Psychosocial Worker

Reporting to: Disability and Vulnerability Focal Point ( DVFP) Project Officer NGO PRESENTATION   Handicap International is an independent and impartial international aid organisation working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. Working alongside persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups, our action and testimony are focused on responding to their essential needs, improving their living conditions and promoting respect for their dignity and their fundamental rights.   Handicap International is a not-for-profit organisation with no religious or political affiliation. It operates as a federation made up of a network of associations that provide it with human and financial resources, manage its projects and implement its actions and social mission.   HI has been present in the Middle East since 1987 through its Development Department. HI started from early April 2012 a new project at the regional level aiming at the recognition and respect of the rights of PwD by the authorities and institutions, through the reinforcement of the Disabled People’s Organisations (DPO) and the disability movement at large. In Lebanon, in addition to the regional project, HI has been implemented a project aiming at improving the access to mental health rehabilitation services for the children with psychological distress living in the Palestinian camps. At last, in 2010, HI established the only humanitarian demining capacity in northern Lebanon (Batroun Region) Action Center (LMAC) in achieving its goal of making Lebanon mine impact free by 2020.      MISSION CONTEXT   Following the yearlong crisis in the Syrian Arab Republic, that has caused the displacement of civilians in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, Handicap International is implementing projects in Lebanon and Jordan, aiming at mitigating the impact of the crisis on the Syrian refugees and the host communities. In Lebanon as well as in Jordan, Handicap International aims to improve the access to emergency rehabilitation cares for the Syrian refugees at hospital and community level and to improve the coverage of the specific needs of the most vulnerable people affected by the crisis at the community level. In Lebanon, the targeted areas are the northern Bekaa Valley and Tripoli, whereas in Jordan, the targeted area is the northern region closed to the boarder.   In Bekaa, Handicap International aims to improve the coverage of basics and specific needs of the most vulnerable people affected by the crisis at the community level, and by developing a tailored response to improve conditions of life during winter period. In Tripoli, Handicap International aims to provide direct support to syrian injured refugies at hospital and community level. Besides, HI aims to improve the coverage of specific needs for vulnerable persons in the North.    ACCOUNATBILITIES   Under the direct responsibility of the disability and vulnerability focal point (DVFP) Project Officer, and in close collaboration of the pluridisciplinary DVFP team (social workers, psychologists, physiotherapists), and with the support of the mental health and psychosocial support expert, you will have to:      1.       Identify specific needs on psychosocial and psychological issues of the programme beneficiaries, contribute to the assessment of these needs and/or directly assess these needs as required:   In a close mobile work team system, with technical advices and support from the mental health and psychosocial support expert, guide and support the social workers in the first assessment and identification of beneficiaries’ psychosocial needs and issues. Develop a community approach to ensure a confidence in HI process and project. Ensure a global vision of the individual and familial needs in the identification. Assess all protection issues at individuals and familial level.   2.       Answer to the identified needs, by providing direct psychosocial support and refer internally and externally as needed, respecting confidentiality and the right of the beneficiary   With the support and advices of the psychologist and psychosocial technical supervisor, provide psychosocial support at the family level. Refer all cases on psychosocial and mental health issue identified externally to your line manager, following the appropriate strategy of the programme with the support and advices of the mental health expert   3.       In specific cases, and if the beneficiary agrees, do mediation and conflict resolution   In link with the psychologist and the social workers, participate to mediation between beneficiaries and families or between families and other structures. Coach family members on treatment plan of the direct beneficiary. Provide them psycho-education and ensure that they understand the care plan and treatment. Ensure people obtain necessary services and follow external referrals. Ensure a neutral and respectful position within mediation and in regard of HI mandates   4.       Conduct specific psycho-social group activities, adapted and appropriate to each one’s specific needs and capacities   Conduct discussion group with individuals, families, hosting communities (...) Organize and implement community-based psycho-social activities targeting people with injuries (PWI) or family members of people with disability (PWD). Provide psycho-education to family members of PWI, PWD or vulnerable people. When needed/possible, work with the partners and volunteers to create and implement social activities in the centres and the communities Participate to the activities and the monitoring of these activities Procure any support to facilitate partner’s work Ensure a qualitative follow up of the beneficiaries Participate to the reporting of activities and evolution of the beneficiaries psychosocial situation     5.       Report datas, follow-up cases and organize the daily and weekly activities   Close follow-up of individual and familial cases to ensure a qualitative follow-up of all the beneficiaries, Ensure a daily quantitative and qualitative reporting through the tools (assessment form, follow up form, discharger and monitoring form) and system in place Organization of the weekly plan within the pluridisciplinary team, with the support of DVFP PO Any other reports to be made upon line manager request     6.       Participate in the analysis and reporting of global issues in the refugee population, with a focus on psychosocial and psychological issues   Participate to a qualitative analysis of the different kinds of issues, at individual, familial and community level Report all issues identified during case management or internal meetings. Be part of a constructive holistic team work to develop a very qualitative analysis and response for disable and vulnerable persons   7.       To demonstrate an ethic and professional practice:   Respect beneficiary confidentiality. Respect and promote HI’s Policies and report to your line manager any non respect of HI’s policies amongst the teams or partners. Address needs and requests in a professional way. Report any incident or act that causes any harm to beneficiary or to others. Always interact with children with the presence of their parents or caregivers Always respect a refusal of treatment.       8.       Demonstrate willingness to improve professional competences and abilities to increase care quality:   Demonstrate motivation at work. Demonstrate willingness to improve own knowledge and skills by participating actively in any training sessions, capacity building activities… Participate in the different activities that are common to all team members Respect each team member’s positions, work, and specialty Adapt to special situations or demands from supervisor (reporting, etc)     THE CANDIDATE’S REQUIREMENTS (include various soft skills & language skills)    KNOWLEDGE   Mandatory: Social assistance Vulnerability and Disability   Preferable : Protection Community based approach Social/psychosocial actors in Beqaa   SKILLS   Good communication and listening skills Common sense Proactive   PERSONAL QUALITIES   Adaptation to specific working conditions Capacity to work in team and autonomously Capacity to work in an multidisciplinary and multicultural team Dynamism, high level of motivation Flexibility and availability Interest for psychosocial work and field work Willingness to learn new skills and/or approaches Good capacity to interact with members of the team and different communities   LANGUAGES   Arabic English or French is mandatory Both English and French is an asset     EXPERIENCE   First experience in community base projects  and/or psychosocial field is mandatory (internship accepted) INGO/LNGO working experience is an advantage Between 0 and 2 year experiences