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.

To increase its capacity to respond to the psychosocial and mental health care needs of UN and UNV personnel and UN Volunteers during the regional crises such as in Palestine and in the affected and neighboring countries, in Libya and in Morocco, UNV is looking for a Staff Counsellor.

Under the supervision of the UNDP Regional Stress Counselor and UNV Regional Manager, and in coordination with DCO office, the assigned International UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: • Assess UN personnel experiencing difficulty coping and/or are presenting with well-being and mental health-related symptoms or syndromes; • Provide psychological support to individual personnel working in different geographic locations in person or through tele-counselling services; • Deliver group sessions for offices and teams on issues of common concern. Provide advice and other support to managers to help them ensure a psychologically healthy workplace. • Contribute to the design of policies and guidelines, as well as information / booklets to increase awareness about issues related to mental health and well-being; • Contribute to/develop promotional materials on key topics. Deliver workshops, trainings, and information sessions on a wide range of topics (e.g. stress management, domestic violence, mental health promotion etc) • Ensure that staff are regularly receiving relevant information and are aware of sources where to find information or assistance. • Actively engage with management and staff with a view to identifying their concerns. • Prepare comprehensive reports, and plan and implement other staff counseling activities to ensure the provision of cohesive counseling services. • At the request of UNV Regional Office and the UN Country Offices in the Arab States, undertake missions to assess psychosocial risks and propose interventions to support UNDP personnel. • Support the implementation of the UN Psychosocial Response for the crises countries.

• Accountability • Adaptability and flexibility • Creativity • Judgement and decision-making • Planning and organising • Professionalism • Self-management

(up to 7 years) in counselling is required; experience in working in a hardship location and/or providing counselling in field locations is an asset. • Registration as a mental health professional in the country of origin is required. • Additional certification in trauma intervention, substance abuse counselling, cross-cultural communication is an advantage; • Experience in counselling victims of gender-based violence is an asset;

Location: The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is located in the Middle East. Bound by Syria to the north, Iraq to the northeast, Saudi Arabia to the east and south, Red Sea to the south and the Palestinian National Authority to the west.

Weather: Jordan’s climate can be classified as semi-arid (Bsh) on the Koeppen-Geiger classification. It features a hot, dry climate characterized by long, hot, dry summers and short, cool winters. The climate is influenced by Jordan's location between the subtropical aridity of the Arabian desert areas and the subtropical humidity of the eastern Mediterranean area. January is the coldest month, with temperatures from 5°C to 10°C, and August is the hottest month at 20°C to 35°C. Daily temperatures can be quite hot, especially in the summer; on some days it can be 40°C or more, especially when a hot, dry southerly wind blows. Such winds can sometimes be very strong and can cause sandstorms. About 70 percent of the average rainfall in the country falls between November and March; June through August are often rainless. Rainfall varies from season to season and from year to year. Precipitation is often concentrated in violent storms, causing erosion and local flooding, especially in the winter months.

Safety and Security: Jordan is a relatively stable country. The potentials for internal or external armed conflict are considered very unlikely in the current political environment. Peaceful demonstrations, and sometimes road blockages, do occur in Jordan, motivated by domestic factors such as unemployment, deprivation of resources and development or for regional issues such as solidarity with the Palestinian cause or with the Syrian crises. Most of these events are driven by civil society unions and Islamic parties. Domestic tribal civil unrest sometimes turns violent, especially outside main cities, due to tribal disputes or socio-economic reasons. In all occasions law enforcement agencies usually manage to contain the situation rapidly. Road traffic accidents are the primary threat against UN personnel in Jordan. Poor road conditions and bad driving behaviours are the main reasons for the high rate of traffic accidents. Amman is a category A duty station with security level 1.

Transportation and housing: Taxis as well as ride-hailing services (Uber and Careem) are abundant and affordable in Amman. Medical facilities are generally very good, particularly in Amman where there are several modern, well-equipped public and private hospitals. Public minibuses are the most common form of public transport. They normally only leave when full, so waiting times of an hour or more are inevitable, especially in rural areas. The larger air-con buses offer a speedy and reliable service, departing according to a fixed schedule. Housing is readily available with rents for one- to two-bedroom apartments ranging between 500 and 800 JD (1 JD = 0.708 USD) depending on the location.

Health Services: Medical facilities are generally very good, particularly in Amman where there are several modern, well-equipped public and private hospitals. Almost all doctors (and most pharmacists) speak English; many have studied abroad.

Language: The official language of Jordan is Arabic, but English is widely spoken – especially in the cities. Many Jordanians have travelled or have been educated abroad so French, German, Italian and Spanish are also spoken, but to a lesser extent.

Learn more about Jordan from the Ministry of Tourism’s website: https://www.mota.gov.jo/Default/Ar