Mental Health and Psycho-social Support Services (MHPSS) Individual Contractor/Consultant (full time), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Open to Malaysians Only)

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, hope

In Malaysia, there is a lack of accessible and quality mental health and psychosocial support, which is responsive to the needs of young people, particularly those from marginalized groups (with disabilities, indigenous, B40, refugees, migrants). The national budget allocated to mental healthcare in 2020 was slightly less than one percent of the total budget for healthcare (RM344.82 million), which is lower than the international average of 2.8%. Suicide is criminalized in Malaysia, which likely compounds stigma and acts as a barrier to help-seeking among adolescents with mental health problems.

How can you make a difference?

The primary objective of this dedicated consultancy is two-fold: (1) to support the development of a country-specific strategy providing policymakers and government sectors with evidence-based recommendations on strengthening multi-tiered systems and services in the short, medium and longer term, with a focus on tailoring and delivering accessible, quality, effective services for children and adolescents; and (2) to support the development of a regional report providing a region-specific conceptual framework for the provision of multi-tiered mental health services for children and adolescents.

The consultant will coordinate mapping, analysis and capacity-building and awareness initiatives on MHPSS in Malaysia in order to help shape strategic programmatic response on MHPSS across sectors and ensure the inclusion of MHPSS in research, data collection/reporting and communication exercises. The consultant will work with country and regional level teams.

More specifically, the consultant will support and will be expected to complete the following tasks:

1. Coordinate and support the evidence generation process, Technical Advisory Group (TAG) and stakeholder engagements for UNICEF’s mental health (MH) Regional Study
2. Mapping of partners, and mental health policies and initiatives relevant to UNICEF’s focus areas (e.g., across education, health, welfare etc.)
3. Coordinate engagements with potential and current partners on mental health programmes, research and advocacy
4. Awareness raising on MHPSS through supporting the organization of a dialogue on MHPSS in conjunction with the launch of the SOWC report on mental health in October
5. Monitor and collate data (national and sub-national) on mental health, including media reports

Mode of Consultancy:

• The consultancy will be undertaken remotely for now until the office resume working in the premise; where the consultant is expected to make his/her own arrangements on accommodation, prepare his/her own ICT settings etc., and will be provided with a UNICEF email
• The consultant will be expected to make his/her own arrangement for accommodation and transport to and from the office, should the need arise
• A monthly work plan will be developed outlining expected deliverables at the beginning of every month
• Monthly payments in ringgits will be made in Ringgit Malaysia
• UNICEF will pay for travel costs relevant to the assignment as per the organizational guideline.
• This contract is for 11.5 months (with a possibility for an extension)

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

• A degree in Health related or social science field including social work, psychology or anthropology, (with demonstrated counselling experience), or psychiatry.
• At least eight (8) years of experience with child protection and/or MHPSS programming for children, including in humanitarian contexts.
• Experience in project coordination and management.
• Experience in working with youth/adolescents.
• Good knowledge and understanding of humanitarian principles, child safeguarding measures and established international standards on mental health and psychosocial support for children in humanitarian and/or development settings.
• Strong organizational and facilitation skills whether face to face or remotely with diverse stakeholders.
• Comfortable to work independently while coordinating closely with different teams.
• Experience in MHPSS research a plus

Kindly include your proposed monthly fee (in RM) in your application - may be included either as a financial proposal or in your resume.

The individual contractor will be provided 1.5 days of paid time off on a monthly basis as part of the contractual benefit.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

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.