(Short-Term) Psychotherapist/Trainer

This is an immediate hire, short-term employment opportunity with the Center for Victims of Torture in Iraq (CVT Iraq), with possibility for extension. Over a five-month period, the Psychotherapist/Trainer will lead efforts to strengthen specialized trauma rehabilitation services to benefit Iraqi survivors of torture, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and other violations. To accomplish this, the Trainer will work as part of an interdisciplinary team overseeing psychotherapy interventions, including individual and group services with adults and children who are survivors of torture and war trauma. This position will also provide supervision, coaching and training to a team of psychosocial counselors and ensure high quality interdisciplinary care through collaboration with physiotherapy, social work and outreach staff. The Psychotherapist/Trainer provides education and support to help other organizations better meet the needs of torture and war trauma survivors.

Location: Erbil, KRI-Iraq

Duration: Six-month agreement, with possibility for extension

Post status: May be accompanied

Start date: ASAP (ideal start date by or before April 30, 2022)

About CVT: The Center for Victims of Torture works toward a future in which torture ceases to exist and its victims have hope for a new life. We are an international nonprofit dedicated to healing survivors of torture. We offer rehabilitation services to those who have been tortured, train partners around the world who can prevent and treat torture, and advocate for human rights and an end to torture. We are headquartered in Minnesota, and we have US offices in Atlanta and DC, as well as offices in Africa and the Middle East.

Responsibilities:

• Clinical Supervision: Provide individual and group clinical supervision to local mental health providers that includes case discussions, live supervision, co-therapy, coaching and mentoring and supervision of supervisors, with emphasis on self-care components. Assist in developing supervision systems. Strengthen interdisciplinary clinical practices and protocols. Model assessment and treatment methods, lead case consultations, conduct observations and debriefings, and review documentation. Meet regularly with individual psychosocial counselors and as a team to provide training and supervision to further clinical development, monitor progress and caseloads, provide staff support and promote self-care.
• Clinical Program Management: Assist in the day-to-day operations of the program to ensure program objectives are met. Promote collaboration between clinical and administrative teams to ensure high quality interdisciplinary care to clients. Ensure the quality of the mental health team activities.
• Clinical Training: Design and deliver short-term training programs for psychosocial counselors and the wider interdisciplinary team. Assess development needs of psychosocial counselors and senior mental health clinicians, adapt training and coaching accordingly, and adjust individual professional development plans.
• Clinical Program Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E): Collaborate closely with CVT and partner staff to fulfill the project’s monitoring and evaluation commitments. Prepare and submit reports documenting clinical and training activities and progress achieved toward program objectives. Provide input and feedback for grant reports and proposals.
• Staff Support: Assess the staff support needs of CVT and project partners’ teams serving survivors of torture and gross human rights violations. Develop and deliver trainings to address these needs.
• Program Development and Evaluation: Participate in the design of and implementation of new programs as well as program evaluation.
• Community Collaboration and Capacity-Building: Assess skill sets, systems and methods of mental health service delivery at partner centers. Provide training and coordination with other organizations to better address the needs of torture and war survivors. Carry out need assessments in local communities to determine appropriate psychotherapy interventions for people who have been tortured and/or traumatized by war. Identify potential partners, target populations, appropriate program intervention models and program sites.
• Other Duties: Participate in other program and organization-wide activities, meetings and trainings. Complete administrative responsibilities. Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Required education, experience, certificates, licenses, or registrations

• Masters degree or equivalent degree in clinical or counseling psychology or related field.
• At least 4 years of experience providing psychotherapy to children, adults, and families and individual and group counseling.
• Experience providing supervision and training to mental health counselors or equivalent positions.
• Experience working with diverse cultural groups.

Preferred education, experience, certificates, licenses, or registrations

• Doctorate or equivalent advanced degree in clinical or counseling psychology or related field.
• 7 years of experience providing psychotherapy to children, adults, and families and individual and group counseling.

Competences (knowledge, skills, and abilities)

• Fluency in English.
• Proficiency in Arabic, Kurdish (Sorani) and/or other relevant local or regional languages preferred but not required.
• Experience implementing culturally appropriate mental health interventions, including individual, group and community-based approaches for people who have suffered torture, trauma, and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
• Experience working with locally-run NGO partner organizations operating in low-resource and/or post-conflict settings.
• Experience implementing culturally appropriate mental health interventions, including individual, group and community-based approaches for people – particularly minorities – who have suffered torture, trauma, and historical persecution.
• Experience developing curricula and providing training for mental health counselors on counseling approaches, sensitization on the effects of trauma and war, and designing interventions.
• Experience developing manuals and other written materials for capacity building.
• Experience supporting organizational staff to maintain personal and professional well-being and to manage job stress and vicarious trauma.
• Awareness and sensitivity to cultural, political, social and economic contextual factors.
• Skilled at working as a member of an interdisciplinary team.
• Experience working in a cross-cultural humanitarian context, preferably in the Middle East
• Demonstrated flexibility to adapt to changing program requirements, client needs, and political climate
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office suite (Outlook, Word and Excel)
• Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communications skills
• Experience resolving differences in a respectful, inclusive, and collaborative manner, and willingness to understand others’ perspectives
• Excellent skills in organization, attention to detail and time management.
• Experience working with interpreters
• Ability to ride by car on difficult roads for up to 3 hours per day
• Interest in or commitment to human rights