Counselling Psychologist at HIAS Refugee Trust of Kenya

Grade: 6

Reporting to: Field Office Manager

Duration: 1 year Contract with possibility of renewal subject to availability of funding and performance

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 seeks to recruit Counselling Psychologists who will spearhead the provision of counseling and other psychotherapeutic interventions to vulnerable and at risk refugee experiencing emotional and psychological distress. These includes refugees with mental health challenges, which impairs their normal functioning.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. Provide individual and group counseling services and other short term therapeutic services to referred to the field office
2. Conduct psychosocial counselling to who are survivors of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) and other refugees experiencing other forms of trauma under the MHPSS Program using highest levels of confidentiality and professional ethics and etiquette
3. Ensure appropriate psychosocial assessment and diagnosis of all the therapeutic cases are in line with the World Health Organization (WHO) Mental Health Atlas
4. Review all social and psychological assessments reports generated for the MHPSS Program
5. Assist protection officers in organizing and mobilizing for committee meetings, dialogues and other activities to address protection issues.
6. Provide training, mentorship, and other technical support to social workers directly involved in implementation of the MHPSS Program
7. Collect data on Protection issues including SGBV and monitor trends and emerging issues and present the same to the Protection Officer on weekly and monthly basis at the same time ensuring follow up on any recommendation for action.
8. Follow up, monitor all referral cases, and ensure timely turnaround of assessment reports and other interventions
9. Preparation of timely, quality and comprehensive field reports, therapeutic assessments to inform program planning and decision-making.
10. Prepare and maintain a tracker for all therapies conducted at the field level.
11. Work and communicate with teachers, social workers and other professionals involved in the ’s life on the progress of the MHPSS Program
12. Work with parents/caregivers through offering family counseling, teaching them techniques they can practice at home (such as play therapy) and recommending a support group or counselling therapy to parents /family members.
13. Strengthen and maintain networks with community leaders, groups and service providers to ensure that refugee receive support from the community

Qualifications and experience required.

1. A Minimum of Bachelors in Counseling Psychology or Clinical Psychology from a recognized university.
2. Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology, Clinical Psychology is an added advantage.
3. Must have at least 3 years’ experience in providing counseling services to trauma survivors in individual and group settings.
4. Experience working with refugee will be an added advantage
5. The candidate should have keen awareness and good knowledge of psychosocial issues and the complexities of working on these issues with a refugee population

Skills and Competencies Required

1. Computer literacy is a must with strong knowledge of Access, Excel and Word;
2. Strong analytical and report writing skills and proven ability to conduct psychological assessments;
3. Good team player with excellent cross-cultural interpersonal skills; proactive and able to work under minimal supervision while exercising diplomacy, flexibility and assertiveness;
4. Ability to confront and discuss sensitive issues with respect and able to uphold high standards of confidentiality
5. Ability to work in a demanding and high-pressured environment
6. Knowledge of accountability to affected populations is an added advantage