Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Officer (Psychologist)

DRC Poland is looking for qualified, enthusiastic, and professional Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Officers (Psychologist) to be part of our team in Przemysl. The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a leading protection agency with a mandate to promote and protect durable solutions to conflict and displacement-affected populations based on humanitarian principles and human rights. DRC is implementing a multi-sector response to support Ukraine refugees, IDPs, and host populations both within Ukraine and the neighboring countries of Poland, Romania and Moldova, and wider Europe.

Due to the ongoing conflict that began in February 2022, DRC opened offices in Poland, Moldova, and Romania to provide support to the displaced population in partnership with civil society organizations and national NGOs, duty bearers, and other actors. DRC continues to implement in these three countries through partnerships, technical assistance and capacity exchange, and direct implementation in some cases.

About the Job

Reporting to the Protection Team Leader and, under the technical guidance of the MHPSS Specialist, the MHPSS Officer will provide psychosocial support to clients in order to improve their mental health as part of the protection activities at the Blue Dots and mobile outreach in Przemyśl and supported shelters.

• Carry out the evaluation of mental health needs of clients and establish a diagnosis and a plan of treatment.
• Provide individual and group psychosocial counselling to the persons of concern.
• Assist and train staff members and resourceful people whenever necessary in order to enhance the scope of psychosocial activities.
• Ensure that all client information remains confidential.
• Participate in mobile outreach activities together with the Protection Officer and the Protection Assistants.
• Organize and facilitate regular focus groups discussions to strengthen community-based prevention and response.
• Actively engage in the provision of psychosocial support and skill building activities at the Blue Dots and through outreach activities.
• Support provision of individual protection assistance in line with DRC Standard Operating Procedures.
• Work closely with the MEAL team in carrying out client satisfactory surveys to measure the impact of the response services provided in addition to identifying the underlying gaps in the provision of the response services.
• Develop activity reports and collect monitoring data.
• Provide needs-based translation/interpretation support.
• Perform any other tasks/functions that may be required by the Protection Team Leader within the scope of responsibilities of the present JD and the department s/he belongs to (Programme department).

About You

To be successful in this position we expect you to have a minimum of 2 years of proven experience as a Psychologist, in particular working with people at heightened risk. Moreover, we also expect the following:

• Licensed Psychologist and/or Master´s Degree in Clinical Psychology (preferred).
• Demonstrated strong experience working with vulnerable clients, preferably including survivors of GBV and victims of child abuse.
• Understanding of official protection mechanisms and referral pathways.
• Familiarity with IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Setting.
• Ability to work in a multicultural context as a flexible and respectful team player.
• Problem-solving, analytical and writing skills, with the ability to produce reports for internal and external use.
• Fluency in Ukrainian; good command of English and Polish.

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’s five core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.
• Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.
• Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
• Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.
• Demonstrating integrity: You act in line with DRC’s vision and values

We Offer

Contract Type: National Contract

Contract length: until 31st December 2023, with the possibility of extension depending on the availability of funding.

Band: H

Base salary range: from 11995 to 15320 PLN gross per month, based on experience.

Number of positions: 2

Duty base: Przemysl

Start date: March 2023

We offer a competitive salary and benefits in accordance with the Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for National Staff.