Psychologist

As a member of the home hospice care team, SANAD’s psychologist coordinates with medical
director and reports to SANAD’s Director
The hospice psychologist will be responsible for:

• The provision of psychological support services to patients and families
• The provision of psychological support to the hospice care team members
• The documentation and reporting on all tasks and projects related to the psychologist
• The development of the psychological support services through education, training and research projects
• Raising awareness on psychological support in the community through advocacy and outreach initiatives

A. Psychological support service provision responsibilities:

Patient & Family level:

• Provide in-depth psychological support to patients and families throughout
• SANAD’s care duration through regular home visits based on need.
• Support family members in issues related to coping with their loss and feelings of grief.
• Lead and report on the grief support group on a monthly basis.
• Assess the grief support group’s impact and identify the best course of action for its way forward

Home Hospice Care Team level:

• Guide and support the Home hospice care team in identifying patients/family members who need in-depth psychological support
• Provide the home hospice care team with continuous updates on family dynamics and coping mechanisms through weekly meetings
• Assist the home hospice care team in identifying family members in need of grief support
• Provide counseling and support to SANAD’s home hospice care team members and others at SANAD when and if the need arises

B. Training, education and research responsibilities:

• Identify evidence based tools that can assist the psychologist and home hospice care team in assessing patients’ and families’ psychological needs and behaviors
• Identify references on psychological support provision in home hospice care to develop and evaluate psychological support provision at SANAD
• Identify evidence based references on the evaluation of grief support groups and other counseling methods
• Participate in trainings and orientations for newly appointed nurses and volunteers
• Develop and conduct trainings and workshops on communication skills and other
• topics related to psychological support in home hospice care for professional
• stakeholders in the field such as psychologists, doctors, nurses and social workers
• Develop and contribute to articles related to psychological support in home hospice care

C. Organizational and Professional tasks/responsibilities:

• Ensure proper documentation of the assessment, planning, coordination and delivery of the psychological support provided to the patient/family
• Document family visits in a detailed and structured manner to be included in each patient’s file recording objectives of each intervention, plans for future action and progress and achieved results
• Document and reflect on all grief support group sessions
• Contribute to donor progress reports and proposals
• Develop and structure the mental health unit through accumulating lessons learned related to psychological support in home hospice care
• Identify professional training needs

D. Advocacy and outreach tasks/responsibilities:

• Conduct and participate in community awareness sessions on the psychological aspects in end of life care
• Share SANAD’s findings and experience with key stakeholders in the field through articles, presentations, research and projects

Education and required professional background:
Masters Degree in Psychology
Previous Experience required:
At least 5 years of experience as a clinical psychologist. A community based approach and experience in end of life care is a plus.

Qualifications:

• Flexible, proactive, problem solver, team player, trustworthy, and willing to accommodate for difficult and unexpected situations
• Respects rituals and customs, associated with the transition from life to death, including mourning rituals
• Fully understands home hospice care and end of life care, context, challengers and the diverse settings it exists in.
• Recognizes and upholds human rights and the four basic moral principles of medical practice (namely autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice)

Communication skills:
Excellent communication skills, empathy and compassion.
Open minded, non judgmental, respectful of others and their beliefs

Technical/Computer skills:
Knowledge of basic computer software such as word and excel