Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergencies

Contract

This is a UNV National Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV National Specialist contracts.

WHO is a specialized agency of the United Nations that was established in July 1946 and whose objective is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. WHO’s primary role is to direct and coordinate international health within the United Nations system. WHO’s main areas of work are health systems; health through the life-course; noncommunicable and communicable diseases; preparedness, surveillance and response; and corporate services.

The incumbent under direct supervision of the regional advisor for mental health and substance use consultant at the Regional office EMR will engage and coordinate with the Ministry of Health (MOH), Directorates of Health (DOHs), UN/NGO partners and national focal points for MHPSS to:

• Provide technical guidance to develop, implement and monitor the MHPSS action plans for catering to the needs of population across the response and recovery phases; • Promote a system-based approach to integrate MHPSS in health and related social sectors in coordination with relevant agencies and entities; • Provide technical support for the capacity enhancement initiatives in coordination with the national and international stakeholders involved in the current humanitarian response to develop a multi-layered MHPSS response; • Facilitate development of community-based Mental Health services; • Coordinate with all stakeholders to enhance the capacity of PHC personnel to deliver a basic package of mental health care based on WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme - Intervention Guide (mhGAP-HIG) as part of the PHC package of care; • Coordinate and technically support the development of secondary level psychiatric outpatient /inpatient services to provide referral and Supervisory support for PHC personnel; • Contribute to the development of and strengthening of specialist level psychiatric services; • Participate with all stakeholders and partners to develop IEC materials and raise awareness on mental and psychosocial needs to counter stigma and discrimination; Co-develop, in coordination with national stakeholders, surveillance and monitoring systems; • Provide technical advice to partner civil society organizations and other entities, as appropriate, on the issues related to instituting a robust MHPSS program; • Assist with Mobilization of adequate and sustained resources for the development and implementation of MHPSS activities and programmes; • Provide programmatic support to the mental health and substance abuse programme at the country office; • Written periodic updates on MHPSS services, shared with relevant sectors and management; • Draft and review technical documents and information products as appropriate.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to:- Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day)- Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country- Provide annual and end of assignment reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities using UNV’s Volunteer Reporting Application- Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.- Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers- Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

Results/Expected Outputs:

As an active WHO team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to the WHO Health Emergencies incident management system, at the country level, and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including: • development, adaptation and use of approaches, and interventions aimed at protection, promotion of mental health and prevention of Mental, Neurological and Substance use disorders (MNS) through integration of mental health and substance abuse components in general health care and promoting intersectoral collaboration; • Support to all stakeholders to develop and implement policies, programmes and plans on mental health and psychosocial support based on the best available evidence and guided by the WHO, and IASC polices, position papers and strategies and guidelines on mental health and psychosocial support during emergencies and COVID 19 pandemic; • Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment; • A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed. • The development of capacity through coaching, mentoring and formal on-the-job training, when working with (including supervising) national staff or (non-) governmental counter-parts, including Implementing Partners (IPs); • Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment; • A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development dur-ing the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed

• Professionalism • Integrity • Teamwork and respect for diversity • Commitment to continuous learning • Planning and organizing • Communication • Flexibility • Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement

in mental health and psycho-social programming; • Experience working in the Humanitarian context and emergencies; • Experience in capacity building and in strengthening various duty bearers’ understanding of and response to mental health and Psychosocial Support; • Experience working on the inclusion of hard to reach groups of children is a plus; • Good knowledge of and experience in using established inter-agency standards and guidelines in MHPSS;
• Expertise in mental health and other health-related experience • Emergency response, immediate relief operations, and post-conflict humanitarian aid operations is mandatory • Public health qualification will be an added plus; • Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills; • Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing; • Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development; • Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel; • Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment; • Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines. • Ability to communicate clearly and sensitively in written and spoken English; • Knowledge of Ukranian and/or Russian is desirable;

The Republic of Moldova lies in the central part of Europe in the north-eastern Balkans. Moldova occupies an area of 33,843.5 km2. The capital of Moldova is Chisinau. On the North, East and South Moldova is surrounded by Ukraine, and on the West it is separated from Romania by the Prut River. The landscape of Moldova consists of hilly plains with an average altitude of about 150 meters (495 feet) above sea level, which flatten gradually toward the southwest. Old forests called Codrii cover the central part of the country. Moldova is in an earthquake zone connected to the Carpathian Mountains. The last major earthquake occurred in 1989, although smaller scale earthquakes are common throughout the year. Moldova’s two major rivers are the Nistru and the Prut, and a short span of the Danube crosses the extreme southern part of the republic. There are more than 3,000 small rivers or tributaries, of which only seven are longer than 80 km (50 miles). Moldova has more than 50 natural lakes and is rich in mineral-water springs. The country has a temperate climate with four definite seasons. Summers are warm and humid, with an average high temperature in July of +26 degrees Celsius. Winters are cold, especially because of the high humidity. Temperatures can remain below -10 degrees Celsius for several days, and snowfalls are usually not extreme, and snow can remain on the ground for up to several weeks. Spring and autumn are usually beautiful with mild temperatures. Chisinau, the capital, offers a wide variety of cultural and entertainment possibilities, such as opera, ballet, theatre, circuses, and nightclubs. The options decrease, however, in proportion to the population of the community. There are also a growing number of cafes and bars in Moldova, which offer diversity of food and drinks. The computerization of Moldova is progressing rapidly, Internet service is very popular in Moldova at reasonable rates and wireless facilities are available in many locations, therefore using Internet is the common way to stay in contact with friends and family in the home country. The capital city is very green with a lot of parks, lakes and trees around, and it has developed network of cheap public transport, which includes trolleybuses, buses and minibuses. Taxi services are well developed and are quite price-accessible

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials

UN Volunteer entitlements and allowances: The purpose of the allowances and entitlements paid to UN Volunteers is to enable UN Volunteers to sustain a secure standard of living at the duty stations in line with United Nations standards without incurring personal costs. The allowances are in no way to be understood as compensation, reward, or salary in exchange for the UN Volunteer’s service. Contingent on specific eligibility criteria, location of the volunteer assignment and contractual type and category, the payment of allowances will begin from the date of Commencement of Service For more information on entitlements please read the Condition of Service (https://explore.unv.org/cos) and use the entitlement calculator (https://app.unv.org/calculator) for the most up to date information