Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Officer

Contract

This is a No grade contract. More about No grade contracts.

Objective of the programme

The mission of the WHO Emergencies Program (The Programme) is to help countries, and to coordinate international action, to prevent, prepare for, detect, rapidly respond to, and recover from outbreaks and emergencies.

Description of duties:

• Conduct a review of the mhGAP implementation and develop a structured roll out plan in line with the Mental Health Strategic plan and the Health Sector Strategic plans
• In collaboration with the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) working group, support refining mental health and psychosocial services to meet the needs of the population and as may be required, co-coordinate the MHPSS WG
• Train healthcare workers on the mental health Gap Action Program (mhGAP) using the intervention guide
• Conduct supportive supervision and assessments for mhGAP trained staff and when necessary, offer clinical support
• Provide technical guidance to partners within the Health Sector and crosscutting sectors and sub sectors like Protection sector, Gender Based Violence sub sector, among others
• Contribute to development and implementation of research in the field of mental health especially for key populations like children, adolescents and other groups, as may be identified
• Provide technical support to develop a knowledge base on stigma and discrimination related to mental health issues.
• Contribute to assessment of the need and the procurement of essential psychotropic medicines to address any identified gaps
• Coordinate and communicate with the Government and respective sectors to ensure that data from mental health services is reported in a quality manner to advise decision making and progress of interventions, in line with agreed frameworks and guidelines
• Contribute to development of concept notes and proposals for mobilization of resources for mental health and humanitarian response in general.
• Participate as a resource person in training/orientation programmes in the related areas for capacity building and organize such programmes as required.
• Document best practices and lessons learnt from implementation of mental health activities in Rohingya population.
• Perform any other related duties, as required by the supervisor.

Required Qualifications:

Education:

Essential: Medical degree (MBBS) and post-graduate qualification in psychiatry or related field with registration in Bangladesh Medical & Dental Council (BDMC) to practice as a psychiatrist in Bangladesh

Desirable: Training in mental health service delivery in emergency settings is and added advantage

Experience:

Essential:

• At least 7 years of experience working in mental health care in low resource settings
• Familiarity and utilization of global tools for mental health promotion and service strengthening, including WHO mhGAP intervention guides

Desirable:

• Previous experience of working in emergency situations, in service provision or service strengthening including training of health care workers on mhGAP
• Previous experience working with WHO or UNHCR on mhGAP capacity building is an added advantage.

Competencies

• Producing Result
• Teamwork
• Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
• Communication
• Building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond

Languages: Proficient knowledge of both English and Bengali

Duty Station: Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

Computer Literacy: Proficiency in MS Office applications (i.e. Word, Excel, PowerPoints, etc.)

Salary & others benefits:

WHO offers locally competitive packages such as:

• • Monthly salary: BDT 212,199.00 (SSA- 9, Step I) (non-negotiable)
  • Insurance, Leave and Holidays as per WHO rules.

Additional Information

• This Vacancy Notice may be used to fill similar positions at the same level.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test and interviews will be used as a form of screening
• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
• WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• This post is subject to local recruitment and will be filled by persons recruited in the local commuting area of the duty station.
• In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.
• Any extension of appointment would be subject to programmatic requirements, performance of the incumbent and availability of funds.
• Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply.