Staff Counsellor

Contract

This is a UNV International Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Specialist contracts.

The IOM Mission in Thailand operates with over 271 staff working on more than 36 active projects in nine locations across the country. IOM Thailand has a main office in central Bangkok and eight project offices in the Bangkok Metropolitan Area, Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son, Mae Sariang and Mae Sot. This presence, along with its vast network of partners, has enabled the Mission to support vulnerable migrants across the country. IOM is currently chair of the Thailand UN Migration Network. Through the Network, IOM, UN agencies and other stakeholders working on migration share information and coordinate programming to maximize their impact through collaboration. In 2021, ensuring inclusion of migrants in COVID‐19 Response and Recovery efforts is a thematic priority for the Network.

IOM’s longstanding relationship with government authorities in Thailand, and with bordering countries, ensures that IOM’s strategies and operations are in line with broader national, regional, and sub‐regional frameworks and that interventions take into consideration all stakeholders in the migration process, including origin and destination countries. IOM’s engagement with private sector employers and migrant workers along with its continued presence in migrant communities gives IOM a comparative advantage, as the Mission is uniquely placed to identify needs and challenges related to migration and provide targeted advice and assistance. Drawing on its institutional capacity and extensive expertise and presence in Thailand, IOM has developed this 2021 Strategic Response and Recovery Plan (SRRP) to respond to the ongoing threat of COVID‐19 with a continued focus on addressing the needs of vulnerable migrant populations and with a longer-term view for socio‐economic recovery.

Under the overall supervision of the Staff Welfare personnel nominated by the Staff Welfare Officer based in Geneva, Switzerland or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UN Volunteer Staff Counsellor will provide counselling services within the designated duty station, as outlined below:

• Assesses staff members experiencing difficulty coping and/or are presenting with mental health-related symptoms or syndromes; • Advises the Senior Staff Counsellor and other Personnel Officers, as necessary, on cases where a staff member is likely to experience difficulties in maintaining a professional standard in their duties. (e.g. work-related problem/s due to a psychological issue, conflict resolution, need-oriented medication, etc.); • Advises Chiefs of Section upon request, with the aim of improving the working atmosphere in their Section and resolving problems of a work-related or personal nature that adversely affect job performance and productivity, • Provides the emergency psychosocial support (individual or group session) to any personnel affected by the stress, the cumulative stress and the critical incident stress • Ensures the provision of psychosocial support services to personnel who are experiencing the psychosocial impacts of chronic diseases or any other issues; • Establishes a link and liaises with the members of the Staff Welfare Committee and Medical Services in order to develop programmes designed to improve the quality of life of staff members within the UNS area; • Organizes trainings on stress and critical incident stress management and related topics like resilience building; • Monitors environmental factors that could lead to stress, with focus on stress related to critical incidents, with respect to civilian personnel of the Mission;
• Develops, organizes and implements a stress management programme for all staff • Assists in organizing peer support training workshops for selected UN staff in conjunction with the UNDSS CISMU to create a Critical Incident Stress Intervention Cell {CIS/C); • Establish collaborative working relationships with counterparts and senior personnel in the respective Regions; • Provide tele-counselling services in allocated global locations and languages; • Offer and participate in the preparation of education material and seminars; • Provide management consultation as needed; • Refer on to Staff Welfare for complex mental health issues; • Participate in supervision and team meetings; • Be proactive in reaching out to missions/specific groups of staff • Maintain confidential records and submit monthly statistics as agreed and end of assignment report; • Maintain confidentiality and professional practice standards; • Any other duties as required.

• Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to IOM; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to IOM procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented; • Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and IOM in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority; • Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues; • Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment. • Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities; • Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups; • Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of operations as necessary; • Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards IOM mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

Clinical Psychology, Clinical Social Work or Medical {with four years of validated residency or certificate of specialization in Psychiatry).

• A valid certification to practice at national or international level in clinical psychology, psychiatry or clinical social work or recognition by a national or international formal professional organization in absence of professional board.

• A.first-level university degree in combination with an additional four {4) years of qualifying experiences may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree. This is subject to the technical clearance by the UN accredited technical assessment board (CISMU).

• Additional training or certification in a broad range of related fields, such as alcohol Substances abuse, stress management, traumatic stress, cross-cultural communication or conflict resolution.

• The experience in cross- cultural communications, counselling, related areas; • International experience in employee's assistance programmes or organizational intervention

Thailand is located in Southeast Asia. The climate is tropical, with the monsoon season running from May/June through October/November. Bangkok is the capital of Thailand, and it is also the most populated city in the country. It is located in the Chao Phraya River delta in the central part of the country. Bangkok has an estimated population of 8.75 million as of 2017 (13% of Thailand’s total population), based on data from the 2010 census. Over the past decades, Bangkok has grown rapidly with little urban planning or regulation. This has led to traffic congestion and air pollution, and there is frequent flooding of streets during the rainy season in the City’s low-lying areas.

The cost of living in Thailand is relatively low, as compared to many other capitals in Southeast Asia. Housing is widely available in various sizes and at various price points. Private healthcare in Thailand is of excellent standard, and there are numerous top hospitals in Bangkok, which fall far below countries like the US in terms of price. There are numerous high-quality international schools available in Bangkok, with English as the language of instruction. Bangkok has different public transportation options, including the BTS Skytrain and MRT Underground, metered taxis, mobile-based ride-hailing services (Grab, All Thai Taxi, etc.), tuk tuks, motorbike taxis, buses and boats.