Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Officer at Learning Through Skills Acquisition Initiative – LETSAI

Learning Through Skills Acquisition Initiative (LETSAI) is a non-for – profit, non-governmental and charity organization was established in June 2015. With the mission to offer literacy and social awareness, self-reliance and self-supported Community, community health and wealth liberation, Leadership development, Relief and Rehabilitation, Empowering women and encouraging gender equality. With the vision to create a new world where there is no caste, creed, race, patriarchy, Religion discrimination but only humanitarian ship and equality between genders. The Organization particularly targets vulnerable adolescent girls and boys, adult men and women, children and Geriatrics in other words the most vulnerable members of the society.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Officer

Job Code: LTS/UNI/BO/21/MHP
Location: DIkwa, Borno
Project Duration: 3 Months
Project Donor: UNICEF

Job Description

• The “Increasing Access to Comprehensive and Gender-Responsive Services for Children and Survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno State” (ACCESS- G), the project is funded by UNICEF under the Small Scale Funding Agreement (SSFA) which will be for duration of three (3) months
• Under the general guidance of the Executive Director and overall supervision of the project coordinator, the incumbent will be responsible for the implementation of the MHPSS pillar of LETSAI (ACESS- G) project in Dikwa. Given the limited resources in the field of mental health countrywide in general, s/he will focus on building technical capacity of staff and providing close supervision to all steps of projects implementation.

Core Functions / Responsibilities

• Support the timely rollout of MHPSS activities, overseeing project planning, and implementation, monitoring, and troubleshooting in the area of responsibility under supervision of MHPSS program coordinator.
• Ensure compliance with LETSAI and donor requirements, including those related to procurement, budget utilization, and human resources, maintaining close contact with relevant LETSAI support units.
• Support the mapping of MHPSS services in Dikwa, focusing on the vulnerable groups.
• Support the design and implementation of MHPSS assessments, analyze problems/gaps, and propose/prioritize timely programmatic responses to mental health and psychosocial issues identified.
• Apply MHPSS program standard operating procedures (SoPs), to strengthen and systematize LETSAI MHPSS activities.
• In coordination with the MHPSS Program coordinator and other relevant colleagues/units, recruit, train, and ensure the close technical supervision of LETSAI MHPSS staff.
• Support the development of strategies and curricula to strengthen the MHPSS capacity of governmental and non-governmental service providers and implementing partners of LETSAI.
• Ensure coherence between MHPSS activities, programming, and the overall LETSAI response in the area of responsibility, proposing adjustments when needed to maximize the collective strategic impact of different activities.
• Represent LETSAI at MHPSS working group meetings and other relevant fora, developing partnerships with governmental and non-governmental stakeholders to ensure strong coordination, information sharing, and government involvement in the area of responsibility.
• Implementing psychosocial activities and providing psychological consultations on regular basis.
• Ensure all work with clients is confidential and that ethical practices are observed. 
• Document client data accurately in the intake forms and ensure they are under lock and key. 
• Ensure that the MH Data Tool is accurately updated on a regular basis. 
• Participate in the interpretation of the analyzed data on trends. 
• Participate in the preparation of accurate reports for all Psycho-social related activities.
• Assess the beneficiaries’ psychological condition by using psychological tools to detect the vulnerable cases and ensure psychological follow up.
• Actively participate in weekly supervision meetings.
• Assist in development of referral networks between partners implementing GBV and implementation of referral pathways. 
• Ensure gender and protection mainstreaming within all project activities.
• Undertake duty travel as required.
• Producing timely progress reports, including both quantitative and qualitative information, on MHPSS activities and clinical case studies
• Submitting timely MHPSS data to program coordinator.
• Being in charge of the MHPSS materials and making the liaise with the Supply Chain for the procurement of the needed activities items.

Qualifications & Preferred Skills
Education:

• Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology, Counselling Psychology, Counselling, Social Science, Mental Health, or a related field from an accredited academic institution with five years of relevant professional experience. or
• University Degree in the above fields with 4 years of relevant professional experience

Experience and Skills:

• Experience in project management and reporting (required).
• Experience in the design and/or implementation of MHPSS interventions in conflict and/or post-conflict settings (required).
• Proven ability to supervise, train, and direct staff and manage operations in complex post-conflict contexts (required).
• Experience in liaising and building effective partnerships with donors, government authorities, and/or other national/international institutions, such as research institutions and local and international NGOs (required).
• Experience in capacity building of local organizations and/or government partners (desired).
• Advanced knowledge of MHPSS provision in community-based programs (desired).
• Demonstrable knowledge of political and humanitarian issues and/or work experience in Iraq or the middle-east is an advantage (desired).

Languages: 

• Excellent command of English, Kanuri and Hausa is required.
• Working knowledge of Kanuri and Hausa.

Standards of Professional Conduct:

• LETSAI and LETSAI workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the LETSAI Code of Conduct.  These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability.  In accordance with these values, LETSAI operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Harassment-Free Workplace, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, Combating Trafficking in Persons and several others.

Gender Equality:

• LETSAI is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowance.

PSEA Concerns:

• LETSAI takes issues of SEA very seriously and every potential employee found wanting will be penalized severely.
• Nigerian nationals are encouraged to apply. Allowances are not available for this position. Salary and employee benefits are compliant to the Nigerian NGO Sector.
• LETSAI is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.

Application Closing Date
25th June, 2021.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should forward their CV to: [email protected] using the Job Title as subject of mail.

Note: Learning through Skills Acquisition Initiative (LETSAI) does not ask for any fees in connection with its recruitment processes.