Regional Staff Counsellor

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Job Description

The post will contribute towards the development of a regional framework for Staff Well-Being and promote its implementation at the regional level. The framework will identify activities aimed at raising awareness about healthy work practices; improving the work-life balance of UNICEF staff: facilitating the provision of assistance to staff/family experiencing work-related and/or personal problems; facilitating the provision of immediate support following a traumatic Incident and related tasks.

The Regional Staff Counsellor will coordinate and work in collaboration with the network of UN counsellors regionally. Frequent field missions and close collaboration with Country Offices are required.

The Regional Staff Counsellor forms part of the UNICEF Staff Wellbeing team globally and support, coordinate and implement the UNICEF Staff Wellbeing Strategic priorities regionally. Global or cross-regional support may be required

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

In collaboration with the Regional Director, the global Chief of Staff Wellbeing, Regional Chief of People and Culture, and colleagues, facilitate the development, implementation and coordination of a regional framework aiming at improved Staff Well-Being in the region:
Assist in developing the framework;
Develop strategies for implementing the framework in the region;
Monitor the impact of the framework on regional and country levels;
Lobby and provide input for improvement.
Facilitate the provision of effective psycho-social support to staff leadership, managers and individual staff prioritizing emergency locations with the aim to mitigating stress and boost protective factors by:
Providing support and advice to the leadership and managers in offices on healthy work practices and approaches on how to effectively support staff and encourage resilience. Recommend suitable staff support strategies to managers during and following emergencies and other crises;
Providing staff with individual and/or group counselling as needed (i.e. assessment, short-term intervention, referral);
Facilitating the treatment of psychiatric disorders primarily through referrals. Including to the medical services division, and through guidance to supervisors and senior management, where appropriate;
Contributing to identification of creative ways of extending a network of external mental health providers available to provide services to staff around the world;
Coordinating the regional network of Peer Support Volunteers (PSVs), including selection, training and technical supervision;
Coordinate with UNDSS, agency counsellors and PSVs, to ensure the provision of adequate psychosocial support during emergencies;
Assess and monitor psychosocial needs and issues affecting the wellbeing of staff.
Provide Critical Incident Stress Management to groups- and/or individual staff following critical incidents, employing a holistic which may include services such as practical support, psycho-education, psychological first aid strategic advice to leadership, family support and individual or group interventions by:
Contacting the affected staff member(s) and offering information about typical stress reactions, support and referral information;
Facilitating appropriate traumatic stress interventions, following a critical incident or traumatic event;
Recommending and arranging for individual and/or group follow-up support to staff and their dependents.
Training and awareness raising on Staff Well-Being related topics:
Explore and contribute to the development 0f new modalities, such as e-learning and webinars, which make awareness raising material available and attractive to all staff;
Cooperate with Regional and Country offices to Integrate subjects such as healthy work practices managing stress and trauma, building resiliency etc. into learning strategies.

Monitoring and oversight:

a) Provide on a quarterly basis statistics and trends on issues related to staff well-being, whilst maintaining confidentiality. Alert the Regional Director, Regional Chief of People and Culture, and Chief of Staff Wellbeing 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.

Impact of Results:

In consultation with the Chief Staff Wellbeing, decisions made regarding type of interventions for staff support, referral agencies and consultants, strategies to increase staff-well being, types of information for dissemination. These decisions have an indirect impact on all UNICEF staff in the region, and directly affect those staff involved in interventions, presentations, trainings, etc.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

Education: Advanced University degree In counselling, clinical psychology or related mental health profession. Additional training or certification in staff support and traumatic/critical incident stress as well as a broad range of related fields, such as alcohol/ substance abuse, family counselling, training, stress management.
The candidate must hold active licensure/registration as a mental health professional with a recognized governing association and be a member of that organization in good standing.
Additional training or certification in staff support and traumatic/critical incident stress management, as well as a broad range of related fields, such as alcohol/substance abuse, family counselling, training, remote counselling.
Work Experience: Minimum eight years of national and especially international professional 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.
Track record showing resourcefulness and keen social awareness and sound judgement pertaining to common counselling caveats e.g. overzealous client advocacy, burnout, the need for self-care and personal counselling. An empathic non-judgmental clinical approach with tact and confidentiality.

Language Requirements: