Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Consultant - Remotely

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.

How can you make a difference?

Background:

The war in Ukraine affects the physical and mental health of people.

Mental health disorders are reported to affect one in five people in conflict settings[1]. Traumatic events faced by civilians, including violence and torture[2] increase the risk of more severe and complex mental health conditions. Children and young people's mental health is particularly vulnerable during times of active armed conflict. At the same time, mental health issues in Ukraine are often stigmatized and there is no culture of seeking professional help or practicing self-help.

Within the concept of helping the helpers, in particular doctors and nurses who could further support their patients, UNICEF together with partners has been piloting a project “Strengthening emergency response through capacity building of national authorities, local hromadas, civil society organizations and healthcare workers” through July-December 2022, in which 105 healthcare professionals received individual and group Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) services amid war. A greater need and demand for such services has been identified.

Doctors and nurses also experience heightened levels of stress due to war - with no mechanism or resources for proper rest and recovery in the workplace, as healthcare personnel’s comfort in Ukraine has been traditionally neglected.

In particular, there is a need for arranging recreation rooms for doctors and nurses at maternity wards and perinatal care centres, as well as provision of MHPSS for healthcare workers, including through group and individual counseling.

Purpose of assignment:

To achieve deliverables of the UNICEF-GIZ project “Ensuring safe and adequate nutrition for young children affected by the war in Ukraine and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) support to healthcare professionals”, the consultant will support interventions within Outcome 2: “Medical personnel at service delivery points have access to a physical and supportive environment conducive to performing their duties” with the following tasks:

• Organize group and individual MHPSS support sessions to selected healthcare facilities at maternity wards, perinatal care centres and children’s hospitals. To do so, the consultant will do a rapid assessment of needs for relevant interventions, engaging respective specialists (psychologists, psychotherapists, psychiatrists), developing lists of facilities in need, managing schedules of group and individual sessions, maintaining communication with all participants, monitoring and reporting on activities implementation.
• Identify the list for renovations and procurement of key commodities for perinatal care centers, maternity wards, children’s hospitals in selected regions for recreation rooms/spaces for healthcare personnel, assessments of respective budgets, development of distribution/beneficiaries lists, communication with beneficiaries and coordinating respective interventions with UNICEF.
• Participate in Project Team meetings and meetings with partners, counterparts.
• Prepare progress updates for donors, UNICEF CO management.
• Provide inputs to mid-term, final donor reports on project implementation.

The consultant will work under the supervision of the UNICEF CO Health Specialist.

[1] New WHO prevalence estimates of mental disorders in conflict settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Available via: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(19)30934-1/fulltext

[2] United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. UN Human Rights in Ukraine.UNHRMMU; 2022.

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

Minimum requirements:

Education

Master's degree

An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: psychology, social studies, psychiatry, social and public communication or other relevant fields.

Or higher education in other fields with 2 years of professional experience in project management, implementation of initiatives in health, mental health, public health related fields.

Professional experience

A minimum of two years of professional experience implementing initiatives in the areas of health, mental health, public health.

Experience working in a humanitarian emergency is an asset.

Cooperation with/supporting a UN system agency or organization is considered an added advantage.

Language

English

Upper-intermediate [B2]

Ukrainian

Proficient/Native [C2]

Skills and competencies

• Knowledge of the Ukrainian healthcare system, related context and challenges
• Good organizational skills, ability to manage complexity
• Working with others, good communication skills
• Networking and partnership building
• Drive to achieve result for impact

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.

Work assignment overview:

Deliverable

Deadline

# of w/days

1. Group and individual MHPSS sessions for healthcare workers, offline and online, are organized to support selected healthcare facilities: maternity wards, perinatal care centres and children’s hospitals, monitored and reported on.

15.12.2023

125

2. Table with identified needs and distribution lists for targeted health facilities based on identified needs are provided to support renovation and/or procurement of Core Commodities and Equipment for recreation rooms/spaces for healthcare personnel of perinatal care centers, maternity wards, children’s hospitals in selected regions.

1.07.2023

95

3. Progress updates for donors, UNICEF CO management, inputs to donor reports on project implementation are provided.

15.12.2023

30

Total:

250

Please provide an all-inclusive financial proposal to carry out the deliverables listed above.

i Costs indicated are estimated. Final rate shall follow the “best value for money” principle, i.e., achieving the desired outcome at the lowest possible fee. Consultants will be asked to stipulate all-inclusive fees, including lump sum travel and subsistence costs, as applicable.

Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

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:

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.