Consultant on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support for children and adolescents

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy 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, opportunities.

How can you make a difference?

Background and Rationale

Mental health conditions affect one in four people over a lifetime and are responsible for more than 10 percent of the global burden of disease. They are the leading cause of disability in terms of years lived with disability (YLDs), equivalent to nearly a quarter of disability in children and youth worldwide. The social and financial costs attributable to mental health conditions are substantial and growing.

Mental health issues may affect children at every age. Often mental health conditions remain undetected until children enter school. One in five adolescents in Europe is experiencing mental health conditions, and only a third of those in need receive primary care. In addition, front line workers in the social welfare, education and 'outreach' systems are critical for addressing child and family wellbeing, including mental health and psychosocial needs

The restrictions linked to the COVID-19 pandemic have had a severe impact on the mental and psychosocial wellbeing of children, adolescents, and their families in most countries. Mental health problems have been increasingly recognized as one of the most significant health concerns for children and adolescents in developed countries, especially as COVID-19 continues to put a strain on mental health and psychosocial support services. Disadvantaged young people – including minorities and migrants – are particularly affected.

UNICEF’s programmatic approach aims to lead to more inclusive and equitable outcomes in the field of children and adolescents, while contributing to strengthen the national system and encourage an integrated approach. The knowledge management results linked to the modelling strategy are complementing advocacy and technical assistance as further strategies used by UNICEF in Romania to generate systemic and positive change.

1. Objectives and results

The COVID-19 pandemic, social isolation and confinements have also exacerbated the mental health crisis among adolescents. Romania capacities of existing systems and support structures cannot scale up fast enough to provide services to all those that need them.

Knowledge materials serve as a guides for decision makers for recognising that the entry points for tackling child protection, social exclusion and mental health and psychosocial support are cross-sectoral.

At the policy level, based on knowledge generation and evidence expanding effective MHPSS, including by ensuring access to relevant information, quality prevention and support, treatment and care services, by removing age-related barriers to access and supporting mental health programming that address stigma and social exclusion is essential.

In order to support the national health strategy and to address the gap in access to care and support services, research on mental health policies, legislation, financing, human resources, availability and utilization of services and data collection systems is required for the development and planning of mental health and psychosocial support services.

UNICEF will support multi-sectoral, family centered early child interventions systems that provide quality, individualized serves, building on key role of health prevention beyond COVID19 pandemic.

The focus of the consultancy will be on:

• Develop an info brief on mental health and psychological support national principles, including adolescent’s contribution and participation, local capacities, role of parents/caregivers, social behavior change, specialized response, etc;
• Identify national promotive and preventive whole -school approaches to mental health and wellbeing through education;
• Analyze and review mental health policy frameworks, multilevel interventions package intervention to reduce mental health stigma, parenting support, critical services availability;
• Identify and review existing policies and legal framework barriers for integrating support for the mental health child development workers, adolescent participation in developing and evaluating mental health and psychological wellbeing services
• Developing a policy brief on mental health governance for children and adolescents;
• Validate the final products with key stakeholder and partners from Education, Social Protection and Health sector.

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

• - Advanced university degree in Public Health Policies, Mental Health and Phycological Support Services, Public Administration;

  - Knowledge in mental health policy framework, plans, mental health service that include adolescents and children;

  - Experience in mental health polices, strategies at national and/or local level, especially in relation to the provision of primary health services, youth mental health services, social and behaviour change

  - Knowledge of the local context and challenges faced by the children and adolescents ;

  - Strong analytical and conceptual thinking, proven experience in report writing (research and advocacy reports, articles, project proposals, other publications);

  - Good speaking and writing skills in English and Romanian;

  - Previous collaboration with the UNICEF, the UN, including World Bank is considered an advantage;

  - Availability for work within the proposed time frame.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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.

Time frame

The contractor will further define the methodology and conduct existing secondary data review and desk research. All deliverables will be produced in English and/or Romanian.

The final working calendar will be jointly agreed.

Within UNICEF, the contractor will report to the Health Specialist and will work in close collaboration with Advocacy Team; it will provide the reviewed methodology to the Technical Assistance and Knowledge Management team for clearance.

Application procedure:

The application will be made in the dedicated UNICEF platform and it must include:

1. an updated CV focused on the skills and experience requested by the current consultancy.

2. a cover letter underlining the motivation for applying for the position and how the candidate’s experience, skills and experience match the requirements of the position;

3. samples of previous work on research and mental health national policies and services

4. a financial offer, specifying the requested Gross daily fee in USD as per the template Financial template_Individual consultant_per day.docx

Selection procedure:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Applications which do not include the financial offer will not be considered.

The contract will be awarded based on the best combination of expertise and fee.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.