Turkey: Psychosocial Technical Advisor- NORTH SYRIA - Handicap International - DAH

NGO PRESENTATION

Handicap International is an independent and impartial international aid organization working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. Working alongside persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups, our action and testimony are focused on responding to their essential needs, improving their living conditions and promoting respect for their dignity and their fundamental rights.

Handicap International is a not-for-profit organization with no religious or political affiliation. It operates as a federation made up of a network of associations that provide it with human and financial resources, manage its projects and implement its actions and social mission.

Handicap International is composed of 2 operational divisions:

• Humanitarian Action Division
• Development Division

NOTHERN SYRIA MISSION

HI intervention in North Syria started in January 2013 through physical rehabilitation, with implementation of a rehabilitation center in North Syria, and setting up of mobile teams covering camps, communities and several hospitals in the area of intervention.

Handicap International has designed an operation, aiming at improving the response to the needs of persons with injury (PwI) and/or disability (PwD) and reducing their vulnerability by addressing their basic needs (through referrals) and specific needs (through direct provision of physical rehabilitation and psychosocial support).

Current activities

The situation of the most vulnerable persons (including people with injury) leads to implement a 4 dimensions intervention:

-Identification of PwI and / or Disabilities at Hospital, care houses, camps and communities levels;

-Provision of rehabilitation care to PwI / PwDs and their caregiver, including training and counselling, distribution of Assistive and Mobility Devices, provision of P&O appliances;

-Direct provision of tailored psychosocial support sessions at HI Rehabilitation Center, camps and Community level;

-Education to the risks and effects caused by conventional weapons (including mines, ERWs and Small Arms Light Weapons).

The project objective is to urgently cover gaps in terms of comprehensive rehabilitation services (including physical rehabilitation and other complementary services such as psychosocial support, P&O services, referrals to other essential services, etc.) and reinforce capacity of Syrians health providers at hospitals, post-operative centre and rehabilitation centre levels. HI intervention aims at assisting Persons with Injuries and/or Disabilities -targeting as well their caretakers.

While the position is based in Turkey (safe security context and comfortable living conditions) the activities are carried out by teams in Syria. This is a remote management position, with no possibility for the TA to go inside Syria to monitor activities and no possibility to meet the teams inside Syria face to face. The remote management is therefore done through email exchanges and follow up through skype.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the management of the HoM and with the technical supervision and support of the HQ specific needs Technical Advisor, he/she will be in charge:

• To design and set-up HI psychological / psychosocial intervention in the different levels and area of HI’s intervention as one component of holistic rehabilitation services (at the rehabilitation centre, hospital level and at camp / community level);
• To guarantee the technical quality of mental health and psychosocial component of HI intervention
• To ensure comprehensive approach of rehabilitation in close collaboration with the PM and the rehabilitation Technical Advisor
• To support all HI teams on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support aspects
• To provide technical support to the Program Manager in the set-up and implementation of a continuous quantitative and qualitative monitoring of the mental health and psychosocial component of the rehabilitation intervention
• To ensure smooth coordination with health NGO and other medical stakeholders on Mental health and psychosocial aspects and in close coordination with the PM under the supervision of the Program manager;
• To regularly report on the above activities (statistic, review monthly objectives, etc.) as per requested by the Field Co, the HoM or the HQ TA.
• To respect confidentiality and security rules defined by the EC

MAIN TASKS

Project intervention strategy set-up

The Psychosocial Technical Advisor is not directly in charge of the management of the activities but supports the design, implementation of the psychological and psychosocial component of the HI comprehensive approach of rehabilitation, in close collaboration with the PM and TA rehab..

He/she will be in charge of ensuring the quality of this activity and will participate – in close collaboration with the Technical Field Advisors and the Project Officers and under the coordination of the Program Manager/ Field Co – in the project’s intervention strategy related to his/her field of expertise.

• Analyse mental health and psychosocial issues / needs of people benefiting from our physical rehabilitation services

• Design an appropriate complementary MHPSS intervention to respond to these needs / issues with aiming :

  • at enhancing people’s capacities to invest and therefore fully benefit in the overall rehabilitation process

  -at preventing potential long term mental health issues

  -accompany people in psychosocial distress and prevent or accompany psychosocial disabilities

• Map the resources that could be useful to respond to MHPSS needs both at tertiary, secondary and primary (community) levels

• Attend to relevant external coordination or technical meetings and give feedback to the Program Manager and/or Field co.

• Contribute to set-up and implement the monitoring tools of the project’s activities for MHPSS components

• Provide recommendations, suggests adjustments or development of the project with a specific attention to community’s resilience mechanisms.

Activities’ implementation

• Monitoring and evaluating the psychosocial needs of people benefiting from physical rehabilitation services at all levels of intervention
• In close link and with the support of the HQ Technical advisor, design appropriate MHPSS interventions that will insert in the holistic rehabilitation process (define intervention and its activities, modalities, tools, etc...). This could include:
• Implementation of the HI comprehensive approach based on the disability Creation Process model through comprehensive activities aiming at enhancing the social participation and access to services of the beneficiaries
• Provision of comprehensive activities jointly with the physical rehabilition and P&O teams
• Provision of short term emergency individual and/or group psychological support activities
• As the responsible for the overall quality of intervention, you ensure the provision of :a training and on the job support of all field workers, psychosocial workers, physiotherapists...

Team work

• You ensure a good communication – coordination – information level of each member of the team through regular coordination meetings (or other if needed) in close coordination with the Physical Rehabilitation Technical Advisor, the Program Manager and collaboration with the partner;
• You propose relevant needed adaptation to the organisational chart of the mission and contribute to its implementation (job descriptions, etc.), in collaboration with the Program Manager, the Field co, the HoM and the administrator

Reporting

• Facilitate regular reporting on your activities to the Program Manager upon his/her solicitation (coordination meeting, workshop meeting, etc.); and to the HQ Technical Advisor upon needs on technical aspects.
• Participate to the monthly situation report by providing relevant data related to your position;
• You provide a mission report and/or handover document at the end of your contract;
• Debriefing at the end of your mission (and during Home-Break).

While the position is based in Turkey (safe security context and comfortable living conditions) the activities are carried out by teams in Syria. This is a remote management position, with no possibility for the TA to go inside Syria to monitor activities and no possibility to meet the teams inside Syria face to face. The remote management is therefore done through email exchanges and follow up through skype.

Experiences and background

• Formal degree in Psychology, anthropology or Social work
• 3 years of Professional experience in the related field
• Experience in NGO necessary, preferably in emergency context
• English mandatory (oral and written). French and Arabic would be an asset
• Demonstrate good understanding of psychosocial issues in the country/ culture of deployment
• Understanding of a comprehensive approach on disability issues and vulnerability in term of psychosocial consequences
• Good report writing skills
• Demonstrated effective communication, analytical and problem solving skills
• Ability to relate to the target group (be approachable, shows empathy)
• Ability to propose workable solutions and identify their implications (positive and negative) adapted to the psychosocial needs of patients and his family.
• Strong interpersonal and intercultural skills
• Ability to work under high pressure with a great level of personal organisation
• Diplomacy sense

• Flexibility

• Status & Conditions

• Status: voluntary or salaried contract according to experience

• Remuneration: According to HI salary scale

• Start: 15/01/2016

• Duration: 6 months, renewable

• Living conditions: guesthouse shared with other expatriates (no charges)

• Security conditions: low to medium level of insecurity

• Social insurance: 100% covered

To apply, please follow this link:
https://hi.profilsearch.com/recrute/fr/fo_annonce_voir.php?id=1268&idpartenaire=130