Mission Mental Health Activity Manager (m/f/x) in 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:

Mission Mental Health Activity Manager (m/f/x) in 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 OBJECTIVE

The Mission Mental Health Activity Manager ensures the proper functioning and coordination of the mental health activities in the mission by providing support to the Mental Health Activity Managers (MHAM) in projects to deliver quality medical care for patients and their communities and to improve the health condition of the population.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Coordinates, monitors and evaluates the proper functioning of the mental health activity at mission level according to MSF protocols, standards and procedures, ensuring the implementation of the activity (education and counseling sessions, defaulter tracing, strengthening of support groups, linking with social actors, community awareness activities, etc.)
• Participates in defining strategies, protocols and activities of the mission and the projects for his/her activity by assessing mission needs according to the changing medical needs and context (including definition of log frame and budget) and developing tools (e.g. training materials, counseling and education protocols, flyers, flipcharts, games)
• Monitors and evaluates the activity at mission level by defining indicators, follows up tools and designs contingency plans in collaboration with the MHAMs in projects (if required)
• Functionally supervises the MHAMs in projects and provides technical support through regular project visits. Ensuring consistency and promotes cross-learning among the projects
• Participates in close collaboration with the HR Department and with MHAMs, in the associated HR processes for staff involved in his/her activity (recruitment, training/induction, evaluation, detection of potential, development and internal communication) in order to ensure having the appropriate team in terms of size, capabilities and skills
• Supports the Head of Mission (HoM) and Medical Coordinator (MedCo) in representing MSF towards the Ministry of Health and other national as well as international partners for any matter concerning the area of responsibility such as national roll-out of area strategies and lobbying for adequate human resources
• Compiles and analyzes the data coming from the projects in order to contribute to the mission’s reporting.
• Documents lessons learned on activities and operational research in this field
• Provides technical support to teams and Project Medical Referents (PMR), in the absence of MHAMs in the projects, to ensure quality of care and implementation of medical strategies.
• Supports projects in analysing data and writing reports on mental health activities
• Participate with the Medical Coordination in coordinating, planning, strategizing the emotional support for local staff.
• Support the Medical Coordination in the identification and validation of external psychologist networks for the support of local staff.

REQUIREMENTS

Education:

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

Experience:

• Essential working experience of at least three years as psychologist or other similar profession
• Desirable working experience with MSF or other NGOs in mental health projects

Competencies:

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

CONDITIONS

• Expected starting date: 15/02/2023
• Type of contract: 6-month fixed term contract
• Location: based in Kyiv, Ukraine
• Mobility required with regular movements in 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 How to apply?