Individual Consultancy (International) – Clinical Supervisor for Counsellors and Psychologists at Centre for Mental Health

Contract

This is a P-4 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 7 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 134,909 USD and 173,937 USD.

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TOR/2020/42 – International Consultancy (Individual) - Clinical Supervisor for Counsellors and Psychologists at Centre for Mental Health.

Background & Purpose:

The socioeconomic impact of the COVID pandemic has implications on mental health and well-being. People from all walks of life are experiencing stress and anxiety from direct and indirect effects related to the emergency and the restriction measures, and mental health services have become a critical service. Those with pre-existing mental health issues are especially vulnerable, and their symptoms or issues can further increase. Substance abuse, violence against children and domestic violence can also increase during these times. Current service providers and mental health sector inform that more people are seeking mental health services. Psychosocial helplines have been set-up, and any case with mental health history, or showing signs of it, or indicating urgency or high risk is referred to the national Center for Mental Health (CMH) at the IGMH central hospital. The current initiatives’ are contributing to address the long-time gap in MHPSS services outside the capital Male’, and the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating innovative and e-approaches, such as tele-MHPSS services. The CMH is the nodal entity providing remote support to the psychiatrists in the designated regional hospitals. Combined, the emerging necessitated the need to strengthen the specialised mental health services offered at CMH, and adapt and increase access to psychiatrist services.

UNICEF and other UN agencies is supporting the expansion of mental health services, including digitalization of services and provision of additional technical professionals to meet the unprecedent demand. With this increase, there is a need for stronger clinical supervision and continued technical backstopping of services provided.

In this regard, UNICEF is seeking international consultants to provide remote clinical supervision services to counsellors, psychologists and mental health practitioners currently working at Centre for Mental Health, Maldives. The incumbent will work from home and provide around 15 hours of supervision and support in a given week.

Purpose of the Assignment:

With the overall aim of contributing to improved mental health coverage in the Maldives, the purpose of the assignment is to enhance the quality of specialized mental health services provided at Centre for Mental Health.

The key objective is to provide high quality clinical supervision, capacity building and technical backstopping to the psychologists, social workers and counsellors practicing at Centre for Mental Health to ensure that the they are functioning effectively and ethical.

The expected number of supervisees is seven mental health practitioners who are counsellors, psychologists or therapists. The incumbent is expected to provide remote support of estimated 15 contact hours per week, spread out in the week.

The specific objectives of the consultancy are to:

1. Provide high quality clinical supervision to CMH counsellors and psychologists
2. Strengthen performance standards including clinical record keeping, good documentation practices, maintaining high ethical standards.
3. Strengthen technical skills and psychological competencies of MH practitioners, and support capacity building and personal growth

Duty station: The consultancy is remotely based and will be from consultant’s home base.

Supervisor: Under the direct supervision of the head for Center for Mental Health, and in close coordination with the UNICEF Programme Specialist for Health & Nutrition.

Major tasks of the Assignment:

The international consultant will provide remote support to the mental health mental health practitioners at Centre for Mental Health in the below areas (equivalent to 15 contact hours per week, supervising clinical work of around 7 supervisees - with a cumulative work hour equivalent to be to 10-11 full working days per month):

1. Provide high quality clinical supervision to CMH counsellors / psychologists

• Provide individual supervision to counsellors / psychologists each week (estimate one hour per week for each practitioner). Include de-briefing sessions as needed.
• Support the assigned practitioners to strengthen clinical skills and knowledge through case discussions. Provide feedback, guidance and mentoring.
• Conduct one group supervision session twice a month.

2. Strengthen performance standards including clinical record keeping, good documentation practices, maintaining high ethical standard.

• Review clinical records, and documentations for compliance of protocols and standards. Provide guidance and feedback for improvement
• Support to ensuring compliance at all times by the supervisee with the provisions of the Psychology Ethics and the regulations adopted by the service
• monitoring the performance and professional development of the supervisee and for reporting this performance and development to the team leader
• identify practices that are considered unethical or incompetent using the profession’s code of conduct/practice
• Contribute to develop / review policies and procedures on ethical standards and professional standards
• Submit monthly update to management on recommendations and way forward

3. Strengthen the technical skills psychological competencies of counsellors, and support capacity promotion and personal growth

• Establish a safe environment in which professional and practice issues may be explored.
• Assist the supervisee in clarifying, exploring, thinking, reflecting on feelings and perceptions underlying their work practice.
• Identify areas for improvement and capacity building, and support in building skills and growth. If needed, deliver group trainings on specialized interventions or areas, based on need.

Note: The supervisor will abide by the confidentiality agreement set by CMH.

Estimated duration of contract and deadline for submission of end-product: The assignment will be signed for an initial period of 3 months between October 2020 – January 2021

Official travel involved (itinerary and duration): None expected.

Deliverables:

Progress report 1 with:

• Inception report
• Key issues, matters for management attention and recommendations
• Activity plan and timeline

Progress reports 2

• With update on key activities
• Update on key issues, matters for management attention and recommendations
• SoPs / documents developed

Report 3

• With update on key activities
• Update on key issues, matters for management attention and recommendations
• SoPs / documents developed (editable soft copies, including the final versions)

Note: UNICEF will only make milestone payments based on achievement of specific deliverables as listed. All payments will be subjected to acceptance of deliverable by UNICEF.

UNICEF and partner agencies will hold copyrights to products developed under the consultancy.

Deliverables can be arranged in months, and pegged to monthly progress reports.

UNICEF does not make advance payment & UNICEF is exempted from paying VAT and other forms of taxes. Locals will be paid in local currency.

When applicable, UNICEF Maldives pays economy ticket, on lowest fare from the most direct route (on reimbursement basis)

Qualifications or specialized knowledge and/or experience required:

• An advanced degree in area of Clinical psychology, psychology, psychotherapy, psychiatry or other relevant area. At least a Master’s degree is required.
• Specialised training in clinical supervision is a must.
• Registration in an internationally accepted psychology board and license to practice as a clinical supervisor.

Professional Organizations' Codes of Ethics on Supervision in Psychotherapy and Counselling

• At least five years of experience working as a clinical supervisor, preferably in similar settings. Experience in mentoring and provision of coaching in similar areas.
• Knowledge of, and experience in, at least one of a range of evidence-based approaches or theoretical framework to mental health conditions.
• Commitment to Human Rights, humanitarianism, equality and diversity. Multicultural sensitivity and ability to understand different cultural backgrounds.
• Expertise and demonstrated experience in delivering personalized training for mental health practitioners
• Excellent level of English language; demonstrated high level of professional communication skills (oral and written).

Deadline for Applications: 10th October 2020, 06:00pm (Maldives Time)

Application Link:

https://secure.dc7.pageuppeople.com/apply/671/gateway/Default.aspx?c=apply&sJobIDs=534754&SourceTypeID=796&sLanguage=en-us

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.

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

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:

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.