Psycho-Social Counsellor at COOPI - Cooperazione Internazionale

Scope of the Vacancy

• The Psychosocial Counselor will identify psychosocial support needs for the benefit of children victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence in target LGAs of Sokoto state.
• He will create and develop adapted PSS and Child Protection activities in line with the priorities determined by COOPI.
• He will ensure performance tools are available for local staff, in order to guarantee smooth implementation of the programs, while taking into consideration the local cultural context.
• He will be responsible for the implementation, monitoring and follow-up of the PSS and Child Protection activities.

Main Duties / Responsibilities
Under the direct supervision of the Protection Coordinator, he/she:

• Evaluates the risk factors and identifies those in need of long- term PSS support (communities, vulnerable children and their families)
• Put in place assistance programs, taking into consideration the concerns and coping mechanisms of the victims
• Providing technical guidance and support, ensuring best practices on advanced PSS to PSS Support Animators
• Implement and ensure, often in partnership with local stakeholders (NGOs, National Society), proper follow-up of the PSS and Child Protection activities for the benefit of the children and their family’s victims of armed conflict or other situations of violence
• Be attentive to mental health and psychosocial support needs in the community and support community initiatives promoting family and community support
• Provide technical advice, counseling, PSS and Child Protection trainings to primary teachers within the education activities according to the project
• Reinforcing and developing local networks (school community committees) and their PSS capacities
• Evaluate continually the patterns of violence, the victims’ situation and the PSS activities.
• Support Case worker supervisors and PM Collects the information needed to identify, registers, analyzes the needs of any child at risk, including UASC;
• Contributes in the success of the trainings for community leaders, also by accompanying them directly on the field;
• Joins actively meetings and trainings to raise gaps and recommendations based on the daily work on the field;
• Supports the data-entry activities providing the proper information about each child at risk from the caseload;
• Communicates regularly with the PM and Case Worker Supervisor for updates on achievements and challenges and any changes in the community’s social context and security status;
• Adopts standard operating procedure (SOPs) for the Child Protection and case management system and data management protocols;
• Carry out a complete psychosocial assessment of the mental health beneficiary, highlighting their needs and resources, and directing them to the necessary care or support services
• Appropriately fill out the assessment and psychosocial monitoring sheets for beneficiaries, list in a weekly report the various activities conducted in the field and archive the data in the register provided for this purpose
• Performs any other necessary action related to the position to achieve the objectives of the project and of COOPI in Nigeria if requested by the Team Leader
• Upholds COOPI’s mission and Charter of Values;
• Follows and enforces all COOPI codes of conduct and policies (globally and in-country);
• Participate in the field work of the nutrition survey (impact assessment)
• Perform any other action related with the position needed to achieve the objectives of the projects and of COOPI Nigeria if requested by his/her supervisor.

Requirements

• Medical Doctor or Nurse with strong background in PSS or Psychologist, Advanced university degree in Clinical Psychology (MSc / ClinPsyD) or Psychiatrist
• Experience in mhGAP training, Protection training (SGBV and Child
• Protection) and training in Case Management as a modality of intervention
• At least two years of professional experience in the support of vulnerable people or in the humanitarian field, preferably in the field of PSS.
• Experience with an NGO
• Experience in Project Management
• Good communicator, strong listening capacity, open minded, proactive and creative
• Respectful and inclusive of individual and cultural differences
• Significant experience involving work engaging people in and from community settings
• Knowledge of the local language (Hausa )