Psychosocial Support Officer at CARE

Job Summary

CARE is seeking a Psychosocial Support Officer (for its anticipated Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) funded program to provide support to internally displaced and host community households in Yobe State (Damaturu, Geidam, Gujba, Gulani and Tarmua LGAs. The PSS Officer will support the successful coordination & implementation of all psychosocial activities and will be responsible for the provision of quality case management. In addition, the PSS Officer will support training of partners, staff, and partners staff to respond to cases of GBV in Yobe states and ensure effective psychosocial support interventions for survivors of GBV. This includes providing ongoing training and utilizing monitoring and evaluation systems to ensure high quality PSS services are available and utilized. The PSS Officer will provide the technical guidance and leadership required for the successful implementation of all psychosocial activities. This position reports to the GBV Project Coordinator.

RESPONSIBILITIES & TASKS:

Job Responsibility #1: Implement Quality survivor centred psychosocial support

• Ensure provision of professional and confidential psychosocial services to survivors of GBV through a survivor-centered case management approach.
• Develop professional, effective, and appropriate GBV psychosocial programming, including direct individual and group counseling support.
• Develop and ensure implementation of psychosocial activities that are responsive to the needs of refugee women, girls’ men & boys.
• Assist with preparing all relevant reports regarding the CARE’s psychosocial activities.
• Support partners staff on PSS activity planning and implementation
• Ensure timely implementation of psychosocial programme activities.
• Submit timely and qualitative report on PSS activities carried out at the community of implementation

Job Responsibility #2: Supervision and Capacity building support

• Mentor and provide technical support to staff and partners’ staff directly involved with the psychosocial and care for GBV survivors.
• Monitor and supervise psychosocial support trainings, including capacity building through training and on-the-job training. Training topics should include active listening and effective communication, action and safety planning, GBV guiding principles, Psychological First Aid, Basic counselling skills, Community based PSS approaches etc.
• Provide guidance regarding psychosocial activities to all partners and community workers to ensure all programme activities meet best practice standards.

Job Responsibility #3: Community Engagement & Outreach

• Strengthen and maintain networks with all partners including community leaders, women leaders, service providers to ensure that survivors receive compassionate support from the community and to encourage greater communication, collaboration, and coordination among partners (protection, health, legal, and psychosocial sectors)
• Support in conducting adolescent girls’ discussion sessions focusing on mental health and psychosocial support for girls in and out of school.
• Support community mobilization on the uptake of counseling services and support other GBV staff in conducting GBV awareness sessions in the community.

Job Responsibility #4: Strengthening Coordination and networking

• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with all stakeholders, including community members and leaders, NGOs, UN agencies, and other CARE team members to enhance multi-agency and multi-sectoral cooperation and coordination on response activities.
• Maintain a strong working relationship with Health partners and other to support the provision of quality care to sexual assault survivors.
• Support the development and strengthening of an effective GBV referral system and coordination mechanisms in all project locations.

Resource Mobilization                                                                                                                                    

• Contribute to CARE's funding sourcing and resource mobilization initiatives through information gathering, supporting assessments, learnings, and documentations.
• Support other assigned outsourcing activities.
• Fulfill any other Responsibilities as Assigned

QUALIFICATION/EXPERIENCE/TECHNICAL SKILLS:

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in counseling and/or Psychology. Master’s degree in the same fields is an added advantage.
• Three years hands on experience in counseling preferably with persons of concern
• Knowledge in gender issues and human rights
• Working experience in refugee situations will be an added advantage.
• Excellent knowledge of computer applications including MS Word, Excel.
• Good facilitation/training skills and project report writing skills.
• Ability to communicate in a highly professional manner with clients, community members and professional partners.
• Able to complete required reporting and documentation by deadlines.
• Able to uphold high ethical and professional standards.
• Able to maintain the highest levels of confidentiality.
• Problem solving and conflict resolution skills.
• Ability to promote the values of equality, non-discrimination, and human rights for all.
• Motivated, innovative and possesses outstanding organizational and inter-personal skills and professional integrity.
• Willing to work in a hardship area. 

Desired

• Knowledge and understanding of Hausa/Kanuri/manga society/language. 
• Experience in a displacement (IDP/refugee) setting and knowledge of refugee issues.

Competencies

• Approachability                                  
• Building Effective Teams
• Customer Focus
• Integrity and Trust
• Drive for Results
• Comfort around Higher management
• Business Acumen
• Negotiating
• Organizational Agility