Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Specialist

Job Description

Overview

HAI seeks a Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Specialist to oversee the implementation of the technical aspects of a MHPSS response focused on the internally displaced population in Borno State, Nigeria. The MHPSS Specialist will be responsible for ensuring that the MHPSS activities are aligned with global guidelines and best practices in the field of MHPSS and for providing supervision and capacity building of national MHPSS providers. The MHPSS Specialist will report to the Program Director and will liaise closely with HAI’s global MHPSS Technical Advisor.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Guides the implementation of MHPSS programming with a focus on technical aspects and quality assurance through close monitoring and supervision
• Ensures that MHPSS program components are implemented according to approved work plan to achieve program deliverables. Through strong planning and monitoring, identifies potential obstacles to programmatic success in a timely fashion, and implements corrective actions as needed
• Ensures technical oversight and field-monitoring of the program staff in close coordination with program managers, notably to ensure quality control and adequate implementation of the planned tools and frameworks
• Provides capacity building training and supervision to national MHPSS staff
• As needed, contributes to the development of case studies of successes and lessons learned, and other publications to highlight HAI’s niche areas of expertise and value added
• Provides regular comprehensive program updates to supervisor as to program status, current and emerging issues
• Oversees the recruitment of MHPSS field staff
• Attends relevant coordination groups
• Develops scopes of work, project deliverables and monitoring and evaluation indicators and targets together with the Program Development team and HQ MHPSS Technical Advisor for grant and service delivery partners as required

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or competency required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience:

• Master’s degree or higher in mental health, social work, counseling or related field with a minimum of 5 years of experience

Technical Skills:

• At least two years of experience implementing MHPSS programming in humanitarian settings, preferably in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Program implementation experience
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement capacity building training of staff on MHPSS
• Experience with MHPSS programming for survivors of gender based violence preferred
• Experience in mental health and psychosocial support interventions for children and adolescents preferred

Language Skills:

• Excellent oral and written English language communication skills required

Other Competencies:

• Time Management – Ability to prioritize tasks, manage time and complete projects in a fast-paced, changing environment with minimal supervision.
• Quality Management - Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness
• Analytical - Synthesizes complex or diverse information; Collects and researches data
• Written Communication - Writes clearly and informatively; Edits work for spelling and grammar; Varies writing style to meet needs; Presents numerical data effectively;
• Adaptability - Adapts to changes in the work environment; Manages competing demands; Changes approach or method to best fit the situation; Able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events
• Cultural Competence – Ability to work in diverse cultural contexts; Sensitivity to and respect of cultural norms

Computer Skills:

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, Outlook/Exchange, Windows operating systems

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit; use hands to handle or feel and reach with hands and arms.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.

Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
• The employee may be required to remain on Organization premises during breaks and/or meal periods and may be required to stay on Organization premises until their replacement arrives.
• The employee is required to travel regularly to often insecure and limited-resource environments.

Heartland Alliance makes all hiring and employment decisions without regard to race, creed, color, age, gender, gender identity, marital or parental status, religion, ancestry, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, sexual identity, immigrant status, political affiliation or belief, ex-offender status (depending on the offense and position to be filled), unfavorable military discharge, membership in an organization whose primary purpose is the protection of civil rights or improvement of living conditions and human relations, height, weight, or HIV infection, in accord with the Organization’s AIDS Policy Statement of September, 1987. Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodation should contact the Employee Services Office at +1 (312) 660-1431.

About the Organization

Organizational Background:

Heartland Alliance International (HAI) is the global arm of Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights, a family of organizations that has been leading anti-poverty and social justice work in Chicago for more than 125 years. HAI’s offices in nearly a dozen countries implement programs on a range of global human rights issues, as well as the Chicago-based Marjorie Kovler Center for the Treatment of Survivors of Torture, which serves individuals from more than 50 countries. HAI has significant expertise in the fields of trauma-informed mental health care and access to justice for survivors of rights abuses. It is also an industry leader in access to high-quality and stigma-free health care. Across all of its programs, HAI promotes progressive, innovative approaches to human rights protections and gender equality.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, HAI addresses the HIV/AIDS epidemic, human trafficking, trauma-informed mental health care for survivors of violent conflict, and empowerment of women and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. HAI currently maintains offices in Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), while also implementing technical assistance programming in Sudan, Swaziland, and Cameroon.