Role objective:
The Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Coordinator (SMAPS) provides technical leadership in this area, working closely with the national technical team. He is responsible for the creation of SMAPS strategies, methodologies and tools, he transverses the SMAPS approach in the different areas of intervention, and provides technical support to local teams in needs assessment, service mapping and implementation of SMAPS interventions at the community level of the migrant, refugee population, and foster (including Psychological First Aid, and psychosocial support to improve resilience, coping capabilities, and support networks).
The Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Coordinator (SMAPS) reports directly to the National Health Advisor / Health Technical Manager.
Labor Responsibilities:
Technical leadership
- Assess the needs and gaps of the response in mental health and psychosocial support (SMAPS) for the beneficiary population of the Medical Teams program (mainly migrants, refugees, and host communities), and identify the most appropriate interventions for each operational context
- In conjunction with the National Health Advisor, establish the strategic priorities of the program related to mental health and psychosocial support (SMAPS)
- Provide technical leadership of SMAPS activities, and include area activities in the work plans of the National Technical Team
- Coordinate closely with the National Community Health Coordinators (CHW), Strengthening of the Health System (HSS), Rights and Access to Health (D&A) and Communications, to mainstream the SMAPS approach in interventions in these areas
- Provide technical leadership for pilots and new interventions in SMAPS
- Contribute to donor proposals and the national health strategy
Tools, workouts, and knowledge management
- Develop technical guidance tools on mental health and psychosocial support – SMAPS (guides, protocols, algorithms / flow charts, among others)
- Support the Communications area in the production of informational materials on mental health
- Develop SMAPS training materials on migrants, refugees, and host communities (for Medical Teams International staff, volunteers and community leaders, and health personnel or public entities, among others)
- Lead and deliver workouts when necessary
- Design methodologies for psychosocial support sessions for different groups and individuals in accordance with humanitarian principles and professional ethical standards
- Collect, systematize and update SMAPS tools and resources for migrants, refugees, and host communities
- Provide the appropriate tools to the different technical and operational areas of Medical Teams International, the beneficiary population, and humanitarian, community or institutional partners
- Support the MEAL area in the design of instruments for data collection on access to health and insurance of migrants
- Contribute to SMAPS-related community feedback mechanisms
Technical support
- Provide technical support for local teams in SMAPS interventions
- Promote and facilitate the development of community volunteer capacities in SMAPS
- Guide local teams in local service mapping, characterizing community needs, and identifying and managing vulnerable cases
- With the coordination of CHW, HSS, D&A and Communications, design contextualized strategies and provide technical support to local teams for their implementation to:
- Reduce the stigma of mental health conditions, and promote the search for care
- Improve the resilience, coping capacities, mental health well-being, and support networks of the migrant and refugee population at the community level
- Increase the capacity of actors in the health system to detect mental health needs and provide effective and humanized care
- Assess the quality of SMAPS interventions, and manage their continuous improvement
Coordination, external articulation and other responsibilities
- Represent Medical Teams in technical coordination forums related to SMAPS (technical groups, work tables, etc.)
- Identify potential allies and collaborations in the SMAPS field for migrants and host communities (humanitarian actors, public institutions and civil society organizations)
- Ensure the protection of program participants and employees by promoting an environment of awareness and compliance with the provisions of the code of conduct of Medical protection policies Teams on protection against sexual exploitation and abuse, protection of vulnerable minors and adults, and policies of absence of harassment in the workplace. Holders will remain vigilant and respond to any risk of safeguarding children and adults, acquire relevant knowledge and skills that enable them to promote sound safeguard practices, They will understand the policy and procedures for safeguarding children and adults, and will behave in a manner consistent with the policy of safeguarding children and adults.
- Other assigned functions.
- Make regular reports for the National Health Advisor, and contribute to internal (eg for the leadership team) and external (eg for donors, institutions or other partners) reports
Education:
- Professional in psychology, or social work with academic training in mental health (both ideally with a community focus)
- Desirable: Specialization or master’s degree in mental health, community psychology, or psychosocial intervention
- Desirable: Certification in mental health counseling
- Desirable: Additional courses / certifications related to mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian and / or community contexts (eg First Psychological Aids, mhGAP, Problem Management +, etc.)
Experience:
- Indispensable: Experiencia de por lo menos 3 años en programas humanitarios de salud mental y apoyo psicosocial con responsabilidad progresiva, incluido al menos 1 año con enfoque en migrantes, refugiados y comunidades de acogida
- Mínimo 2 años de experiencia trabajando en un contexto de ONGs o fundaciones, y en gestión de proyectos (especialmente con donantes internacionales)
- Mínimo 1 año de experiencia trabajando directamente con pacientes o participantes de programas de salud mental (p.ej. atención clínica, grupos de apoyo, etc. – con adultos y NNA)
- Deseable: Experiencia en la atención/consejería para sobrevivientes de violencia basada en género y/o experiencias traumatizantes
- Experiencia en diseño e implementación de guías, materiales de capacitación, y recursos de información
- Experiencia en coordinación con equipos multidisciplinarios
- Experience in capacity building at the community and / or institutional level
- Desirable: Experience working in a bilingual work environment (English / Spanish)
Knowledge:
- Excellent knowledge of SMAPS principles, strategies and interventions at the community level
- Knowledge of the institutions, routes and mechanisms involved in SMAPS
- Knowledge of the psychosocial and socioeconomic situation of migrants in Colombia
- Knowledge of migration policies, and the conditions of the health and social protection system for migrants in Colombia
- Knowledge of humanitarian principles, standards and frameworks
Competences, Attitudes and Skills
- Excellent effective / assertive communication, facilitation and / or counseling skills
- Excellent analytical and writing skills
- Excelente capacidad para el diseño de manuales, herramientas informativas y paquetes de entrenamiento
- Excelente capacidad de trabajar en equipo
- Capacidad para la identificación de socios estratégicos, y la construcción de relaciones
- Proactivo/a y organizado/a
- TICs: Windows, Microsoft Office (incl. Word, Power Point, Excel, Teams, entre otros), WhatsApp
- Iniciativa considerable para planificar, organizar y dar seguimiento para cumplir con los plazos
- Aceptación y aplicación del Llamado de Medical Teams International y cumplimiento con el Código de conducta de del Medical Teams International
How to apply
Interested parties who meet the requirements described in this job description can make their application (CV AND essential cover letter) via email using the following address, recruitmentco@medicalteams.org before January 9, 2024, it is essential to indicate in the matter the position to which you apply and the source where you heard of the call.
Medical Teams does not discriminate in their selection processes, however, it recommends that people with living experience in the migration process, as well as from different backgrounds, apply for this position, If they have the corresponding legal documentation to work in our country, it is also an essential added value that the candidate is at least fluent in the Spanish language and an added value in the English language.