Associate Staff Counsellor

Grade

NOB

National Professional Officer

Reason

Temporary > Temporary Assignment/ Appointment

D

Non Family with Residential Location<p></p><p></p>Danger Pay

Budapest, Hungary

2024-11-01

2025-04-30

October 10, 2024

Standard Job Description

Associate Staff Counsellor

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Associate Staff Counsellor supports the work of UNHCR Staff Counsellors through participation in case management, development of global staff wellbeing initiatives and data analysis. The Associate Staff Counsellor is a part of the front office and in collaboration with the Admin Associate manages the reception of clients and ensures that they are attended to with professionalism and care. Under the direct supervision of the Chief, Psychosocial Wellbeing Section, the Associate Staff Counsellor is the key focal point for production of promotion and educational materials (intranet content, brochures) and quarterly statistical reports for the entire team. The Associate Staff Counsellor supports the Staff Counsellors with research of relevant topics and is the focal point for the activities related to duty of care. The Associate Staff Counsellor backs up the Admin Associate when absent from duties. The Associate Staff Counsellor is directly supervised by the Chief however is expected to collaborate closely with other colleagues at the HQ (Geneva and Budapest) and in the field.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR’s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties
– In collaboration with the Admin Associate, manage the client reception and ensure that they are attended to with professionalism and care.
– Support the work of the Special Constraints Panel: receive the applications; prepare the files and obtain the necessary supporting documentation; set up meetings; take minutes of the meetings and prepare the correspondence; carry out the follow up; file documents and maintain statistical records.
– Support the Staff Counsellors with D&E waiver process by preparing the background information for the interview.
– Keep track of joint case management and assist Staff Counsellors in follow up.
– Produce quarterly reports on the key performance indicators and prepare the statistical analysis of the data on service satisfaction collected by the surveymonkey.
– Prepare on-line surveys as required and perform data analysis.
– Conduct literature review in the area of wellbeing in the workplace and prepare the summary as required.
– Maintain and update the list of external mental health professionals worldwide.
– Organize duty of care webinars for staff applying to positions in high risk environments
– Keep the Intranet PWS pages up to date.

– Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
– Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level
For P2/NOB – 3 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 2 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 1 year relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education
Counselling Organizational Psychology Psychology Social Work
or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses
Not specified

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Experience with data collection, statistical analysis. Report writing and drafting reports and correspondence.

Desirable
Relevant previous work experience.

Functional Skills
HR-Active Listening
CO-Drafting and Documentation
IM-Statistics Analysis
SO-Research
MD – Patient case management
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.

All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.

Operational context:

UNHCR runs its operations in 136 countries and 520 locations, carried on by over 16,500 staff members and members of the affiliate workforce. Given the nature of work, the psychological hazards range from workplace stress, exposure to traumatic situations and vicarious exposure to traumatic experiences of people of concern. All these can reflect at the individual, interpersonal and team levels and can affect the staff well-being as well as the efficiency of the operation.

The Staff Health and Wellbeing Service (SH&WS) and more specifically its Psychosocial Wellbeing Section (PWS), are entrusted with addressing these challenges. The Psychosocial Wellbeing team comprises the Staff Counsellors based in Geneva, in the Regional Bureaux and in some multi-country offices and country operations. The team works together in designing staff wellbeing plans and interventions under the leadership of the Chief, PWS.

The Associate Staff Counsellor is expected to collaborate closely with the staff health professionals, management team in the operation, human resources function as well as the field safety function with fully respect of professional boundaries and confidentiality of individual cases. The Associate Staff Counsellor works closely with the existing Peer Advisors in the Ukraine operation and collaborates with the Office of the Ombudsman and the Ethics Office.

The Associate Staff Counsellor is a member of the UN Staff/Stress Counsellor Group and the incumbent adheres to its professional and ethical standards and other technical issuances.

The Associate Staff Counsellor supports the work of UNHCR Staff Counsellors through participation in case management, development of staff wellbeing initiatives and data analysis. Under the technical supervision of the regional Senior Staff Counsellor, and ultimately the Chief, Psychosocial Wellbeing Section, and under the functional supervision of the Assistant Representative Admin in Ukraine operation, the Associate Staff Counsellor is the key focal point for production of promotion and educational materials (intranet and wellbeing platform content, brochures and webinars). The Associate Staff Counsellor supports the Staff Counsellors with research of relevant topics and is the focal point for the activities related to duty of care within the Ukraine operation..

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR’s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

The incumbent will be expected to perform the following duties:

– Under the technical supervision of the regional Senior Staff Counsellor, and in collaboration with the Staff Counsellor in the operation, undertake psychological risk assessment for the Ukraine operation and design the appropriate response measures in close collaboration with the operation. Such measures should include but are not limited to psychoeducation interventions, workshops/training, raising awareness and sensitization meetings, team building or other professional forms of support.
– Ensure access for staff and family members to individual counselling either internally (with Staff Counsellors in UNHCR) or externally (by providing referrals and information about the available resources and insurance coverage) for work related issues (stress, trauma, interpersonal conflicts, harassment, and job insecurity) and personal issues (family, marital, children or finance related problems).
– Provide timely response to critical incidents in the operations under the coverage in accordance with the UNHCR SOP on Support to staff affected by critical incidents. Organizing the psychological first aid (personally, through the Peer Advisors Network in the region or other UN Staff Counsellors available in the region), assessments, referrals and necessary follow-up is undertaken and coordinated with the Psychosocial Wellbeing Section, Snr. Regional Medical Officer and relevant HR functions in the operation. Provide the guidance to the operational managers in relation to the post incident staff support as required.
– Undertake regular travels to duty stations within the operation as per PWS strategic priorities and demands from the Ukraine operation.
– Facilitate the implementation of global UNHCR psychosocial wellbeing projects (psychological preparation for hardship assignment, end of assignment debriefing following hardship assignment, framework of support to high-risk environments, World Mental Health Day activities etc.) and take an active part in developing the new initiatives.
– Collaborate closely with the Office of the Ombudsman and the Ethics Office in relation to management, training, and support to the UNHCR Peer Advisors Network in Ukraine.
– Ensure timely reporting on field missions, general staff wellbeing assessments and related recommendations to the Representative and the Heads of Offices and the Chief PWS. Provide input in global reports by the PWS as required.
– Prepare on-line surveys as required and perform data analysis.
– Conduct literature review in the area of wellbeing in the workplace and prepare the summary as required.
– Maintain and update the list of external mental health professionals in Ukraine.
– Participate in duty of care webinars for staff applying to positions within the Ukraine operation
– Keep the wellbeing platform information (Ukraine context) up to date.
– Provide expert advice and guidance to the Representative and senior management of the operation and the Chief of the Psychosocial Wellbeing Section/ Staff Health and Wellbeing Service (SH&WS) at the HQ.
– Ensure the adherence to the professional standards of the UNSSCG as well as the Code of Ethics for UN Staff Counsellors.
– Perform other related duties as required.

This position doesn’t require a functional clearance

English

,

Ukrainian

,

,

,

Skills

CO-Drafting and Documentation, HR-Active Listening, IM-Statistics Analysis, MD – Patient case management, SO-Research

Education

Bachelor of Arts (BA): Counselling, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Organizational Psychology, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Psychology, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Social Work

Certifications

Social Sciences – Other

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales