MHPSS Officer at Novel Alliance for Development Aid _NADA

Overview:

• To support the MHPSS unit to oversee quality improvements in NADA’s mental health and psychosocial support interventions for children affected by the conflict in NE Nigeria; and
• To assist the MHPSS unit in providing clinical intervention to women, girls and children in distress.
• Manage all NADA MHPSS help desks across all project locations
• The MHPSS Officer is required to travel to field sites as recommended by the Chief of Operations
• In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

Key Areas of Accountability:

• Support to MHPSS programming activities across projects.
• Provide support, in the MHPSS Programming which includes:
• Ensuring assistance is provided to children affected by the conflict in a dignified, respectful, equitable, and inclusive manner that supports their resilience
• Assisting women, girls and 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 program activities delivered by NADA and its partners
• The use of structured and manualised MHPSS techniques
• The participation of parents and caregivers in MHPSS activities
• Support structured MHPSS activities for groups of affected women 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 on referral pathways for children with severe mental disorders

Proposed Outputs:

• Individual counseling sessions with children and beneficiaries where required to discuss complex cases.
• Be available on call/email if any urgent matters arise that a staff would like to share regarding their casework or his/her well-being
• Monthly progress reports to the Project coordinator to highlight needs and gaps.
• Development of peer/reflective practices with teams
• Support current MHPSS practices, reflecting on a cross-sectoral approach.
• Structured MHPSS activities for boys and girls, organized in age-appropriate groups with a clear
• Ensure the database of all MHPSS responses is backed up on a bi-weekly basis.
• He/she will undertake any role or responsibility assigned by the child protection program manager.

Reporting:

• Keep the HLP coordinator informed on the activities of the project by providing relevant correspondence, reports, and meeting minutes as well as making regular updates.
• Responsible for prompt submission of all reports to the project coordinator.
• Work closely with implementing partners to prepare and submit reports on approved frequency to the Programmed Manager.
• Supervise the partners’ PSS facilitators to ensure regular follow-up of MHPSS response.
• Identify gaps in service provision to women and girls with special attention to girl child headed households and vulnerable women and proactively refer and advocate for those gaps to relevant in coordination with the project coordinator.

Networking

• Responsible for coordination and liaising between NADA and other local partners/other agencies/government/local communities/displaced community, as regards NADA HLP and GBV program in conjunction with the Chief of Operations.
• Represent NADA at the stakeholders meeting as necessary e.g. MHPSS Working Group