Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Program Manager at HIAS Refugee Trust of Kenya

Vacancy Number HRTK/MHPSS /9/2019

Job Summary

Community Based Mental Health & Psychosocial Support (CB-MHPSS) programming at HIAS includes a focus on individuals, families, and communities. The overall goal of HIAS Community-Based Mental Health Psychosocial Support programming is for forcibly displaced people and vulnerable migrants to have improved mental health and psychosocial well-being helping them to access their rights. This goal may be achieved through three key outcome areas: (1) Family, community, and social structures promote the psychosocial well-being and resilience of women, men, girls and boys;(2) Individuals and communities develop healthy coping mechanisms; and (3) People with mental health and psychosocial problems use appropriate focused care, including referral to specialized care when needed.

HIAS Kenya is seeking a Mental Health & Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Program Manager to provide overall leadership for MHPSS programming in Kenya. The MHPSS Program Manager will be expected to provide technical oversight and supervision to MHPSS staff to ensure all activities are designed and conducted in accordance with HIAS Standard Operating Procedures and within MHPSS global guidelines. This position includes close coordination with the senior management team. The MHPSS Program Manager will also serve as a focal point for HIAS Kenya and implementing partners on technical matters related to MHPSS service provision for urban refugees.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

• Program Development and Management
  • Leads HIAS Kenya MHPSS program through provision of technical expertise on program design, development and development
  • Responsible for MHPSS planning, development of programs and implementation plans and ensuring timely efficient and effective implementation of the psychosocial activities
  • Review and track progress against key performance indicators(KPI) and project budget
  • Responsible for organizing regular MHPSS program meetings and keeping program staff informed on target and budget expenditure
  • Facilitate supervision sessions and support for all field officers to manage stress, burnout and vicarious trauma
  • Responsible for continuously improving /growing the MHPSS unit of HIAS Kenya
  • Accountable for upholding and ensuring adherence to HIAS policies, procedures, ethics professional standards and best practices for operational efficiencies
  • Responsible for promoting team cohesion & morale
  • Work collaboratively with HIAS Programs such as Gender Based Violence Program, Economic Inclusion, Resettlement and Legal Protection Program to support identified mental and psychosocial needs of clients
• Reporting
  • Develop program and staff evaluation plans and performance measures for all staff, data collection methods and reporting procedures consistent with HIAS strategic plan and agency funding requirements to determine program and operation effectiveness.
  • Review and disseminate in a timely manner, quarterly and annual MHPSS departmental reports highlighting for donor and board reports.
  • Develop standardized and periodically review primary data collection tools and ensure consistent and timely statistical data gathering from the field.
  • Accountable for the maintenance of updated and comprehensive database on mental health and psychosocial cases
• Provision of MHPSS services
  • Oversee the MHPSS programs and ensure the provision of evidence based and quality services to HIAS clients
  • Plan and oversee the establishment of community based mental health and psychosocial support interventions
  • Monitor and ensure provision of MHPSS services in line with national and international standards and guiding principles in reference to HIAS SOPs, UNHCR, IASC, SPHERE project and WHO guidelines, capacity build and onboard staff to ensure knowledge and adherence to these standards and periodically review and ensure efficiency of systems to these standards
  • Support MHPSS team to provide psychoeducation to refugees using culturally appropriate coping strategies and development of appropriate IEC materials
  • Provide participatory leadership in provision of MHPSS services including various MHPSS assessments, in addition to BID specialist for training of staff in the field
  • Liaise with the protection manager and key protection program staff to ensure efficient and effective coordinator efforts
• Resource Utilization
  • Take lead in project planning and oversee budget expenditures to ensure effective use of resources against planned activities and outputs related to HIAS MHPSS work;
  • Prepare and recommend psychosocial program budget with written justification, monitor the allocation of expenditures for consistency with approved budgets, and recommend revisions as needed
  • Inform and ensure all field offices have the required human resource: verify appropriate staffing, ensuring proportionate workload sharing among field officers, identify human resources gaps and deploy relief on an ongoing basis
  • Ensure the field offices have the required equipment, and space availability for psychosocial program
  • Participate in and contribute to the identification, preparation and solicitation of donor funding for psychosocial services
• Capacity Building
  • Provide mentoring and on the job training to MHPSS staff to become experts in MHPSS programming;
  • Develop staff evaluation plans and performance measures and ensure performance appraisal for all staff
  • Review and ensure staff competency in the use of automation and other emerging technologies in compliance with funding agencies
  • Identify capacity building opportunities for the MHPSS staff and garner requisite resources for the same in consultation with the program coordinator
  • Fostering a culture of integrity and team work among the MHPSS staff
• Coordination, partnership and Networking
  • Coordinate with partners and local organizations to create linkages for refugees for promotion of quality referral pathways, strengthening MHPSS services and ensuring their integration of MHPSS concerns to different sectors
  • Develop a database for partnerships and foster a memorandum of understanding
  • Actively participate and lead MHPSS specific coordination platform, interagency thematic work groups on donor briefings, including the Urban MHPSS WG in Nairobi;
  • Coordinate advocacy programs for refugees with local authorities and host communities

Required Qualifications

• A Minimum of Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology or related field
• 7 - 9 years working in a management position with atleast 3 years in Project Management with a specific focus on MHPSS programming;
• Demonstrated ability and experience to supervise and oversee technical work in MHPSS in a humanitarian setting. Preference for candidates who have previous experience with direct service provision to vulnerable refugee and migrant populations;
• Demonstrated experience with operationalizing MHPSS Global standards and principles, including knowledge of international humanitarian standards for MHPSS programming;
• Strong training and capacity building experience, particularly using participatory techniques for training related to different components of MHPSS programming;

Required Skills and Competences

• Proficiency in English, knowledge of Kiswahili
• Computer literacy a must with strong knowledge of Access, Excel and Word
• Ability to work and supervise a team, maintain respect for diversity, uphold integrity, respect and accountability
• Self-starter with an ability to work with minimal supervision, in a culturally diverse team
• Excellent Analytical, Communication and Report writing skills
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to establish effective working relations with local staff, beneficiaries and other stakeholders
• Ability to maintain one’s composure while under pressure