MHPSS Activity Manager at ALIMA

In Katsina State, ALIMA ensures since August 2021 the provision of outpatient and inpatient and inpatient nutrition services and healthcare for children under 5. ALIMA currently delivers OPD consultations, and supports the ambulatory management and referral of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) cases in 5 primary healthcare centers (PHCCs) in Kaita LGA: Dan Kama, Sabon birni (Ba’awa Ward), Dankama, Zabakau (Gafiya Ward), Matsai.

PROTECTION OF BENEFICIARIES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS

 As part of his/her duties, the incumbent will visit programs and come into contact with children and/or vulnerable adults. Therefore, a criminal record check or a certificate of good character will be required. In situations where a criminal record check or character reference is not possible, a declaration on honor will be requested.

FUNCTIONAL AND HIERARCHICAL LINKS

He/she reports to the Project Medical Activity (line manager), and to the Medical Referent (technical manager).

He/she manages the mental health team

He/she works in close collaboration with the MAM, NAM, MOH staff and ALIMA Supervisors

MAIN MISSION

The Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Activity Manager (MHPSS) is responsible for the implementation and smooth running of the mental health strategy for refugees, IDPs, patients, their families, the community and the teams. He/she ensures the functioning of the mental health pole on the project.

Implementation of ALIMA programs

• Implements and evolves the mental health care strategy, care circuit and referral in each intervention site;
• Ensures the implementation and monitoring of psychological support for beneficiaries in the various sites of displaced populations, patients or people in isolation and families

Organizes psychological first aid sessions for victims and patients; 

• Organizes time for sharing practices on specific situations
• Ensures the effectiveness of mental health and psychosocial support activities in accordance with the defined action plan and according to the minimum package of mental health activities vs. the complete package, with a focus on psychological first aid, prevention and management of psycho-trauma;
• Ensures the development of partnerships for the management, orientation and referral of severe or chronic cases of mental disorders and/or psychosocial problems.
• Monitoring, analysis and reporting
• Participates in external meetings and reports relevant information to the emergency coordinator
• Conducts a weekly summary of mental health activities and reports to the medical coordinator and the project's referring physicians
• Follows the issues and recommendations of the cluster
• Produces a mission report and recommendations
• Representation, coordination with other teams
• Ensures networking with the various partners,
• Participates in meetings related to his/her field of intervention on the instructions of the head office mental health referent;

Management of the mental health team

• Organizes the duties and schedules of the mental health worker team
• Ensures the proper transmission of information, provides clinical supervision of teams 
• Collects data for the department's monitoring and activity report

Capacity building and team facilitation

• Sets up a mental health team in collaboration with the project coordinator (the recruitment, training and reinforcement)
• Ensures that the skills of the mental Health staff are updated according to the evolution of the technical platform and the protocols made available to the mission
• Defines and update job profiles and performance objective plans for team members and participate in the same documents for medical and nursing referents
• Carries out the assessments of its team in an approach of professional course
• Identify the skills that team members need to acquire to master their positions and organize training to reinforce them
• Ensure trainings in accordance with ALIMA's minimum package of mental health activities, and if necessary according to the complete package (psychological first aid, psychosocial activities, psychological support in the practice of medical care, mental health staff, prevention and management of psycho-trauma, the relationship between caregivers and patients, and other needs identified upstream).

Team health

• Organizes debriefing sessions / He/she supports the teams in case of critical incident
• Ensures the implementation and follow-up of the psychological support of the teams on the different projects
• Evaluates and validates mental health referral structures with the project's Medical Referent
• Implementation of prevention measures against abuse of power, gender-based and sexual violence:
• Participate in training and awareness sessions
• Apply standards for abuse prevention
• Ensure that team members attend trainings and awareness sessions and follow abuse prevention rules
• Contribute to creating and maintaining a nurturing and protective environment

QUALIFICATIONS EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

   Qualifications:

• Professional Master's degree in clinical and/or health psychology or equivalent
• An ability to problematize and summarize the main psychological issues and be able to set priorities
• Experience in project and team management
• Knowledge of NGO functioning is an asset

Experiences

• Professional Master's degree in clinical and/or health psychology or equivalent
• Previous experience in humanitarian work

Qualities of the candidate

• An ability to problematize and summarize the main psychological issues and be able to set priorities
• Good teamwork and delegation skills
• A good deal of autonomy and the ability to create one's own position in line with the association's objectives and resources
• Good writing skills
• A good knowledge of psycho-traum
• Languages
• English and Local Languages

Contract term:

• Contract term: contract under Nigerian law, contract length: 6 months (renewable, based on funding availability and performance)

Position to be filled: March 2023

Salary:  ALIMA salary scale: Level 9