STAFF COUNSELLOR – Western Africa & Haiti

Organizational Setting

The FAO Health Services provides preventative medical, counselling and occupational health services to FAO employees and their dependents and advice on all health-related matters to the Organization. Within the Health Services, the counselling unit provides services to promote the psychological health and well-being of employees and contributes to a healthy work environment, at Headquarters and in field offices worldwide.

The Staff Counsellor works on the basis of the professional code of ethics, within which professional integrity and confidentiality are amongst the highest requirements.

Reporting Lines

The Staff Counsellor reports directly to FAO Chief of Health Services or his designate.

Technical Focus

Prevention, identification and resolution of work and personal psychosocial related problems at the individual/strategy/policy levels.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Facilitate the provision of effective psycho-social support to managers, office representatives and individual staff prioritizing emergency locations with the aim of mitigating stress and boosting protective factors. • Provide support and advice to the managers and office representatives in offices on healthy work practices and approaches on how to effectively support staff and encourage resilience. Recommend suitable staff support strategies to managers; • Provide employees with individual and/or group counselling as needed (i.e. assessment, short-term intervention, referral); • Contribute to identification of creative ways of building a network of external mental health providers available to provide services to staff; • Coordinate with in-country UNDSS and other UN agency-counsellors, to ensure the provision of adequate psychosocial support; • Assess and monitor psycho-social needs and issues affecting the wellbeing of staff; • Design and provide training and awareness raising activities for staff and managers on trauma as well as strengthening healthy workplace practices to the extent possible. • Provide Critical Incident Stress Management to groups- and/or individual staff following critical incidents. A holistic approach to critical incident management is used and may include services such as practical support, psycho-education, psychological first aid, strategic advice to leadership, family support and individual or group interventions. • Train and coordination of a group of Peer Support Volunteers

The Staff Counsellor will be responsible for:

• Contact the affected employee(s) and offering information about typical stress reactions, support and referral information; • Facilitate appropriate traumatic stress interventions, following a critical incident or traumatic event; • Recommend and arrange for individual and/or group follow-up support to staff and their dependents. Regular reaching out to employees in field offices; • Monitoring and oversight: • Provide, on a regular basis, statistics and trends on issues related to staff well-being, whilst maintaining confidentiality; • Alert the FAO Staff Counsellor in HQ on trends that may be of concern in offices or offices requiring targeted support or managerial intervention; • Capture lessons learnt and best practices for dissemination as appropriate.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• An advanced university degree is required in counselling, clinical psychology or a field related to mental health. • A first-level university degree in the above fields coupled with 2 additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree. • At least five years of work experience in staff support, mental health, cross cultural communications, counselling and related areas preferably gained within the UN system or international development/humanitarian aid sector. • Working knowledge (Level C) in French and limited knowledge (Level B) in English.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus • Teamwork • Communication • Building Effective Relationships • Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Work experience in more than one location or area of work • Good knowledge of the UN System internal policies, practices, and procedures is highly desirable • Proven ability to plan and prioritize own work, and to work independently • Additional training or certification in Trauma and Stress Management is an added advantage.

Selection Criteria

• Additional training or certification in Trauma and Stress Management is an added advantage. • Knowledge of another official UN language or local language of the region is considered as an asset.