Psychiatrist PHCC - Beqaa Baalbak (Shmestar and Nabisheet)

A.  GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

The Psychiatrist plays a vital role in diagnosing and delivering specialized psychiatric care to service users with mental health disorders. This includes providing individualized treatment in line with national care packages, care pathways, and established guidelines. Moreover, the Psychiatrist provides psychosocial support consultations based on the principles of Psychological First Aid (PFA) for individuals affected by displacement, conflict, or trauma. This is conducted in alignment with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) accreditation standards for Primary Health Care Centers (PHCCs), adhering to community-based service provision guidelines. The Psychiatrist also follows the National Model for Mental Health Services developed by the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) at the MoPH, which is based on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Optimal Mix of Services Pyramid.

B. MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Assessment and diagnosis

• Conduct in depth assessment and diagnosis of Mental Health conditions (MHCs)
• Manage MHCs for severe cases or on psychotropic medication
• Prioritize service user’s preferences in decisions related to treatment, admission and discharge and other aspects of recovery
• Provide service users with psychiatric treatment and follow up on management protocol adhering to the national essential drug list, when prescribing psychotropic medications.
• Monitor treatment response and manage severe side-effects.
• Request, when needed, laboratory, imagery or other special diagnostic tests, and follow up of the results
• Assess for Imminent Suicide risk and initiates safety planning
• Conduct other clinical duties if required, to meet the mission and vision of HSM.

Referrals and Coordination

• Refer service users to other specialties and specific services when needed
• Coordinate with other care providers as needed and in line with national packages SOPs and Quality Rights principles

Reporting

• Report to the PHCC management.
• Filling all relevant reporting and documentation tools

Other Responsibilities

• Maintain accurate records and clinical files in-line with PHC requirements
• Participate in coordination and technical meetings
• Participate in regular monitoring and evaluation exercises to identify challenges and gaps and improve the quality of services
• Attend capacity building training workshops

C.  QUALIFICATIONS:

• Medical degree required (MD) and Psychiatry with Psychiatry degree registered at the Lebanese Psychiatric Society (LPS)
• Minimum of 3-years of clinical experience.
• Fluency in English and Arabic, French is a plus.

General Skills and Competencies

• Proficiency of the psychiatric assessment and usage of ICD10/ ICD11 terminology
• Expertise in pharmacology and willingness to base prescriptions on the recommended MOPH list of psychotropic and neurological medications.
• Ability to design a treatment plan and refer patients to other professionals when needed.
• Ability to provide psychoeducation to beneficiaries on behavioral tools such as relaxation, stress management techniques and behavioral activation.
• Ability to conceptualize cases from an integrative perspective.
• Ability to design a treatment plan and refer patient to other professionals when needed
• 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)
• Understanding of predictable stresses of humanitarian aid work, the policies and practices needed to mitigate.

Specific Competencies

• Excellent organization and time management skills.
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary team
• Excellent communication, problem solving, interpersonal and conflict resolution skills.
• Professionalism providing services to service users or working with internal support staff.
• Adherence to ethical considerations and principles about work with vulnerable populations.

D. TIME COMMITMENT

2 days per week (1 day for each PHCC)