Psychologist at Medecins Sans Frontieres

Main Objective

• Providing psychological support to patients according to MSF principles, standards and procedures in order to improve the patients’ mental health.

Accountabilities

• Carrying out evaluation of mental health needs of patients and establishing a diagnosis and a plan of treatment.
• Informing the patient and his/her relatives about the possible consequences of the illness and the drug treatment to follow and referring patients to other health professionals whenever necessary, in order to provide the most appropriate treatment and improve the patient's condition.
• Implementing the Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) protocol, identifying possible victims of SGBV and referring them to the medical team so that they receive the necessary treatment.
• Providing psychological support and psychotherapy sessions (individual, family, group) to patients according to MSF protocols in order to improve their mental health conditions.
• Assisting and training staff members and resourceful people whenever necessary in order to enhance the scope of MH activities.
• Working in close collaboration with translators in order to ensure appropriate terminology and behavior during sessions.
• Collecting statistical and monitoring data about mental health activities.
• Informing the supervisor and the medical team about any issues or problems that may arise related to patients’ treatment in order to provide the best possible solution from a medical perspective.
• Ensuring that all patient information is kept confidential.

MSF Section / Context Specific Accountabilities:

• Provide individual and/or group therapeutic (psychological support and psychotherapy) sessions to SGBV (SV/IPV) survivors (and family), Survivors of ill-treatment and torture in Anka NEP clinic, vulnerable populations, and other MSF Zamfara project target populations, ensuring treatment plan and adequate follow up to improve their mental health.
• Ensure that the patients receive unconditional support while providing psychosocial support, respecting their rights, needs and wishes.
• Diagnose and treat various mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders, and provide psychotherapy interventions for complicated cases, and facilitate referral for acute mental health emergencies, ensuring follow up of referred patients together with MHS, MHAM and MTL.
• Work in close collaboration with the other team members - Health Promotion team, medical team, and other actors regarding community awareness raising about SV and IPV, health consequences, comprehensive medical support, including psychosocial needs and the importance of access to care and assisting with sensitization of new staff on SGBV.
• Ensure the awareness-raising activities in the community in conjunction with the HP team so that they can understand the SGBV problems and take initiatives to get support.
• Conduct focus group discussions with family members, community members, and neighbors in the field or in the health care/SGBV center.
• Work in collaboration with the medical team (doctors, nurses, and other actors) to ensure comprehensive support for the SGBV beneficiaries.
• Identify the needs of the survivor and or patients to refer in case of special need to other available actors.
• Safe identification using the selective screening tool, assuring privacy and confidentiality, with an adequate response to survivors and provision of care for those identified as SV or IPV survivors.
• Provide HIV counseling sessions when needed.
• Participate in training new staff or other health workers/stakeholders on mental health activities and contribute to the development of advocacy strategies to enhance prevention.
• Participate in the development of mental health education materials and tools in accordance to context and patients’ needs.
• Perform duties observing the MSF policies and in compliance with relevant SOPs of the department and immediately reporting to the supervisor whenever compliance is or cannot be met.

Data and reporting:

• Ensure regular reports on activities, assessments, follow-up and other related documents to ensure the quality and reporting of the project activities.
• Work closely with MHS and data team in analyzing trends pertaining patients’ mental health.
• Inform MHS/MHAM about any issues arising related to patient’s treatment in order to provide the best possible solution from a technical perspective.
• Maintain and ensure strict confidentiality of the SGBV beneficiary’s data, report and everything as well MSF documents.

Supervision / Meetings:

• Actively participate in departmental meetings and share challenges with supervisor in a timely manner.
• Attend group and individual clinical supervision with the MHAM/MH supervisor.
• Attend the project’s meeting on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis and share the update of activities.
• Be flexible to take on additional tasks and duties assigned by your supervisor within your capacity and skills base.

Requirements (Qualifications / Experience / Knowledge)
To apply for this role applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Education: Essential Degree or Diploma in Clinical Psychology.
• Experience: Essential 2 years’ experience minimum as a psychologist.
• Desirable previous experience with MSF or other NGO’s in developing countries.
• Languages: Mission Language essential, local language desirable.
• Knowledge:Desirable computer literacy (word, excel and internet).
• Competencies: Results and Quality Orientation, Teamwork and Cooperation, Behavioural Flexibility.
• Commitment to MSF Principles, Stress Management.