Clinical Psychologist

UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES IN THE NEAR EAST – UNRWA   UNRWA is the United Nations agency responsible for the protection, care and human development of a population of some 4.6 million Palestine refugees living in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and the Syrian Arab Republic. The Agency is committed to assisting Palestine refugees in maintaining a decent standard of living, acquiring appropriate knowledge and skills, enjoying the fullest possible extent of human rights, and leading a long and healthy life. UNRWA is by far the largest UN operation in the Middle East with over 29,000 staff. Most of the staff members are refugees themselves, working directly to benefit their communities – as teachers, doctors, nurses or social workers. Clinical Psychologist   Location All areas (Beqa’a Area – Central Lebanon area – North Lebanon area – Saida area – Tyre area) Type of Appointment Contractor  (6 posts) Deadline for Application 31 March 2014 Vacancy Announcement Number 980/2014 Department/Division Health Department    BACKGROUND The incumbent of this post will be assigned to work in UNRWA’s health centers and is responsible of providing mental health consultations to the patients in the location where he/she is assigned   MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES In accordance with established Agency policy and procedures, the incumbent: (A)     Conducts psychological health consultations within UNRWA health centres; provides guidance and counseling to individuals and groups and conducts home visits, as appropriate; provides guidance and counseling to families and/or caretakers of children with disabilities; (B)     Serves as the first point of contact for patients and possibly refers patients to psychiatrists, depending on individual need; (C)     In collaboration with Social Workers and UNRWA schools, provides support and  counseling for children and youth with disabilities; (D)     Support and supervise the PHC on the implementation of the mhGAP training; (E)     Report to the senior mental health advisor with whom coordination and meetings will take place to ensure the harmony of the work in different areas; (F)      Maintains a database of counseled patients, and manages reporting as requested by the Project Manager; (G)     Supports and participates in research activities pertaining to Palestinian patients as seen fit by the Project Manager and Field Family Health Officer; (H)     Provides guidance and counseling to families and/or caretakers of children with disabilities; (I)        Develops and conducts activities as part of a community-based health campaign which aims to raise awareness regarding mental health and UNRWA’s newly offered services; (J)       Participates in the development and distribution of awareness raising materials; (K)     Coordinates work with NGOs as needed for the health campaign, or for specialized referrals; (L)      Performs such other duties as may be assigned.   PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES (A)   Academic and Professional A university degree in clinical psychology.   (B)   Experience i)      At least two years of professional experience in psychosocial counseling; ii)     Previous work experience in mental health of Refugees is desirable.   (C)   Language        Good command of written and spoken English and Arabic.   (D)   Skills and Competencies i)      Basic computer skills. ii)     Ability to work under pressure. iii)   Excellent counseling skills and ability to work with female and male children, adolescents, adults and elderly. iv)    Being up-to-date with the Psychology and Psychiatry literature v)     Excellent counselling skills and ability to work with female and male children, adolescents, adults and elderly; vi)    Good knowledge of animation techniques with children; vii)  Creativity and ability to take initiatives; viii) Ability to perform activities such as drawing, painting, music and dancing; ix)   Ability to support in the development of community-appropriate health messages. x)    Maintains a professional and approachable attitude towards patients, respecting their confidentiality;.   CONDITIONS OF SERVICE Salary: Monthly salary (full package) USD $1,944.- Contract Duration: to fill six posts for all Lebanon for one year extendable subject to availability of Funds. The incumbent will be working on a part time basis where s/he will cover 18 hours of work. Each incumbent should be willing to have a rotational schedule in the different clinics of the agency’s area that s/he will be assigned to.   EQUIVALENCY Candidates with an equivalent combination of relevant academic qualifications, professional training and progressive work experience may also be considered.   GENERAL INFORMATION UNRWA is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications equally from men and women. It is Agency Policy to give full consideration to qualified disabled candidates whose disability does not impact their ability to perform the duties and responsibilities of the post. Priority will be given to fully qualify registered Palestinian refugees. Prior to the commencement of services, the consultant shall confirm and acknowledge in writing, and provide proof of the existence of, self-procured adequate private insurance against medical, disability and accident for the duration of the contract. As a member of the United Nations system, UNRWA maintains a close relatives’ policy.  In this regard, if a candidate has a close relative (mother, father, brother, sister, son or daughter) who is already employed by the Agency, he/she can only be employed if the Agency is unable to find another suitable candidate.   UNRWA staff members with fixed term appointments may not be considered for any consultant/contractor position while in service. Candidates who are no longer employed by the Agency must have a minimum of 3 months break in service before they apply to any consultant/contract positions.   UNRWA is a United Nations organization whose staff are expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity, neutrality and impartiality. This includes respect for human rights, for diversity, and for non-violent means of dealing with all kinds of conflict. UNRWA staffs are expected to uphold these values at all times, both at work and outside. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for UNRWA jobs. UNRWA is a non-smoking working environment. الأونروا هي منظمة تابعة للأمم المتحدة، وهي منظمة تفترض من موظفيها الالتزام بأعلى معايير الاستقامة والحياد والنزاهة. ويشمل ذلك احترام مبادئ حقوق الإنسان واحترام التنوع وتبني الوسائل غير العنيفة في حل كافة أشكال النزاعات.  المتوقع من موظفي الأونروا أن يقوموا بدعم هذه القيم في كافة الأوقات، سواء في أماكن العمل أم خارجه. إن أولئك الأشخاص الذين يتمتعون بالالتزام الكامل وغير المشروط بهذه القيم هم فقط الذين ينبغي أن يتقدموا بطلباتهم للعمل لدى الأونروا. الأنروا هي بيئه عمل لا يسمح فيها بالتدخين.   As an Area post, preference will be given to local candidates already based in the duty station of the post.   TECHNICAL & PRACTICAL TESTS REQUIRED: Short-listed candidates will sit for one test: Written technical test (100%).   The top 20 scoring candidates in the written technical test given that none have scored less than 50%; will be invited for an interview.    HOW TO APPLY If you have the skills and experience required above, and want to make an active and lasting contribution to improving the lives of Palestine refugees, then register on http://jobs.unrwa.org by creating a personal profile and completing the UNRWA Personal History Form; it is the responsibility of the candidates (internal and external) to make sure that their Personal History Form is duly completed with the needed information before they apply as amendments to the Form will not be accepted after the deadline of the vacancy announcement. Only applications received through this website will be considered and the system will not allow applications after the deadline. Please note that UNRWA only accepts degrees from accredited educational institutions. Candidates may also be invited to take a technical exam in order further evaluate their qualifications for the post. Due to a high volume of applications received, only short-listed applicants will be contacted –“سيتم الإتصال فقط بالأشخاص الذين تنطبق عليهم متطلبات الوظيفة”. The United Nations does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. The United Nations does not concern itself with information on bank accounts. For any queries please send an email to: recruitmentquestions@unrwa.org. Please apply as requested above, do not send your CV To this email address, all cvs sent to this email address will be automatically ignored. يرجى تقديم الطلبات حسب التعليمات اعلاها وعدم ارسال السيرة الذاتية الى هذا البريد الالكتروني, سيتم تجاهل السير الذاتية التي ترسل الى هذا العنوان تلقائيا. or contact the recruitment unit on 009611840490.   Date of issue: 18 March 2014