Mental Health  Psychosocial  Support and Protection Officer

 (National Status)

Action Against Hunger is an equal opportunity employer.

Women are strongly encouraged to apply.

ABOUT US

International Non-governmental organization, Action Against Hunger has been working to fight undernutrition and support communities affected by crisis across the globe for almost 40 years and across nearly 50 countries. Action Against Hunger established its presence in both Liberia and Sierra Leone in 1991 during the Civil War and since then has been operational in the two countries by implementing various humanitarian and development programs related to health, nutrition, food security/livelihoods and advocacy geared towards the reduction of the prevalence rates of under-nutrition in both countries. Since January 2018, the two countries have been clustered and now operating under a single management structure. The coordination office is based in Freetown, Sierra Leone overseeing the operations in Moyamba Field Office and Bonthe Sub Field Office.




Action Against Hunger is recruiting a suitably qualified Sierra Leonean as Mental Health, Psychosocial Support and Protection (MHPSS-P) Officer, to ensure the implementation and follow-up of the Mental Health, Psychosocial Support and Protection (MHPSS-P) activities.

KEY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES :

Implementation of MHPSS and Protection activities and Child care practices:

• Provide technical support and follow-up on child care practices at the baby friendly space
• Organize regular meetings with health facility staff
• Set up regular follow-up meeting with the mental health nurse
• Link with community mobilizers and supervisors when follow-up is needed
• Organize regular meetings with MSGs on MHPSSP activities and care practices
• Organize MHPSS and Protection events
• Organize and conduct community engagement sessions with mothers support groups (MSGs), community health workers (CHWs), and community stakeholders on MHPSSP activities

Support in providing trainings and supervision on child care practices and psychosocial support and protection

• Support organization and provision of training to key actors (health care workers, mother leaders, community health workers, etc) on MHPSS, protection and child care practices
• Provide support on identifying beneficiaries in need ofof specialized services and refer the cases
• Support healthcare workers through mentoring and coaching for caregivers and children to carry out activities like playing sessions, group discussions, bathing and massage, stress management, and psychomotor stimulation

Support health workers in conducting community engagement meetings 

• Support line ministries staff to carry out joint-supervisions at the hospital and health facilities on MHPSS, Protection and child care practices
• Conduct mentoring and coaching of healthcare workers in the health facilities
• Assist line ministries staff in carrying out joint supportive supervision and identifying gaps in the quality of the treatment and regular mentorship

Support key stakeholders to strengthen the referral pathway for survivors or people at risk of protection concerns

• Establish referral pathway between community, health facilities, the IPF in Mattru hospital and other specialized services
• Support Community Health Workers, health facility staff and Mothers Support Groups in identifying protection cases in the communities to be referred
• Support the ministry of Social Welfare in creating a mapping database for other actors providing protection services, including health, psychosocial support and legal services

Establish baby friendly corner at the in-patient facilities and provide child and maternal health care practices and psychosocial support

• Assist the healthcare workers in providing health education for the caregivers on optimal care practices including importance of exclusive breastfeeding, complementary feeding and care of the infants and hygiene using counselling cards
• Evaluate need of psycho-stimulation material together with the health facility team
• Conduct massage session for children with malnutrition
• Assist the healthcare workers in providing psycho-stimulation through play sessions, baby bathing, and massage to improve caregiver/mother and child interaction to prevent developmental delays
• Provide psychosocial support when needed to Severe Acute Malnourished children caregivers at the In-Patient Facility

Perform data, monitoring, analysis and evaluation.

• Fill in patient files, facility register and follow-up forms
• Input data from the patient files into the database
• Ensure quality data collection, analysis, case studies and written reports

Assist in writing monthly activity program report

• Joint monitoring visit
• Assist in capitalising activities

Contribute to Coordination external and internal

• Liaise with other actors when needed
• Participate in meetings and platforms if needed to support the Deputy Program Manager
• Regular update mapping of available services in the area of intervention

Maintain strict respect for confidentiality:

• Ensure that the confidentiality of data, the property of ACF project beneficiaries, is strictly maintained.

Gender Action

Activities:

• Ensure the inclusion of youth and women in the project in all project implementation especially in AAH supported communities;
• Include gender topics in the trainings to be provided for project beneficiaries (IPF staff, MGS’s, CHW’s, etc.), partners and other stakeholders;
• Support establishment of a platform or community-based feedback system for clients/beneficiaries to safely and confidentially voice concerns and provide input on gender issues. This can help the manager to provide accountability for acts of gender discrimination or mistreatment;
• Support to develop gender-integrated annual work plans to include gender objectives, activities to achieve the objectives, and indicators to measure progress toward achieving the objectives for all staff;

Others

• Adherence to the Action Against Hunger Code of Conduct and values
• Adhere to all COVID-19 precautionary measures
• Carry out job related duties as assigned
• Timely filling  and submission of online timesheets

QUALIFICATIONS

• Degree/Diploma in Social Work and Sociology
• Psychosocial and mental health background

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Minimum 2 years of humanitarian experience
• Mental health and/or psychosocial support, counselling experience
• Capacity building and supervision
• Good listening and communication skills
• Good command of Microsoft
• Fluent in English and Mende language
• Capacity to drive motorbike

WORK CONDITIONS

STARTING DATE: 1st  December 2022

BASIC SALARY: 3,781.23 to 4,342.78 based on profile.

DURATION OF CONTRACT: Seven (7) Months with possible of extension

LOCATION: Bonthe – with possible travels to Freetown, Moyamba, and other field areas

HOW TO APPLY:

Send Motivation Letter, CV saved in your name – for example (Joe Blue CV) for your CV, and (Joe Blue Motivation Letter) for your motivation letter, with names of three (3) referees by EMAIL, under the Subject  “ MHPSS-P Officer”  to

recruitment@sl-actionagainsthunger.org

Deadline for the receipt of applications is 13th  November 2022. 

Due to the urgency of this position, applications may be sorted on a rolling basis.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for a written test and oral interview.

Please state the position applied for on the subject line of your email.

Action Against Hunger is an equal opportunity employer.

Women are strongly encouraged to apply.