Home Based Consultancy: Adolescent Mental Health Consultant with UNICEF ECARO section of Health (250 working days from April 2023 to April 2024)

Consultant Medical & Health Programme & Policy

Contract

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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, Health

The primary objective of this dedicated consultancy is to support design, coordination and roll out of various donor funded adolescent mental health efforts including: DG Reform grant for MHPSS (Italy, Slovenia, Cyprus); UNICEF-WHO Joint Program in focus countries (Albania, Serbia, North Macedonia); MHPSS in support of refugee response and regular programmes (Italy, Poland); specific initiatives led by COs (Slovenia, Armenia, Belarus). Under the guidance and supervision of the Regional Health Advisor and in close collaboration with cross-sectoral MHPSS focal points, this consultant will avail technical support to update and advance regionally driven strategy and coordinated support to country programming around child and adolescent mental health and well-being through health systems. The consultant will be home-based, with travel to COs and the Regional Office (RO) as needed.

Work Assignment Overview:

• Support initiatives in countries (especially when linked to donors and partners joint efforts)

  • development of country plans/budget and implementation for adolescent mental health and well-being program activities linked to EU DG Reform (Slovenia, Italy, Cyprus)
  • development of country plans/budget and implementation for adolescent mental health and well-being program activities linked to ZZF and other donors funding (Poland, Italy, Belarus, Armenia)
  • development of country plans/budget and implementation for adolescent mental health and well-being program activities linked to WHO-UNICEF Joint Programme for MH (Serbia, North Macedonia, Albania)

• Support development of UNICEF strategies and partnerships

  • Support development of new language around mental health and well-being in Russian and national languages to reduce stigma and support its socialization
  • Mapping of priorities, entry points, needs and capacity for advancing adolescent mental health and well-being programming in countries in the region (Mapping + Stakeholder Consultation)
  • Development of regional strategy for adolescent wellbeing
  • Update in collaboration with Child Protection (CP), Adolescent Development and Participation (ADAP), Early Childhood Development (ECD), and Education the UNICEF Regional Mental Health Strategy
  • Coordination and oversight of UNICEF-WHO Joint Program activities in the region (WHO-UNICEF JP)
  • Strengthen regional partnerships for mental health, including CA platform

• Support development of regional tools and their adaptation and adoption in countries

• • Coordinate the adaptation of existing global and regional intervention tools for adolescent mental health and well-being among adolescents and their caregivers that can be delivered through health service, school, digital, and community platforms (Design and technical review workshops, translation, and adaptation of tools)
  • Technical support to multi-country piloting of intervention tools and approaches for promoting adolescent mental well-being, learning on pathways to scale and long-term impact across the region (Documentation of learning, knowledge sharing)
  • Support efforts to increase capacity among health professionals in countries for adolescents, families and schools in case of mental health needs (including quality assurance for online platforms).

Oversee finalization of a regionally adapted adolescent mental health promotion/prevention intervention package (Helping Adolescent Thrive tools for ECAR)

Support negotiation with DG Reform and MHPSS efforts in Italy and Slovenia (and with ADAP in Cyprus) linked to the DG Reform grant. Design set of interventions in each country, provide TA and CB for implementation, oversee and report.

Deliverable 1: Consolidated report of support to individual country with key lessons learnt, a debriefing to RO team.

45 days Q2 2023 – Q1 2024

Technical assistance (TA) to Country offices (CO)- Serbia, N. Macedonia, and Albania linked to WHO-UNICEF Joint Initiative on Mental Health

Deliverable 2: Consolidated report of support to COs with key lessons learnt (MS word +PPT), a debriefing to Regional Office team.

20 days Q2 2023 – Q1 2024

TA to COs Armenia and Belarus on child and adolescent mental health in PHC and digital platforms in coordination with ADAP

Deliverable 3: Consolidated report of support to individual country with key lessons learnt (MS word +PPT), a debriefing to RO team.

