicate, read, and write in Arabic and English.

Working Environment:

The Consultant Clinical Psychologist for children and caregivers will not have dedicated office space at IRC but will have access to IRC premises for the purpose of meeting with relevant supervisees, when and as needed. It is preferable if the selected candidate has a dedicated work smartphone and number to be able to support children and their caregivers remotely (through WhatsApp calls or phone calls). The selected candidate must abide by the guidelines on delivering telepsychology interventions.

Consultant must be willing to travel to Tripoli and Minnieh to conduct home visits when and as needed.

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.