Counselor - Educator at Medecins Sans Frontieres

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Perform counselling and/or education sessions to patients, following different medical and mental health MSF protocols and procedures, to improve their psychosocial condition.

Accountabilities

• Identify the psychosocial, socio-economic, and administrative needs for patients.
• Actively promote the availability of counselling services and conduct, individual or in group counselling, basic psycho educational sessions, to patients, their families (when needed), to alleviate their psychosocial difficulties within the project scope.
• Refer patients to other specialists or other institutions for further assistance, when necessary, to propose the best support available.
• Participate in the creation of any material needed for counselling activities and look after it.
• Keep files and statistics of daily activities and participate in team meetings to share experiences and discuss special cases with other counsellors, preserving confidentiality.
• Inform line manager of any problem of any kind arising during the day-to-day activities.
• Take active part in trainings, supervisions/intervisions and support the activities manager, when necessary, in doing sensitization for MSF staff or external partners about mental health /psychosocial issues.
• Discuss difficulties and problems in counselling with supervisor.

Specific Accountabilities:

• Conduct Psychological First Aid (PFA) newly admitted caregivers/mothers whose children died
• Provide psychosocial support to caregivers with children in isolation and ICU wards in ITFC
• Together with the CHEs in ITFC and ATFCs, orientate newly admitted caregivers
• Conduct HIV Testing and counselling to patients/mothers of children aged 6-59 months in ITFC and ATFCs
• Conduct HIV/TB adherence sessions to caregivers of children aged 6-59 months in ITFC and ATFCs
• Manage conflict and LAMA prevention in ITFC and ATFCs
• Conduct counseling (group or individual) for caregivers in ITFC and ATFCs
• The list above is non-exhaustive, it’s a summary and as the activity evolve it shall be updated accordingly.

Minimum Required Skills and Qualifications
Education:

• Essential: Degree/Diploma in Counselling, Social Work, Psychology or other similar degree/diploma.

Experience:

• Essential: 1-year experience in the field of counselling or psychology.
• Desirable: Experience with MSF or other INGO.

Languages:

• Essential: Local languages (Hausa, Fulani, Suru)
• Desirable: English.
• Essential: Basic knowledge of Microsofot Outlook, Excel, Word, Powerpoint

Competencies:

• Commitment to MSF principles- L1.
• Flexibility-L1
• Stress management- L2
• Results and quality orientation- L1
• Service-L1
• Teamwork-L1.