Psychological Counselor at World Bank Group

Deliverables and Accountabilities:

Individual Counseling

• Independent assessment of mental health and counseling needs of staff with stress-related and psychological problems; brief supportive counseling and crisis intervention; referral to external mental health providers; resiliency briefings; case management.
• Manager and Group Consultation
• Under the overall supervision & guidance of Unit Head, provides independent consultations to managers on sensitive and delicate issues regarding staff with stress-related problems affecting work; interventions with managers and work groups following critical incidents; work group stress assessments & interventions.  Independently develops and delivers major trainings and workshops to staff at all levels of both the WBG and the IMF.
• Quality Assurance and Program Support
• Individual clinical supervision with Head of Unit; case conference meetings with the team; semi-monthly MHWU meetings
• Maintain up-to-date, accurate counseling records of client contacts.
• Conducts quality assurance reviews of programs during implementation and 'after-action' phases
• Health Promotion Activities
• Develop and deliver group presentations (live and online) on stress-related topics including but not limited to: stress management; work-life balance; organizational change; life transition; relaxation. Coordinate presentations by local subject matter experts.  Ensure fidelity to HSD presentation quality standards and liaise with other HSD entities to promote health activities and programs. Deliver programs in coordination with all MHWU staff and in times convenient for staff in multiple locations (at times outside of region).
• The Counsellor will administratively report to the Regional Medical Advisor (aka “Team Lead”) in Nairobi and technically report to the HSD MHWU Head in Washington. A key requirement of the position will be the ability to summarize data and trends to develop programs and policies that are designed to support staff. Frequent travel is required from the Counsellor to support the country offices throughout the east Africa (“eAFR”) region, at times on short notice based on operational needs, and also at times to remote and difficult locations to provide support to staff. The counsellor will also provide support to staff in other regions, particularly those geographically close to eAFR, as needed.

The Counsellor will be responsible for performing the following duties:

• Provide empirically supported and culturally sensitive counselling services to WBG and IMF staff and if requested their dependents; this may include case management and referrals to other resources as required;
• Provide pre- and post-deployment/assignment briefings to staff being deployed to emergency or hardship duty stations;
• Based on data trends and requests from other divisions/units/offices develop and provide a range of trainings and programs including but not limited to team building, resilience, and cross-cultural sensitivity to improve morale, health, and team dynamics;
• As part of a multidisciplinary team work closely with individuals and teams to address psychological risks at the individual, unit and organizational level;
• When requested work closely with managers/supervisors towards improving the working atmosphere in their units;
• Provide counselling services to individuals and/or groups during emergencies; provide services in a timely and sensitive manner to staff and dependents after critical incidents, and ensure follow up support for staff and dependents following critical events;
• Provide counseling to individuals who have been subjected to gender-based or domestic violence, and liaise with the WBG Domestic Abuse Prevention Program as necessary to ensure delivery of quality care;
• Identify and liaise with high-quality local and regional mental health resources that can be used for referrals or in times of crisis;
• Coordinate services with UN-“family” counselors, particularly in the context of critical incident response, to deliver care not only to WBG and IMF beneficiaries, but also to other UN beneficiaries as directed by the Head, MHWU.
• In the best interests of staff members and the organization work in a collegial and professional manner with all HSD units to ensure continuity of care;
• Work as a part of a team to ensure divisional priorities are implemented consistent with the yearly divisional work plan and the WBG Workplace Mental Health Strategy;
• Develop and participate in multidisciplinary programs in HSD as well as Country Offices;
• Be proactive in building partnerships with but not limited to HR, Internal Justice System, Country Office Staff Association, and Security that support staff within the agency and also with other agencies or relevant organizations;
• Contribute to the development of policies and guidelines, as well as written and visual materials to increase awareness regarding important themes and topics related to staff wellness;
• Complete administrative duties such as maintain statistics on activities and completing reporting requirements as per HSD requirements;
• Participate and collaborate in UN Staff and Stress Counselor Group (UNSSCG), and the UN Critical Incident Stress Management Unit (CISMU) activities and working groups;
• Maintain the highest ethical standards related to the provision of psychological and/or counseling services, including but not limited to confidentiality; practicing within the scope of one’s experience and training; maintaining competencies through ongoing continuing education; and undertaking appropriate clinical supervision;
• Undertake regular mission travel to country offices throughout the region;
• Perform other duties as required.

Selection Criteria

• Advanced degree (doctorate or masters) in mental health-related field (Psychology, Marriage & Family Therapy, Counseling, or Clinical Social Work); doctorate preferred.
• Licensed, registered, certified - or eligible for same - as a psychologist, clinical social worker, counselor, or marriage & family therapist.
• Training & skills in brief counseling.
• Demonstrated expertise working with multicultural population.
• International work/living experience preferred.
• Working knowledge of structure of international multilateral organizations preferred.
• Language skills in at least one language in addition to English proficiency preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently.
• Demonstrated excellence in clinical judgment and decision-making.
• Strong technology skills, to include:
• Electronic medical records
• All MS Office products
• Email (Outlook)
• Video-conferencing & online collaboration & presentation/training platforms (e.g., Webex, MS Teams, Zoom, etc.)

Experience:

• Eight years of relevant experience post-attainment of applicable advanced university (graduate) degree.
• Additional experience in an occupational setting preferred, consulting on work-related stress.
• Advanced training and/or experience in individual counseling and therapy, in family and/or group therapy, substance abuse, and post-trauma stress.
• Substantial experience counseling & consulting to/with multicultural clients.
• Experience working collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural team environment; ability to manage confidential and sensitive matters with discretion, strong independent judgment, and tact.
• International work/living experience preferred.