Mental Health and Resilience Advisor – USAID Ukraine (Mid-Level)

About Us

International Business & Technical Consultants, Inc. (IBTCI), a U.S. based international development consulting company established in 1987, has worked in over 100 countries and implemented over 300 projects. IBTCI serves government agencies, private sector companies, and several donor agencies. IBTCI specializes in monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (MERL) and institutional support across many areas and sectors including, but not limited to, conflict and crisis, democracy and governance, agriculture, economic growth, food security, education, environment, and global health.

Job Title: Mental Health and Resilience Advisor – USAID Ukraine (Mid-Level)

Department/Location: USAID Ukraine / Ukraine or remote with 50% travel in Ukraine and/or Poland

Reports To: ISPI Project Manager

Type: Regular Full-Time (1 year with a possible further 1 year extension)

Classification: Exempt

Clearance Required: Facilities Access (applied for on engagement)

Position Summary:

The Senior Technical Advisor to the Office of Health (OH) is needed for a period of 12 months (with possibility for extension to 24 months), to provide technical and strategic support, coordination, and management support for programming related to mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) and rehabilitation for people impacted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Office of Health is operating with limited staffing while adapting implementing partner work plans and agreements to program supplemental funding of approximately $100 million to respond to the growing health needs due to the war. The OH team includes an FS-01 Director, an FS- 02 Deputy Director, two US-PSCs, ten FSN technical specialists (including one vacancy), and multiple part- time TDYers on virtual detail from USAID/Washington supporting mission activities. The team will grow by approximately 4-5 positions in the coming months in response to manage an increased workload.

USAID programs are rapidly expanding in response to the growing need for rehabilitation and mental health services in Ukraine. USAID is pivoting ongoing programs and programming new assistance fundsto rapidly scale access services, while building systems and institutional capacity for sustainable development. USAID support for mental health has grown from approximately $1-1.5 million annually, to over $36 million in new funding committed since February 2022 across multiple mission programs and offices, including the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance. The oversight, coordination, monitoring, and management of these activities to ensure technical quality, accountability and results requires additional technical expertise and programmatic management support.

Prior to the conflict launched by Russia in eastern Ukraine in 2014, the provision of mental health services in Ukraine was mostly limited to clinics and hospitals, and there was considerable stigma around accessing these services. The standard of care for psychiatric disorders was inpatient hospitalization with a focus on medicating the patients. There was also a lack of differentiation of mental disorders, leading those with conditions like depression or anxiety, fearful of being labeled, stigmatized or institutionalized if they seek care. In response to the Donbas conflict, humanitarian actors have supported a range of MPHSS programming, and in 2015-16, USAID initiated a pilot and randomized controlled trial of mental health treatment for veterans using the peer-based Common Elements Treatment Approach, a non-medicalized treatment intervention that proved effective in addressing mental health conditions among veterans and supported their reintegration into civilian life. However, non-medicalized and community-based, accessible mental health services remained limited in Ukraine prior to the invasion. Given the broad scope of mental health issues due to the full-scale war launched by Russia in 2022, support for MHPSS programming has dramatically increased, providing an opportunity to overhaul and strengthen Ukraine’s national model for mental health, and to increase the availability of non-medicalized treatment and outpatient care down to the community level.

Due to the ongoing war resulting in suffering of the Ukrainian population, in April 2022 the First Lady of Ukraine launched the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Initiative to provide accessible MHPSS, which aims to reach 15 million Ukrainians to prevent the development of serious mental health disorders. USAID along with the World Health Organization (WHO), Swiss, World Bank, and other donors and international organizations are contributing to the implementation of this initiative through ongoing and planned programming. Leadership of this initiative is led by an Inter-ministerial Council of the Government of Ukraine.

In addition to mental health, USAID is increasing its support for physical rehabilitation programming to meet urgent needs due to war-related injuries, improving prosthetic and orthotic (P&O) services, providing access to assistive technologies (ATs) and training current rehabilitation providers. It is critical that rehabilitation services and ATs are locally available so that AT products can be maintained properly, and new products can be selected and fit as a child grows or an individual’s needs evolve. The current focus is to integrate these services into medical facilities that are primarily located in urban centers with a goal to expand access to Ukrainians most in need of rehabilitation services. USAID committed $6.7 million in new funding to rehabilitation services in 2022 and expects to continue to grow this assistance in 2023.

Objective of the Position:

The Senior Technical Advisor-Health Mental Health & Resilience for USAID/Ukraine’s Office of Health will support office management in responding to significant challenges in the rapidly evolving operating environment arising from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The position will provide technical and strategic guidance, coordination, and program management and monitoring support to USAID/Ukraine in
the area of MHPSS, and related areas such as rehabilitation programs. They will also support communication and coordination of MHPSS and rehabilitation activities across other Mission technical offices, and in collaboration with Agency mental health technical advisors in the Development, Democracy and Innovation (DDI) Bureau in USAID/Washington. Additionally, they, in collaboration with the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance and other USAID/Ukraine programs, will assist with the
development, scale-up, and management of MHPSS and rehabilitation programming supported by USAID in Ukraine. They will also support ongoing programming and deepen collaboration with MHPSS and related activities and partners in the Office of Democratic Governance, the Program Office and other Mission offices on building greater resilience in communities impacted by the conflict.

Responsibilities

Essential Duties/Tasks and Responsibilities:

The position will serve as a Senior Technical Advisor – Mental Health and Resilience to USAID/Ukraine, based in the Office of Health (OH), to assist with strategic planning, activity design and management, operations, and procurement, in support of the Mission’s health portfolio in Ukraine with a focus on MHPSS and rehabilitation programs. They will work most closely and collaboratively with the FSN OH mental health and rehabilitation lead, but work across Mission offices and USAID operating units to support coordination and integration of MHPSS and rehabilitation programs supported by USAID in Ukraine to ensure technical quality, provide oversight and technical support to mission staff and partners, and support monitoring, reporting and communications.

