Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Coordinator at Save The Children

Role Purpose
The purpose of this position is two-fold:

• To oversee quality improvements in Save the Children’s mental health and psychosocial support interventions for children affected by the conflict in NE Nigeria; and
• To provide clinical supervision to Save the Children and partners’ child protection staff, as they themselves provide case management and psychosocial support to children.

Key Areas of Accountability
Clinical Supervision:

• Provide technical and practical guidance to Save the Children and partners’ Child Protection in Emergencies staff on how to support and monitor the work of the case workers, facilitators and animators in a structured way, ensuring the quality of the intervention.
• To provide structured feedback and support to caseworkers, faciltators and animators in their role as first line providers of MHPSS to children affected by the conflict. Support CPiE staff to learn from experiences and to gain expertise in MHPSS and build on their professional skills in this area.
• Assist and advise on setting-up peer to peer sessions or reflective practices for Case Management teams, and group facilitators and animators.
• Allow CPiE staff to express and process emotions, challenges, worries and frustrations arising from their work. Impart skills and knowledge on self care, which empower staff to deal with the stresses inherent in their daily work and help them explore ways of enhancing their personal care and development.

Technical support to MHPSS programming activities to ensure quality and accessible MHPSS services by trained, confident and informed staff:

• Provide technical support, capacity building and guidance on MHPSS activities (direct and partner implementation), including but not limited to:
• Ensuring assistance is provided to children affected by the conflict in a dignified, respectful, equitable and inclusive manner that supports their resilience
• Ensuring all MHPSS activities are culturally sensitive and appropriate
• Consultations with beneficiaries and communities on their needs and capacities and build assistance around their suggestions
• Tools and criteria for the identification of boys and girls who require MHPSS
• Assisting children in acute distress and alleviating their stress, for instance ensuring that all staff / partners are trained on PFA and feel confident to use it
• The mainstreaming of inter-agency guidelines (e.g. IASC MHPSS guidelines) and standards (e.g. CPMS) across the different sectors of programme activities delivered by SC and its partners
• The use of resilience techniques for the body and mind with children and adolescents
• The use of structured and manualised MHPSS techniques
• The participation of parents and caregivers in MHPSS activities
• The quality of the MPHSS activities and monitoring to support this.
• Initiate structured MHPSS activities for groups of boys and girls of different age groups, with particular attention to survivors of SGBV, unaccompanied children and other children who present with signs of poor mental health and distress
• Identify MHPSS service providers and agree referral pathways for children with severe mental disorders
• Develop MHPSS guidelines to be used by staff, partners and volunteers

Proposed Outputs:

• Regular group supervision sessions for CPiE staff to discuss complex cases and feedback sessions in all Local Government Areas where Save the Children’s Child Protection work is implemented..
• Individual counselling sessions with staff (including part staff) where required to discuss complex cases.
• Be available on call/skype if any urgent matters arise that a staff would like to share regarding their casework or his/her personal well being
• Debrief to Child Protection Specialist on overall status of the teams
• Bi -monthly progress reports to the Child Protection Specialist to highlight needs and gaps.
• Development of peer/reflective practises with teams
• Review of current MHPSS practices, reflecting on a cross-sectoral approach, with clear recommendations and a related action plan, including capacity development (clearly budgeted, mapped out in terms of timelines and reflecting resources required). Relevant guidance documents or training materials.

Structured MHPSS activities for boys and girls, organised in age appropriate groups with a clear methodology or curriculum to promote mental well-being. Such activities must align with donor commitments in already-funded projects.

Qualifications and Experience
Essential:

• B.Sc/M.Sc/Ph.D in Clinical Psychology
• Minimum 4 years post NYSC experience in clinical supervision and debriefing
• Experience in Psychological First Aid, and other psychosocial support (MHPSS) activities
• Experience working in Child Protection programs, including those with MHPSS components
• Experience of initiating MHPSS activities
• Experience of developing training modules on MHPSS and facilitating training
• Experience capacity building teams/individuals
• Fluent in English
• Working knowledge of Hausa and /or Kanuri
• Excellent attention to detail, organisational skills and discretion with confidential information
• Ability to work independently and proactively

Desirable:

• Experience working in an NGO
• Experience in humanitarian emergencies and/or a refugee/displacement-setting
• Experience of project management, donor reporting and contributing to proposal development