I Job Summary

The Mental Health Psycho -Social Support (MHPSS) Specialist is responsible for the provision of MHPSS services for CARE Ethiopia staff. In addition, she is responsible for the provision of technical support to CARE Ethiopia’s humanitarian portfolio. The post holder will ensure the integration of MHPSS activities into the technical design and implementation of humanitarian projects and will be responsible for providing relevant technical assistance to staff and partners engaged in MHPSS programming activities. She will engage in monitoring and supportive supervision activities to ensure program quality of MHPSS service provision and will participate in efforts to document and disseminate learning.

II Responsibilities

Job Responsibility #1: Provision of services

• Support the identification and subsequent recruitment of individuals to participate in counselling sessions based on established screening criteria.
• Lead and facilitate general and specific sessions for staff in general and affected personnel in particular.
• Use established protocols to refer clients in need of treatment, and link clients to MHPSS BCC group sessions.
• Collect key client data and prepare reports on progress made, together with observations, challenges faced, and lessons learned.

Job Responsibility #2 Technical support and capacity strengthening.

• Conduct training needs assessment to identify knowledge gap and design appropriate training accordingly.
• Train and coach field staff and partners to conduct MHPSS sessions in their respective community groups.
• Provide MHPSS services for staff working in humanitarian unit/ act as staff care and support focal person for the overall GBV in Emergency programming.
• Support case workers/GBV case managers working in Women and Girls Safe Spaces for effective PSS service delivery and confidential survivor centered referrals.
• Support in the design and implementation of new proposals with MHPSS components
• Support initial assessments and related analysis to inform programming design and implementation decisions.
• Conduct an onsite supportive supervision to GBV case managers/ GBV/PSS officers, provide constructive feedback and exercise sustained mentoring/ coaching to ensure performance improvement among GBV/PSS officers.
• Design /initiate standard MHPSS projects /stand alone and /or integrated to facilitate standard MHPSS services for crisis affected communities.

Job Responsibility 3: Monitoring and Reporting

• Maintain up-to-date data related to MHPSS activities, do work plan, share, perform and track accordingly.
• Verify data quality for MHPSS components of projects and support monitoring and reporting against plans.
• Conduct supportive supervision visits in project operational areas to help improve data collection and reporting system.
• Together with the LDM Manager and PQL unit, support impact measurement and documentation of lessons learned and best practices on MHPSS.
• Ensure close working relationship with the Humanitarian technical and operational teams.
• Conduct MHPSS need assessment.

Job Responsibility 4: Learning and networking

• Keep up to date with developments in MHPSS programming, including best practice in-country, regionally and globally.
• Explore and participate in networks and MHPSS related task forces at the national level.
• Support the documentation and use of project learning for evidence-based policy influence.
• Identify, establish, and maintain productive relationships with key stakeholders engaged in MHPSS programming.
• Regularly disseminate information regarding MHPSS interventions and accomplishments among stakeholders, including the government and MHPSS technical working groups.

Job Responsibility #5: Other

• Perform other duties as assigned.

III GENDER EQUALITY

• Be observant of any misbehavior regarding gender and report it to the responsible person.
• Produce sex disaggregated data at HH, community, project, program and organizational level as appropriate. Uphold gender and diversity values of CARE whenever dealing with staff, communities, and partners.

IV. Qualifications

Required

• B.A. in Psychology
• Demonstrated interest in social work and helping others
• 4 years of relevant experience with the first degree or 3 years of relevant experience plus post graduate degree working as a MHPSS service providers preferably in NGO work environment and at least two (2) years direct experience in MHPSS service provision.

Desired

• A person who has completed an MHPSS training course is an asset.
• Experience of working with people with depression, anxiety, and their families
• Broad and in-depth understanding of issues relating to depression and anxiety.
• Experience in working/supervising Women and Girls Safe Space is a plus.
• Experience facilitating groups (ex. self-help groups)
• Experience of working with internally displaced people and crisis affected communities.

Other required skills:

• Supervisory skill.
• Language proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Computer proficiency.
• Good interpersonal communication skills
• Report writing and analyzing skill.
• Firm belief in teamwork, gender equality, sensitivity to cultural diversity and contributing to create safe work environment for all.
• Frequent travel and support to field offices is required.

IV COMPETENCIES

• Respect, accountability, courage, excellence, building partnerships, stress tolerance, building commitment, coaching, interpersonal skill, operational decision-making, planning and organizing, information monitoring.