Psychosocial Worker

Reporting to: Disability and Vulnerabiliyt 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, in close collaboration of the pluridisciplinary DVFP team (social workers, psychosocial workers, physiotherapists), and with the support of the mental health and psychosocial support expert, you will have to :    Identifying and assessing specific needs on psychosocial and psychological issues of the programme beneficiaries Providing direct psychosocial support and refering internally and externally as needed, respecting confidentiality and the right of the beneficiary In specific cases, and if the beneficiary agrees, providing mediation and conflict resolution Implementing specific psycho-social group activities, adapted and appropriate to each one’s specific needs and capacities Reporting datas, following-up cases and organizing the daily and weekly activities Participating in the analysis and reporting of global issues in the refugee population, with a focus on psychosocial and psychological issues   Your tasks will include (amongst others):     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:   Work as mobile/outreach team to identify, register and analyse beneficiaries specifics needs (disabilities and vulnerabilities) In a close mobile work team system, with technical advices and support from the mental health and psychosocial support expert , assess psychological 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   Answer to the identified needs, by providing direct psychosocial/psychological support and refer internally and externally as needed, respecting confidentiality and the right of the beneficiary   With the support and advices of the mental health expert, provide psychosocial support at the individual and 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   In specific cases, and if the beneficiary agrees, do mediation and conflict resolution   In link with the mental health expert and the social workers, participate to mediation between beneficiaries and families or between families and other structures Ensure a neutral and respectful position within mediation and in regard of HI mandates   Conduct specific psycho-social group activities, adapted and appropriate to each one’s specific needs and capacities   Conduct discussion group, focus group with individuals, families, hosting communities (...) Organize and implement innovative community-based psycho-social activities 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   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 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   Participate in the analysis and reporting of global issues in the vulnerable population, with a focus on psychosocial and psychological issues   In formal and informal meetings with the team, participate to a qualitative analysis of the different kinds of issues, at individual, familial and community level Participate to report with the tools and the internal system all issues identified Be part of a constructive holistic team work to develop a very qualitative analysis and response for disable and vulnerable persons     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