Psychotherapist

Explanation of the position:

The psychotherapist based in Tripoli within MdM MHPSS team will provide Mental Health and Psychosocial Support services to people with MHPSS and substance use related needs in the PHCC and in the community, and will contribute to the build the capacities of the PHCC staff and Community Outreach Volunteers.    

Main responsibilities:

1. Provide psychological assessment, support and individual and/or group psychotherapy to persons with mental health and substance use related needs, in coordination with the case management and coordination team;
2. Contribute to emergencies response through the provision of Psychological First Aid/Identification and referral, as well as Psychological First Aid (PFA) training;
3. Implement psychosocial activities including group support in the Primary Health Care Centers and in the community;
4. Support in the integration of Mental Health into Primary Health Care, including in the capacity-building of PHCC staff;
5. Provide capacity building to outreach volunteers and other stakeholders on MHPSS;
6. Develop and implement preventive and awareness raising activities, in the PHCCs and the community;
7. Provide staff and frontliner care activities to PHCC staff, Community Outreach Volunteers (COVs), and other frontliners.

Main Activities:

1. Provision of psychological assessment and appropriate mental health intervention to persons with mental health and substance use related needs.

• Provide assessment and appropriate mental health support including psychoeducation, and individual and/or group short-term psychotherapy to service users with mental health and/or substance use conditions referred by the team.
• Collaborate closely with the case-management team in assessing the person’s needs and developing and implementing individualized action plans through regular case discussions.
• Ensure proper follow up of service users enrolled in the services.
• Provide regular feedback to the case management team regarding the follow-up of the cases and progress of psychotherapy.
• Actively participate in case discussions with the multidisciplinary team (including case managers/social workers, nurses, psychiatrist, supervisor, receptionist).
• Make sure the appointments are properly scheduled and respected.
• Ensure that emergency cases are properly taken care of, referred, and followed.
• Follow up all the procedures for patient flow, treatment and discharge.
• Closely work with the MdM MHPSS coordination to ensure the quality of the service provision.
• Commit with timely clinical documentation for all service users related data, including intake forms and progress notes.

2. Contribution to response to emergencies through the provision of Psychological First Aid (PFA)/ needs identification and referral, and PFA training.

• In case of emergency, provide PFA/needs identification and referral to community members in need for support.
• Provide training on PFA to PHCCs staff, community outreach volunteers and other stakeholders.

3. Implementation of psychosocial activities, in the Primary Health Care Center (PHCC) and the community (including shelters, municipalities, etc).

• Contribute to the assessment of MHPSS and substance use related interventions needs in the PHCCs and in the communities, including shelters, and suggest appropriate interventions.
• Participate in establishing and implementing psychosocial activities including preventive activities in the community.
• Design, organize and implement group support activities in the PHCCs and in the community.

4. Support in the integration of Mental Health into Primary Health Care.

• Contribute to the assessment of Primary Health Care Centers (PHCCs) staff needs in MHPSS.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of capacity-building and sensitization activities for PHCCs staff.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of awareness raising activities in PHCCs.
• Provide regular “community of practice” sessions to the PHCC social workers in the framework of the National Mental Health Program piloted project for the integration of MH in the PHCCs.
• Participate in the training organized by the National Mental Health Program (NMHP) for the pilot project for integration of MH in the PHCCs.

5. Contribution to capacity-building and awareness raising activities about MPHSS and substance use

• Support in the training of the case management team, Community Outreach Volunteers (COVs) and other stakeholders on MHPSS and Substance Use related issues.
• Prepare and implement awareness sessions about MHPSS in the community, including in shelters.
• Support the case manager/social worker and the COVs in the provision of awareness sessions in the waiting areas of PHCs and in the community, including in shelters.

6. Provision of staff and frontliner care activities to PHCC staff, COVs, and other frontliners.

• Prepare support group activities targeting frontliners based on the guidelines developed by NMHP and MdM resources.
• Implement cycles of support group activities with PHCC staff, COVs, and partners frontliners.

7. Reporting, meetings and training

• Commit to clinical documentation (intake assessments, progress notes, closure notes and other required service users’ data documentation) and with reporting for other MHPSS/Substance use related activities.
• Commit with daily data collection and entry, respecting deadlines
• Participate in internal technical and non-technical meetings and take responsibility for documentation of the meeting minutes.
• Participate in regular meetings with key actors, NGOs/INGOs and PHC, hospital
• Participate in network/coordination meetings concerning MHPSS as required by the supervisor.
• Participate in internal MdM meetings (all staff meetings, team meetings)
• Participate in training organized by MdM, NMHP and other stakeholders
• Take an active role with center’s visitors to present and promote the services
• Contribute to events related to MHPSS.

Behaviour:

• To behave with self-restraint at all times and respect the dignity and confidentiality of the service users.
• To be able to work as part of a team and participate in all activities of the mental health unit.
• To believe in concepts of equity, human rights, neutrality and impartiality.
• Demonstrate motivation at work.
• Demonstrate willingness to improve own knowledge and skills by participating in any capacity building activities.
• Respect each team member’s position, work and specialty.
• Adapt to special situations or demands from supervisor.
• Respect different cultures.

Requested Competence/skills:

• MA in Clinical Psychology 
• Holds MoPH Licence to practice
• 2 to 3 years of experience in psychotherapy
• Practitioner skills in short-term therapy (trained in IPT and/or CBT, or other therapeutic approach)
• Follows individual supervision
• Believes in a comprehensive, holistic and recovery approach in mental health.
• Arabic and English languages are mandatory.
• Experience working with NGO is preferred.

• Ability to organize, plan and prioritize tasks.
• Ability to identify strengths and weakness and in proposing shared solutions for the continuous improvement of providing quality services.
• Strong ability to observe, analyse, report and take initiative.
• Ability to work with a team as well as to work independently.
• Clear commitment in the project thematic.
• Ability to communicate any technical or non-technical topic with clarity and to share any important project information with the team.
• Ability to self-reflect on own work, to recognize what needs improvement and to propose solutions.
• Proficiency with Microsoft word and excel.

This job description can be modified at any time according to changes in MdM activities or in the context with prior notice and agreement between the two parties. On demand of the direct supervisor, other tasks might be added to that present list.