MHPSS Officer

Under the guidance of the Child Protection Specialist, P4, and in cooperation with the MHPSS expert, the MHPSS specialist will provide technical support for the implementation of the MHPSS programme in Italy – making sure inter-sectoral approach across the Child Protection, Adolescent Development and GBV sections – through the sharing of information, identification of response gaps, and follow-up through relevant stakeholders.

The following are the key tasks: MHPSS Capacity Development in Italy

• Provides technical support to MHPSS-related activities implemented in Italy, ensuring consistency across the different sections of the programme (CP, GBV and ADAP) and alignment with UNICEF global and regional MHPSS strategies;
• Supports the MHPSS Programme to keep track and report progress against results framework, according with Italy Response workplan and commitments with donors;
• Supports ongoing and future efforts to document, monitor and evaluate MHPSS programmes, in coordination with relevant sections;
• Supports situation and needs monitoring efforts with regards to migrant and refugee children and caregivers, providing technical supports to mainstream MHPSS in the development or strengthening of tools, methodologies and analysis, including through field visits, to inform programmes and strategies;
• Supports Communication actions, including programme briefs, press releases, fact sheets and human-interest stories, in collaboration with colleagues from UNICEF Italy NatCom and Regional Office. Technical Support
• Strengthens capacity building and ongoing support for IPs to ensure their MHPSS capacity is strengthened and in line with UNICEF approach and standards;
• Provides Institutional counterparts and other partners at various levels on MHPSS with technical support to ensure its mainstreaming in the protection system for children on the move, women, and young migrants and refugees in line with UNICEF country priorities, as well as in the main policies regarding most disadvantaged children, in line with the EU Child Guarantee;
• Designs, develops, adapts programme material such as training package, advocacy notes and assessment tools as requested for health care and other relevant frontline practitioners (e.g. child protection, education, asylum service, etc.) from both public services and civil society organisations in charge of health care provision and/or referral, as well as caregivers such as parents, guardians or foster families;
• Designs, develops, adapts awareness raising material, such as leaflets, videos or on-line banners to increase health literacy and awareness among refugee and migrant children and their caregivers, to contribute to the national UNICEF Social and Behavioral Change strategy;
• Provide technical support to 2 MHPSS trainers to develop, test and consolidate different training package for frontline workers in presence and/or remote modality, in coordination with the MHPSS coordinator and the MHPSS project manager, in line with UNICEF framework and international standards. Coordination
• Coordinates with local level authorities – including Municipalities, Local Health Units (ASL/ASP) Local Ombudspersons – to advocate (and provide technical support when needed) for MHPSS to be available and accessible to vulnerable groups of children, with particular focus on migrant and refugee children and their caregivers;
• Provides support to coordinate with central Authorities such as the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Labour and Social Policies and Ministry of Education when MHPSS is concerned, to advocate and provide technical support when needed;
• Provides support to coordinate with the other UN Agencies, eventually representing UNICEF in thematic sub-groups. Results/expected outputs: As an active UNICEF team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to UNICEF and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including:
• Monthly report on the delivered activities, including bottlenecks, challenges and opportunities faced;
• Development of an internal national MHPSS strategy, in line with the global and regional ones; • Technical support regularly provided to IPs and institutional partners;
• Regular update of the main internal reports, including Humanitarian Actions Plans, with regards to MHPSS indicators and targets;
• Regular integration of MHPSS component in the needs assessment that will be conducted during the contract duration;
• 1 factsheet developed and quarterly updated on MHPSS programme;
• Technical support provided to the 2 MHPSS trainers, to ensure alignment of training package for different audience (1 for staff of reception facilities for migrant and refugee children, 1 for schoolteachers, 1 for mental health specialized staff);
• Technical support provided to ensure content of awareness rising material (including online) for adolescent migrants and refugees and their caregivers are appropriate, adolescent-friendly, gender and culture sensitive;
• Regular participation to relevant meetings and fora upon request;
• Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment;
• A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed.