Mental Health Activity Manager (m/f/x) in Kyiv Project, Ukraine

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international humanitarian aid organization that provides assistance in more than 60 countries to populations in distress, to victims of natural or manmade disasters and to victims of armed conflicts, without discrimination and irrespective of origin, religion, creed or political affiliation.

MSF Operational Centre Brussels is looking for a:

Mental Health Activity Manager (m/f/x) in Kyiv Project, Ukraine

CONTEXT

MSF Belgium has currently 5 projects in Ukraine in different zones of the country:

Lviv

MSF manages a medical evacuation Intensive Care Unit (ICU) train that can take patients from overburdened hospitals close to active warzones to hospitals with more capacity that are further from active warzones.

Kyiv

In Hostomel and other areas on the outskirts of Kyiv, MSF provides mental health and psychosocial support to Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and people returning from captivity.

Kryvyi Rih

In the broader Kryvyi Rih area, MSF manages mobile clinics providing basic healthcare, including sexual and reproductive health. In Apostolove hospital, MSF supports the emergency room for mass casualty response capacity and provides an ambulance referral service from Apostolove, which transfers patients from hospitals near the frontlines to health facilities further away.

In Kerson region, in the new liberated villages MSF carries out mobile clinics with primary health care and mental health component.

Zhytomyr

In Zhytomyr, MSF provides social support (food parcels and hygiene kits) and psychological support to all active Tuberculosis (TB) patients. MSF also continues to support the regional TB Hospital by providing them with TB medications and other drugs as well as laboratory consumables.

East

MSF works with hospitals and primary health centers close to the frontline in Donetsk region to make sure that they have enough of the right supplies and training to be able to keep treating patients, even if they get cut off from supply lines due to intense fighting.

Since early August, Kostiantynivka hospital has been receiving support to rehabilitate its emergency room and operation theatre (OT) with regular presence of an MSF surgical team.

MSF also manages an ambulance referral service from Kostiantynivka and Pokrovsk, which transfers patients from 11 hospitals near the frontlines to health facilities further away.

Finally, there are also external MSF activities in newly liberated areas with mobile clinics for primary health care and psychological support.

MAIN OBJECTIVES

Defining, coordinating and monitoring all mental health related activities in the Kyiv project area in order to ensure the quality of care and provide the most appropriate support for patients.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• In close collaboration with Project Medical Referent (PMR), identifies the needs of mental health (MH) support in the target population and participates in the definition, planning, organization and update of the appropriate MSF strategy and the MH activities and its budget. Monitoring and evaluating MH support activities.
• Reviews and develops the technical materials, tools, guidelines and documents, and coordinating and ensuring the implementation of all MH standard protocols and procedures set by MSF; provides technical support to the MH teams
• Plans and supervises, in close coordination with the HR department, the associated processes (recruitment, training/induction, briefing/debriefing, evaluation, potential detection, development and internal communication) of the MH staff under his/her responsibility, and in the project with MH component, in order to ensure both the sizing and the amount of knowledge required.
• Coordinates and ensures the quality of care in MH activities (in and outside health facilities), in order to provide the most appropriate treatment for clients with psychosocial problems.
• Ensures that the MH team is calm and neutral during sessions regardless of personal feelings and/or beliefs and that the translators are trained about terminology and appropriate behavior during sessions.
• Maps and regularly updates the existing MH services, including those of other INGOs, local NGOs, community groups and governmental health services etc.; maintains good and regular communication as well as collaboration with other components of the project. Identifies possible advocacy matters and informs Medical Coordinator and Project Coordinator before taking any action. (note: advocacy is not under the MHAM’s accountabilities)
• Supports the projects in monthly reporting according to guidelines (SitRep, statistical report, etc.) and reports problematic situations and cases with the Medical Coordinator to help with decision making and problem resolution.
• Ensures that psychiatric patients coming to MSF facilities receive psychosocial support either within an MSF program or through referral to an appropriate resource.

REQUIREMENTS

Education:

• Degree/master’s in psychology or clinical social work or MD degree with specialization in psychiatry

Experience:

• Essential working experience of at least three years as clinical psychologist or other similar profession
• Desirable working experience with MSF or other NGOs in MH project

Competencies:

• Strong capacity in management of team, communication and planification of work.
• Fluency in English

CONDITIONS

• Expected starting date: 15/02/2023
• Type of contract: 6-month fixed term contract
• Location: based in Kyiv, Ukraine
• Salary according to MSF-OCB Field salary scale
• No family position
• Adhere to the MSF principles and to our managerial values: Respect, Transparency, Integrity, Accountability, Trust and Empowerment
• Adhere to the MSF Behavioral Commitments