Counselor Educator

WHAT IS MSF ?

Médecins Sans Frontières/أطباء بلا حدود  بلا أطباء (MSF) is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people in 70 countries who are affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters and exclusion from healthcare. MSF offers assistance to people based on need, irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation and our actions are guided by medical ethics and the principles of neutrality and impartiality.

We offer basic healthcare, perform surgery, fight epidemics, rehabilitate and run hospitals and clinics, carry out vaccination campaigns, operate nutrition centers, and provide mental healthcare. Our activities include the treatment of injuries and disease, maternal care and the provision of humanitarian aid. Where necessary, we set up sanitation systems, supply safe drinking water, and distribute relief to assist survival.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE PROJECT

The project started in Sept. 2013 in Shatila, where MSF currently manages an outpatient center for chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), vaccination services with transversely integrated mental health services and health promotion, and referrals for patients who require services beyond the scope of MSF activities. Additionally, MSF opened a women’s health center with sexual and reproductive health care.
During 2018, low risk deliveries were relocated from Shatila to Rafik Hariri University Hospital compound, where MSF runs a Birth Centre. MSF took this as an opportunity to work together with external partners as catalyst for change around midwifery model of care and demedicalization of deliveries. The antenatal care services remain in the camps, to serve the most vulnerable women.
In Bourj el Barajneh camp, besides the above-mentioned activities, MSF provides in addition home based care for those patients who are housebound or bedridden often due to an advanced NCD disease.

MSF BIRTH CENTER (BC)

The MSF Birth Centre is unique in Lebanon, in its objective to develop a midwife led model of care. The midwives are responsible for all of the deliveries and are only required to consult the obstetrician in case of complications. The model focuses on low risk pregnancies. There is an assessment room for all patients being followed in ANC, including the higher risk cases and they may attend at any time to be assessed. The most important role of the obstetrician is to manage any complicated cases either in BC or prior to referral to another hospital, and to be active in teaching, coaching and empowering of the midwives and nurses to help develop the midwife led model of care.

Responsibilities:

perform counseling and/or education sessions to patients, following different medical and mental health MSF protocols and procedures, in order to improve their psychosocial condition.

MSF clinics are located in Shatila and Bourj al Barajne camps and the selected candidate may be based in either or both camps. Work hours are currently 8:00 am to 4:30pm, however, there is a probability of evening or weekend sessions, depending on the development of project activities.

Sessions are both individual and group and raising awareness in the community.

Accountabilities:

• Identify the psychosocial, socio-economic and administrative needs for patients
• Actively promote the availability of counselling services and carry out, individual or in group counselling, basic psycho educational sessions, to patients, their families (when needed), in order to alleviate their psychosocial difficulties within the project scope.
• Refer patients to other specialists or other institutions for further assistance, when necessary in order to propose the best support available.
• Participate in the creation of any material needed for counselling activities and look after it,
• Keep files and statistics of daily activities and participate in team meetings to share experiences and discuss special cases with other counsellors, preserving confidentiality
• Inform line manager of any problem of any kind arising during the day-to-day activities.
• Take active part in trainings, supervisions/intervisions and support the activities manager when necessary in doing sensitization for MSF staff or external partners about mental health /psychosocial issues.
• Discuss difficulties and problems in counselling with supervisor.
• Provision of first assessment and Psychological First Aid by phone call to patients having Covid-19 and his/her family members and refer the case accordingly
• Provision of Psychological Social support / counselling follow-up support by phone call to patients having Covid-19 and his/her family members whenever is needed
• Support the current Mental Health team by providing 1st assessment to walk-in patients and refer the case accordingly to other counsellors or psychologists in the project
•  Provision of Psychological Social support / counselling follow-up to walk-in patient in MSF clinic with face-to-face or remot consultations
• Support the Health Promoter team to provide Mental Health awareness in the community related to the MSF Covid-respons
• Provision of Psychological First Aid to Sexual Violence cases in MSF Birth Center, under Mental Health supervisor supervision
• Collect statistical and monitoring data about mental health activities

Qualifications:

Education: Counselling, social work, psychology or another similar degree/diploma.

Experience: 

• Essential 1 years’ experience minimum
• Basic computer literacy is mandatory (excel, word, outlook)
• Desirable previous experience with MSF or other NGO

Languages: Fluency in English and Arabic are essential

Soft Skills: Results and Quality Orientation, Teamwork and Cooperation, Commitment to MSF Principles, Stress Management