General Practitioner

 A. GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The General Practitioner (GP), trained on the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP), is a core member of the Mobile Mental Health Clinic (MMHC), which provides community-based mental health consultations across multiple regions of Lebanon.

The GP is responsible for conducting mental health assessments, initiating treatment, prescribing psychotropic medications within national guidelines, and ensuring continuity of care in close coordination with the Psychiatrist Supervisor and the MMHC multidisciplinary team. The role contributes to the delivery of safe, ethical, and evidence-based mental health services aligned with Embrace standards, MoPH regulations, and mhGAP guidelines.

B.  MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Clinical Assessment & Diagnosis

• Conduct comprehensive mental health assessments during the MMHC field visits (3 days per week), in line with mhGAP guidelines
• Perform initial evaluations using clinical interviews, Mental Status Examination (MSE), and relevant mhGAP tools.
• Assess beneficiaries’ mental health needs, psychosocial context, level of functioning and risk factors.
• Categorize beneficiaries according to PHCC protocols (e.g., P1 / P2) and identify risk levels and priority needs.
• Assess and determine, with the support of the Psychiatric Supervisor, the need for psychiatric hospitalization when clinically indicated, and initiate the hospitalization process in coordination with the MMHC team and according to established protocols.

2. Treatment Planning & Medical Management

• Develop individualized treatment plans in collaboration with beneficiaries, aligned with mhGAP recommendations and MMHC protocols, and in close coordination with the Psychiatric Supervisor.
• Prescribe and manage psychotropic medications when clinically indicated, ensuring appropriate dosage, monitoring, and follow-up in line with MoPH national guidelines and approved medication lists.
• Provide clear explanations to beneficiaries regarding their diagnosis, treatment plans, medication use, and follow-up requirements.
• Participate in monthly Community of Practice meeting with the Psychiatrist Supervisor. These meeting provide a space to discuss challenges, share best practices, and receive guidance on complex cases, strengthening the capacity of GP through continuous learning and peer-to-peer support.
• Oversee bus medication inventory, maintaining alignment between physical stock and documentation, and recording all dispensed prescriptions in the medication tracker.

3. Continuity of Care & Follow-Up

• Collaborate with the MMHC multidisciplinary team to ensure continuity of care across field visits and follow-up points.
• Monitor beneficiaries’ clinical progress and recovery goals, adjusting interventions accordingly.
• Contribute to case discussions and coordinated care planning with the MMHC team.
• Participate in MMHC operational meetings, providing input to support the program’s optimal implementation.

4. Referral & Care Coordination

• Refer beneficiaries to psychiatrists, psychologists, PHCCs, or other specialized services as required and in line with MMHC referral pathways

5. Documentation, Reporting & Quality Assurance

• Accurately document all consultations and clinical services provided using SOAP notes in the electronic health record system, in line with MMHC and organizational protocols.
• Ensure timely, complete and confidential clinical documentation.
• Participate in supervision, clinical meetings, and trainings, and quality assurance activities to ensure adherence to mhGAP standards and continuous improvement of care.

C. QUALIFICATIONS

1.  Critical Skills:

• Medical degree required (MD).
• Minimum of 2-years Training on mhGAP
• Registered at the Lebanese Order of Physician.
• Fluency in English and Arabic, French is a plus.

2.  Professional Skills:

• Ability to conduct clinical assessment as per mhGAP.
• Ability to provide preliminary diagnosis and base prescriptions on the recommended MOPH national guide and list of psychotropic and neurological medications.
• Ability to recognize mental health priority conditions as per the mhGAP.
• Ability to use ICD10/ ICD11 terminology
• Ability to design a treatment plan and refer patients to other professionals when needed.
• Ability to conceptualize cases from an integrative perspective

 3. Skilled in or Willing to Build their Capacity and Knowledge In:

• Biopsychological model in mental health.
• Ability to provide psychoeducation to beneficiaries on behavioral tools such as relaxation, stress management techniques and behavioral activation.
• Ability to provide empathic, evidence-based, brief, psychological first aid to a culturally diverse population.
• Ability to intervene and de-escalate mental health emergencies
• Skilled in mental health complex emergencies (IASC guidelines, Psychological First Aid, mhGAP…)
• Skilled in community-based and human rights-based approach in mental health.
• Evidence based approach in mental health (i.e., IPT, CBT, TFCBT, EMDR)
• Knowledge about the predictable stresses of humanitarian aid work, the policies and practices needed to mitigate

4.  Behavioral Skills

• Demonstrates ability to work in a multidisciplinary team.
• Demonstrates excellent organization and time management skills.
• Demonstrates excellent communication, problem solving, interpersonal and conflict resolution skills.
• Demonstrates ability to adhere to ethical considerations and principles with regard to working with vulnerable populations.
• Demonstrates a high level of professionalism while providing services to beneficiaries or working with internal support staff.

D. REPORTING LINES

The GP trained on mhGAP reports to the Programs Manager and is technically supported by the Psychiatrist Supervisor.

E. TIME COMMITMENT

• 3 Days per week

F. WORK LOCATION

Field visits cover different locations all over Lebanon (North, Bekaa, Mount Lebanon, South, etc)