20 days Q2 2023 – Q1 2024

Support to Ukraine and refugee response with MH interventions for adolescents, linked to refugee response in Poland and Italy, in coordination with Child Protection (CP)and Adolescent Development and Participation (ADAP)

Deliverable 4a: Report of the support to refugees with mental health interventions, key results in Poland and Italy

Deliverable 4b: Donor report for ZZF

25 days Q2 2023 – Q1 2024

Oversee finalization of a regionally adapted adolescent mental health promotion/prevention intervention package (Helping Adolescent Thrive tools for ECAR)

Deliverable 5: Regionally adapted mental health prevention and promotion (HAT) package

10 days Q2-3 2023

Support development of National MH Strategy in Kazakhstan to propose new language in Russian around mental well-being (rather than Psychiatric health)

Deliverable 6: Briefing note on Mental well-being with guidance on communication strategy

15 days Q2-4 2023

Support organization of a Central Asia Symposium in Almaty on MH to develop language that decreases stigmatization (Russian and national languages) in collaboration with WHO

Deliverable 7: Organize Symposium (content, participants, strategies), document its results and leverage them in CA countries

20 days Q2-4 2023

Support reach of caregivers around adolescent mental health through existing and new regional digital platforms in collaboration with ADAP

Deliverable 8: Content packages for deployment on digital platforms

15 days Q1 2024

Develop and implement quality assurance mechanisms for online platforms providing counselling to adolescents in coordination with ADAP

Deliverable 9: Tools for QA and list of certified professionals

20 days Q4 2023

Mapping of provision of mental health services by health systems in the region, with identification of gaps and challenges, to provide insight on strategies to shift MH practices in countries, working with professional health bodies and institutions (All those countries receiving refugees or with an impact on their population from the conflict requiring MHPSS support to groups of population.)

Deliverable 10: Regional report on mapping of child/adolescent mental health and welling initiatives based on country consultations (word and ppt)

20 days Q2 2023

Review ECARO MH Strategy, in collaboration with CP, ADAP, ECD, Edu.

Deliverable 11: ECARO MHPSS Strategy updated

10 days Q3 2023

Development regional adolescent health (includes of mental wellbeing) strategy

Deliverable 12: Regional AH strategy document

10 days Q4 2023

Coordinate the adaptation of existing global and regional intervention tools for adolescent mental health and well-being among adolescents and their caregivers that can be delivered through health service, school, digital, and community platforms (Design and technical review workshops, translation, and adaptation of tools)

Deliverable 13: Compiled toolkit on SharePoint of regionally adapted intervention tools for use via a) schools b) health services c) digital interventions and d) community platforms

10 days Q2-3 2023

Resource mobilization for continuation of adolescent health/mental health activities

Deliverable 14: Proposals developed with country teams around child/adolescent mental health

10 days Q3 2023

Estimated Duration of the Contract

250 working days

Consultant’s Work Place and Official Travel

This consultancy is home based with some travel involved to County Offices and Reginal Office as needed.

Estimated Cost of the Consultancy & Payment Schedule

Payment will be made on submission of an invoice and satisfactory completion of the above-mentioned deliverables.

Please propose a lumpsum financial fee based on 250 working days during the period April 2023 to April 2024.

Minimum requirements:

Minimum Masters in Mental health professional with MSc, MSW, RN, Ph.D., MD, MS. Ed or equivalent degree (e.g., psychiatry, psychology, clinical social work, public mental health)

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• Mental health professional with MSc, MSW, RN, Ph.D., MD, MS. Ed or equivalent degree (e.g. background psychiatry, psychology) with 5+ years clinical and programming experience
• Experience in development and/or humanitarian emergencies leading MHPSS service delivery and response through health, child protection, or education programs and systems
• Experience in child and adolescent or family focused MHPSS
• Experience in capacity building, coaching and staff care, strengthening various duty bearers’ understanding and implementation of MHPSS, including training in clinical psychological skills
• Experience in overseeing program quality and development
• Experience of working with and supporting local partners

Culture and Fit

• Culturally sensitive and able to adapt to difficult contexts
• Strong people and communication skills, diplomatic and assertive as needed
• Good team player that can work as part of a multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary team
• Capacity and willingness to be extremely flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy
• Commitment to and understanding of child rights, the aims and principles of UNICEF, and humanitarian standards such as the Sphere Charter and the Code of Conduct.
• A high level of written and spoken English
• Fluency in Russian or a UN language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

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:

Please include a full CV and Financial Proposal in your application by indicating your availability and all-inclusive lumpsum (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without an all-inclusive lumpsum will not be considered. 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.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

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Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unicef.org