Psycho-Social Support Officer job Opportunity at International Red Cross

Job Title:  Psycho-Social Support Officer

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral and independent international humanitarian organisation, which assists and protects victims of armed conflicts and other situations of violence.

About Project:

The structure of the program is based on a psycho-social accompaniment of support groups (constituted of family members living in the same geographical area). The program aims to addressing the needs of families of the missing in a holistic manner, through local partnerships (with humanitarian actors; traditional leaders; etc.) and a referral system for specialized services (including mental health).

Job Summary: The Red Cross Psycho-Social Support Officer will provide technical support to the Accompaniment of the families of the Missing persons

Key Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Ensure the right profiles of accompaniers will be selected and recruited (job’s advertisement, selection of CVs, shortlisting the candidates, conducting the interviews, selecting the accompaniers)
• Actively facilitate the training sessions of the accompaniers according to the ICRC practical handbook (Accompanying the families of missing persons)
• Facilitate the monthly group supervision sessions and provide on-going couching and support to the accompaniers
• Offer constant individual supervision and training to the accompaniers throughout the whole process of the support groups
• Attend the support groups’ sessions and give feedback to the accompaniers at the end, provide guidance and make remarks
• Act as a resource person for psychological aspects of the program during training.
• Validate the training material and make the necessary changes/ adaptations according to the needs
• Take part in baseline surveys by the accompaniers with families of the missing, elaborate the results and evaluate the mental health and psycho social component of the program
• Develop tip capacity of the accompaniers to identify the family members in need of referral (for medical or mental health care)
• Develop the capacity of the accompaniers to provide an effective response to the psycho-social needs of the family members during the support groups’ sessions.
• Actively participate to the sensitization and the registration of the families of the missing persons (FoMs) according to the ICRC standards and inclusive criteria (those who encounter ambiguous loss and miss close relatives)
• Collect and monitor and analyse monthly reports, referral forms and client files
• Ensure a good and efficient referral system for a more specialised medical or mental health care
• Validate the pre-selected structures for referral and monitor the quality of services provided by these referral structures
• Ensure adequate feedback received from the medical specialists regarding the referred cases (medical and mental)
• Responsible for networking with relevant local/regional authorities, traditional/religious leaders and humanitarian actors (within or outside the Red Cross Movement)
• Offer regular oral and written reporting to the immediate supervisor and the Protection Coordinator.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience: 

• The ideal International Committee of the Red Cross applicant should possess a good University degree in Psychology by preference, or Social work academic background.
• Past work experience in a psycho-social program or/and in relation to the problematic of the “Missing” would be an asset
• Excellent knowledge of Luo and English, both written and spoken (mandatory); Kiswahili or/and any local language of the area affected by the war with the LRA would be an asset.
• Excellent knowledge of the various traditions (in particular Acholi and Langi) and of the recent history of Northern Uganda.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; ability to coach and motivate
• Excellent planning, organizational and assessment skills
• Excellent team work
• High sense of responsibility and ability to take initiative and to work
• Ability to work independently
• High degree of flexibility and willingness to work outside working hours and duty station
• Possess the ability to represent the ICRC during meetings with external stakeholders (local/regional authorities; traditional/religious leaders; humanitarian actors)
• Good reporting skills
• Good computer skills
• Possession of a Valid driving license is an asset
• Be able to work in Northern Uganda, Kitgum but not exclusively, on a daily basis and to travel to Kampala on a monthly basis

How to Apply for the job: 

All interested candidates should send their handwritten application with a detailed CV indicating email and phone contacts, copies (not originals) of academic and work certificates, indicating a minimum of two professional referees. The applications should clearly be marked “Psycho-social Support Officer” and addressed to the Administrator in a sealed envelope should be at the following address: ICRC Kampala office on Plot 8, John Babiiha Avenue, Kololo, P.O. Box 4442, Kampala. Uganda

Note:

• Register your application with the Receptionist (or Security guard, during out of office hours) and receive a reference number for tracking your application,
• Only applications that fulfill the criteria stated above will be considered.
• Applicants who are not contacted by 21^st November 2014 should consider their application unsuccessful,
• No payments are required or accepted for this process and any canvassing will lead to disqualification.

Deadline: Friday, 14^th November, 2014

Click here to see more jobs available