Individual Consultancy (International) - Clinical Supervisor for Social Workers Supervision 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/2020/43 – Individual Consultancy (International) - Clinical Supervisor for Social Workers Supervision 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 psychiatrists and other mental health specialised 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 social workers currently working at Centre for Mental Health, Maldives. The incumbent will work from home and provide around 5 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 supervision, capacity building and technical backstopping to the social workers practicing at Centre for Mental Health to ensure that the they are functioning effectively and ethical.

The expected number of supervisees is two social workers working in Centre for Mental Health. The incumbent is expected to provide remote support of estimated 5 contact hours per week, spread out in the week - with a cumulative work hour equivalent to 2-3 full working days per month.

The specific objectives of the consultancy are to:

1. Provide high quality clinical supervision to social workers
2. Strengthen performance standards including clinical record keeping, good documentation practices, maintaining high ethical standards.
3. Strengthen technical skills and psychological competencies of social workers, 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 (est. to 5 contact hours per week, supervising clinical work of around two supervisees - with a cumulative work hours equivalent to be to 4-5 full working days per month)

1. Provide high quality clinical supervision, guidance and debriefing to social workers (estimated two social workers)

• Provide individual supervision the (two) social workers each week (estimate one hour per week for each practitioner).
• Support the assigned supervisees to strengthen case management clinical skills and knowledge through case discussions. Provide feedback, guidance and mentoring. Provide de-briefing when required.
• Conduct one group supervision session twice a month.

2. Strengthen performance standards in case management, 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 in case management, psychological competencies, 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. The supervision work is expected to be around 5-7 contact hours per week (i.e. equivalent to 4 -5 working days of work per month, spread out in the month)

Official travel involved (itinerary and duration): No travel required (remote work from home base).

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

Report 3

• With update on key activities and recommendations.
• 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 Social work or other relevant area. At least a Master’s degree is required.
• Specialised training in social work supervision, or clinical supervision is a must.
• Registration in an internationally accepted social work board and license to practice as a supervisor, and follow the professional code of ethics in supervision.
• 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 personalised training for social workers or 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=534758&SourceTypeID=796&sLanguage=en-us

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.