National Professional Officer, Mental Health

Contract

This is a NO-C contract. This kind of contract is known as National Professional Officers. It is normally only for nationals. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 5 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be more than 3,598 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The objective of the programme is to support the Government in scaling up coverage of MH service in the Country through community based MH services including integration of MH service at primary health care (PHC) level.Mental health has historically been neglected on Africa's health and development policy agenda. Faced with many challenges, including intractable poverty, infectious diseases, maternal and child mortality, as well as conflict, African political leaders and international development agencies frequently overlook the importance of MH.This trend is often compounded by three factors: ignorance about the extent of mental health problems, stigma against those living with mental illness and mistaken beliefs that mental illnesses cannot be treated.Absence of treatment is the norm rather than the exception across the continent. The “treatment gap” - the proportion of mental illness patients who don't get treatment - ranges from 75% in South Africa to more than 90% in Ethiopia and Nigeria.

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DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

1.Oversee the overall timeliness and quality of all programme deliverables, the finalization of operational transactions in accordance with the mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) operational work plan, assure compliance with WHO rules and regulations, and efficiently deliver related services/products within the country.

2.Engage and coordinate with the international and national stakeholders (including UN/NGO and civil society organizations) to:

oFacilitate and provide technical assistance in the assessment of MHPSS needs, resources and capacities.oSupport the development of a mental health service organization plan, with initial focus on:

Promote a system-based approach to integrate MHPSS in health and related social sectors, in coordination with relevant agencies and entities. Establish and lead Mental Health Working Group under the health cluster based on the interagency cluster approach for ensuring a coordinated response.

Provide technical support to the Ministry of Health and other national entities/ institutions in building capacity in the MHPSS response at national level.

Provide technical advice to partners, civil society organizations and other entities, as appropriate, on the issues related to instituting a robust MHPSS programme.

Contribute to the mobilization of adequate and sustained resources for the development and implementation of MHPSS activities.

3.Facilitate the development of community-based mental health services.

4.Contribute to the development and strengthening of secondary level specialist psychiatric services.

5.Provide technical guidance to develop, implement and monitor the integration of mental health in the primary health care.

6.Co-develop, in coordination with national stakeholders, surveillance and monitoring systems for mental, neurological and substance use disorders (MNS).

7.Draft and revise technical documents, briefing notes, meeting reports, information products and content, as appropriate.

8.Perform any other related incident-specific duties, as required by the functional supervisor.

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REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: University degree in psychiatry, clinical psychology, social work or allied sciences from an accredited/recognized institute. Desirable: Post-graduate qualification or specialized training in (a) public health (b) clinical psychology or psychiatry and/or (c) MHPSS in emergency and humanitarian crises; Training in delivering bio-psychosocial interventions for MNS disorders.

Experience

Essential: At least seven (5) years of experience in in the assessment, development and implementation of policies, strategies and action plans for MHPSS in the context of emergencies. Desirable:

Experience of managing national mental health programme(s) including experience with implementing WHO's mental health Gap Action Programme (MHGAP);

Experience in capacity building, developing and promoting collaborative partnerships;

Relevant work experience in WHO, other UN agencies, relevant nongovernmental, health cluster partners or recognized humanitarian organizations.

A minimum of 3 years of working experience in large public health projects would be an asset.

Skills

1.International policy frameworks (WHO, Sphere, IASC) for reduction of public health challenges related to mental health in emergency settings.

2.Implementation tools (e.g., WHO/United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) MHPSS assessment toolkit, psychological first aid field guide, MH GAP Humanitarian Intervention Guide, mental health component of Interagency Emergency Health Kit (IEHK), “Building Back Better” casebook) for reduction of public health problems related to mental health in (post-) emergency settings.Demonstrated ability to:

3.Plan and conduct capacity-building activities in MHPSS.

4.Work effectively in an emergency and humanitarian response context, under constraints and meet deadlines.

5.Collaborate on MHPSS across different sectors.

WHO Competencies

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

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English. Desirable:

REMUNERATION

Remuneration comprises an annual base salary starting at USD 28,573 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable) and 30 days of annual leave.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Duty station Addis Ababa

• This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level

• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.

• A written test may be used as a form of screening.

• 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.

• Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual.

• Staff members in other duty stations are encouraged to apply.

• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.

• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.

• WHO's workforce adheres to the WHO Values Charter and is committed to put the WHO Values into practice.

• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

• This is a National Professional Officer position. Therefore, only applications from nationals of the country where the duty station is located will be accepted. Applicants who are not nationals of this country will not be considered.