• Analyze MHPSS and rehabilitation sector developments in Ukraine and develop and maintain relationships with major stakeholders and international organizations working in the sector.
• Provide technical and strategic guidance to the OH in the areas of MHPSS and rehabilitation. This could include development of strategies and packages for new activity designs to guide future programming and expansion with supplemental funding.
• Enhance coordination and cooperation with and among international organizations and implementing partners engaging in MHPSS and rehabilitation programs in Ukraine, and with existing coordination structures like the Health Cluster, MHPSS technical working group, and GOU-led coordination under the First Lady’s Initiative.
• Track MHPSS and rehabilitation activities by the Ukrainian government and major international and non-governmental organizations with respect to MHPSS and rehabilitation programs, policy, and laws and inform USAID technical office staff and IPs as appropriate.
• Provide technical support to Agreement and Contracting Officer Representatives (A/CORs) to enhance activity implementation of MHPSS and rehabilitation programs and ensure USAID’s investment strategy and activities achieve results.
• Provide technical and program management and oversight support to mission staff and program managers in OH and other Mission offices whose activities are supporting MHPSS interventions, including for working through work plans and agreement modifications to increase access to MHPSS and rehabilitation services and ensure USAID programming is aligned with global best practices.
• Liaise with USAID/Washington and USAID’s Agency Mental Health Coordinator to develop strategic and technical guidance for Mission staff and partners related to MHPSS programs.
• Adapt technical and strategic priorities for programming shifts to address rapidly changing needs and to ensure continuation of programming for health system resilience and recovery, particularly increased access to MHPSS and rehabilitation services in war-affected areas where there are no hostilities.
• Support development, tracking and reporting of performance indicators for MHPSS and rehabilitation programs. Work with the health office M&E staff to help systematize plans for improved monitoring, including for routine data quality assessments (DQAs), program performance monitoring, and supporting program quality.
• Prepare reports and briefing materials on MHPSS and rehabilitation programs funded by USAID for a wide range of internal and external audiences, working with USAID and partner communications teams.
• Support field visits for monitoring and oversight of newly designed activities, and for purposes of high-level visitors.
• Serve as a key OH resource for humanitarian to development transition related to MHPSS, rehabilitation and social services to optimize and position USAID’s support for Ukraine’s recovery.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements:

• Master’s Degree in psychology, social work, counseling, mental health, or relevant fields.
• At least 6 years of relevant experience, Bachelor’s with 8 years or experience, Associate’s with 10 years, and High School with 12 years of relevant experience with MPHSS programs or relevant fields in developing countries.
• Experience in global mental health or psychosocial support, or relevant fields.
• Demonstrated interest in international development as well as in inclusive development, social justice, and engagement with marginalized and underrepresented groups.
• Experience leading the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of large, complex strategic initiatives is strongly desired.
• Prior international experience working with USAID or other donor-funded programs is crucial, including strategic planning, resource management, and monitoring & evaluation.
• Familiarity with physical rehabilitation programming is a plus.
• Communication and coordination skills and demonstrated ability to facilitate the success of working groups and collaborations between individuals and organizations.
• Skills in data collection and interpreting research to inform and impact decisions and policymaking.
• Demonstrated ability to respond quickly to ad hoc requests for information and to adhere to tight deadlines.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a USAID Facility Access Clearance (FAC).
• Ability and willingness to be mobile and agile at a moment’s notice in case of an emergency required.
• Ability and willingness to work for extended periods in insecure and diverse environments.
• Ability and willingness to safely enter and exit a larger, armored SUV vehicle that is several feet off the ground without assistance, while wearing body armor and/or a heavy flak jacket.
• In case of an emergency situation, must be able and willing to “duck and seek cover”, which may require the individual to exit the vehicle, unaided, and hurriedly seek shelter elsewhere, as needed, in the event of a roadside emergency.

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree. Master’s degree is highly preferred.

COVID Vaccine status: As a condition of employment, IBTCI requires all new employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Candidates should be prepared to submit proof of COVID-19 vaccination upon hire or request for an accommodation with HR that is consistent with our COVID-19 safety protocols and policies.

Physical Requirements: This is largely a sedentary position that requires the ability to speak, hear, see, and lift small objects up to 20 lbs.

Supervisory Responsibility: This position does not have supervisory responsibilities.

Travel: International travel is required and may include travel to fragile and/or conflict-prone zones.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

About the Organization:

IBTCI has been in business since 1987. We specialize in Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL), Institutional Support (IS), Financial & Risk Management (FRM), Supply Chain Management & Procurement (SCMP); Social & Behavior Change (SBC) and Capacity Building. We provide these services across many sectors including, but not limited to, agriculture, resilience & food security, conflict & crisis, democracy & governance, economic growth & trade, education & human capacity development, energy & infrastructure, environment & climate change, global health & WASH and humanitarian and disaster assistance. At IBTCI, our colleagues are encouraged to collaborate and be part of the solution while getting the tools and guidance needed to grow and support our clients’ missions.

IBTCI is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity for all persons without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identification, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, disabled veteran or Vietnam-era veteran, or any other classification protected by applicable anti-discrimination laws. We prohibit and do not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment. VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

If you are an applicant with a disability that requires a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process or are limited in the ability, or unable to use the online application system and need an alternative method for applying, you may contact the Talent Acquisition team at [email protected] (Do not send your resume to this account, for consideration please apply in our career page, https://careers.ibtci.com/jobs).