Alight
Mental Health Facilitator
January 4th, 2023 – October 25th, 2023
Temporary, part-time | Schedule: Wednesdays 11 am – 1 pm
Location: Bloomington, MN
Must have reliable transportation and be local to the Twin Cities Metro.
Hello Hello! So you’re interested in joining us? Welcome, we’re happy you’re here.
When you Join Alight, you’ll find…
A team with deep experience in co-designing solutions that create new value around the world. We know we need to always be better, and we believe in the power and abundance of everyday people, everywhere, to change the world with us.
A culture of radical accountability to our customers –as we help build a meaningful life for and with the displaced, we ask them what they want and then deliver on it.
An organization that refuses to settle for anything less than delivering human-worthy services.
If you are looking to be part of a living, breathing, ever-changing organization full of disrupters and doers, then read on!
We are proud to work on borderless teams. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds and specifically encourage members of refugee, immigrant, or other displaced communities to join us.
The Team
Hundreds of Afghan families who evacuated from Afghanistan arrived to their new home in Minnesota. Alongside Minnesota neighbors, Alight has welcomed our new community in a dignified and human centered way.
You will join the Welcome Home team consisting of an Afghan Program Lead, Afghan Community Guides, and Logistics Officer as the core team. Behind you, you’ll be supported by the Alight U.S. team providing back-office support to achieve project goals.
Read more about our Welcome Home initiative here: Link to Landing Page
The Role
First and foremost, you are driven by a desire to support and accompany refugees in their journey. As the Mental Health Facilitator, you will work on this project to seek to engage and add value to the Afghan Community. You set the tone for our customers, volunteers, and partners. You will help make Alight’s values felt and experienced.
Based in Minneapolis, you will be guided by and receive support from the Welcome Home team.
You will be part of Alight’s Sewing Social – providing education tools and support to newly arrived Afghan women. Alight’s sewing instructor will work with the group on creating sewing projects and allowing a space to build friendships with peers. You and another mental health facilitator will work with the sewing instructor and Afghan Program Lead on building a program that creates a safe and confidential space for the women to seek mental health support and resources. Mental Health Facilitators are responsible for providing psycho-social support to our sewing social participants through individual and group counseling using trauma informed care and cognitive behavior techniques. The Facilitators will provide a safe environment for Afghans to speak about challenges encountered in Afghanistan, the journey to USA, and their new lives in Minnesota. They will also provide support to Alight staff who experience secondary trauma.
Under the guidance and direction of the Afghan Program Lead and Welcome Home team, the Mental Health Facilitator will:
Mental Health Facilitator Responsibilities:
- Attend weekly sewing socials on Wednesdays from 11 am – 1 pm
- Maintains a comfortable and safe environment where Afghan women can participate in psychosocial activities and receive appropriate support
- Prepares and facilitates MHPSS sessions and discussion for Afghan women, through a participatory approach, tailored to their needs, and cultural diversities
- Provision of psychosocial support to Afghan women in coordination with the Afghan Program Lead
- Identifies MHPSS and other support needs and refers them to respective colleagues or/and other service providers
- Carries out awareness raising sessions focusing on MHPSS and other topics requested by the participants.
- Other group activities may include informal trainings, counselling, discussions, information-sharing, etc.
- Collaborate with team to develop, implement, and champion a self-care program for staff
- Use cultural knowledge to ensure the cultural appropriateness of all interventions
- Ensure that all work with clients is confidential and ethical practices are always observed
- Ensure all staff adhering to Alight’s PSEA policies and procedures
- Ensure the quality of all services related to the sewing social meets the required standards and Alight brand promise
Qualifications
We’re looking for the following education, technical skills, & knowledge:
- Oral and written fluency in English and Dari and/or Pashto preferred.
- Experience with newly displaced communities and Afghans preferred.
- Knowledge and experience with PSS (Psychosocial Support) programming and conducting group learning and/or counseling sessions
- Advanced degree in social work, therapy, counseling, psychology, community psychology, education and/or any other mental health related profession
- Demonstrates deep knowledge of the current conflict in Afghanistan and the psycho-social effects
- Excellent listening, empathy, and facilitation skills.
- Excellent report writing and analytical skills.
- Proven record of nonviolence.
Key Behaviors & Abilities
- Commitment to personally champion Alight’s program mission and inspire others to do the same.
- Outstanding verbal and interpersonal skills
- Ability to communicate cross-culturally and relate to a broad range of people with varying language levels
- Analytical thinking and attention to detail.
- Dedication to highest degree of confidentiality.
- Diplomatic skills and strong ability to resolve conflicts to build relationships with diverse stakeholders.
- Strong organization and planning skills
- Solution, service, and support-oriented work ethic with a willingness to guide staff towards exploring options and solutions while assuring confidentiality.
- Human-centered, empathetic, and a good listener
- Reliable transportation and ability to drive to project site
*Proof of Covid vaccination is required for this position
Benefits
Borderless Team of 2,500 staff worldwide that sees possibility, celebrates moments of abundance, shares new ideas, and strives to do a better thing every day.
Learning & Development – Access thousands of free online learning courses to take at your own pace and tailor to your professional goals.
Alight
We are on a journey to build Alight, a new platform of amazing people and organizations providing lifesaving services and creating breakthrough solutions for and with the displaced. WeAreAlight.org
Alight is an Equal Opportunity Employer offering employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, citizenship, physical or mental disability, or protected veteran status. Alight complies with all applicable laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.