MHPSS Counsellor (Afghan National Only)

General Duties

Program Management

• Deliver one-on-one (Individual) and group counseling sessions to identified clients within IRC Clinics, and in line with IRC integrated approach
• Develop psychosocial activities; community mobilization, awareness raising, and any other related activity requested by MHPSS Supervisor.
• Support MHPSS Supervisor in delivering training or workshops
• Support in the creation of materials including publicity documents.
• Engage with the community to deliver and promote IRC MHPSS project activities in the designated locations.
• Assist in writing monthly, quarterly, annual reports, monitoring and evaluation activity and progress reports of project activities including monthly reporting to the MHPSS Supervisor.
• Assist in the implementation of preventive MHPSS interventions at the community and PHC level.
• Coordinate referrals
• Any other related IRC tasks as assigned by the MHPSS Supervisor or MHPSS Coordinator
• Under the guidance of MHPSS Supervisor and MHPSS Coordinator support in the collection of information related to behaviors of the community to reinforce quality of MHPSS services
• Collaborate and participate, in any field survey, data collection and/or needs assessment organized by IRC in relation to MHPSS
• Participation in IRC internal meetings, trainings and individual meetings with the MHPSS Supervisor or MHPSS Coordinator
• The activities may change based on the changing context

Specific Duties:

• Provide MHPSS consultations within PHC setting:
• Provide individual or group consultations to beneficiaries presenting in PHC or referred and in need of MH interventions
• Assist in the identification of psycho-social needs and proposition needed interventions in collaboration with the mental health team and PHC staff
• Weekly reporting activities and data collection
• Coordinate with MHPSS supervisor on cases requiring higher level interventions
• Provide psycho-social support for mental health beneficiaries:
• Work directly with MHPSS Supervisor to develop individualized treatment plans for MH beneficiaries
• In coordination with community mobilizers use participatory methods to adapt activities in accordance to the needs of the different target groups (children, women etc)
•  Community mental health interventions:
• Participate in defining effective and culturally appropriate approaches and interventions on the community level
• Focus on information dissemination and collecting opinions to foster knowledge and self-care practices for communities in areas of intervention
• Initiate and facilitate group interventions
• Analysis, detection and reduction of risk factors influencing the mental health status at community level:
• In collaboration with the mental health team, explore and detect potential risk factors influencing mental health status of the target population
• Coordinate with other actors concerned to reduce and/or eliminate potential risk factors.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Education:  Degree in Psychology, Counselling, Social Works, Psychiatric Nursing, Nursing diploma, Midwifery diploma or related field from a recognized institution
• Years of Experience: At least 1 – 2 years of professional experiences in relevant field (clinical psychology, educational psychology, Psychiatric Nursing, or other related field)
• Skills: Strong communication and facilitation skills,
• Experience working in humanitarian sector is an asset – specifically in MHPSS programs
• Good knowledge of counselling and community mobilization methods and tools
• Proactive and ability to work with multicultural team would be highly appreciated

• Ability to communicate effectively in local languages both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to speak and write English language is an asset.
• Self-motivated, possessing persuasion skills, ability to maintain relationship and able to work on own initiative.

• Technical Competency:
• Communication and reporting skills
• Fluency in Pashto, Dari and English
• Computer skills (including MS Word, Excel, Access, and internet) an advantage
• Ability to work closely, professionally, and constructively with all others regardless of nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, race, tribe, or cultural background