As Mental Health Psychiatrist referent, you support the quality improvement of MSF-OCB projects by Providing technical and programmatic support throughout the whole project cycle (situation analysis, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, supporting the capture of lessons learned) when dealing with mental health components or psychosocial-related issues.
Reporting to the Medical Technical Manager based in Brussels, you achieve this by working within the MSF OCB Medical Department in close collaboration with headquarters, MHPSS colleagues, and all other stakeholders. The MHPSS team in OCB consists of two full-time advisor positions (a psychologist and a psychiatrist – this position). In addition, investment is underway in regional MH implementation support positions, which are under functional management of the MHPSS advisor team. Both advisors generally share the portfolio of countries among them but keep each other informed to facilitate back-up during absence. As psychiatrist, you will support – beyond your assigned countries/projects – also for specific psychiatry questions coming from the other countries/projects.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
Provide quality and timely support to colleagues, project and country staff concerning the implementation of MHPSS services throughout the entire project cycle, ensuring quality and continuity of care and supporting that activities are based on the best available evidence
Technical focus:
Respond to technical queries, discuss cases, provide feedback on context adaptation of protocols and other tools to support quality, continuity of care including the use of Telemedicine to ensure that MH activities are based on best available evidence
Provide strategic and technical advice on clinical management with a particular focus on complex cases and severe mental health conditions
Conduct site visits to enhance the quality of mental health and psychosocial interventions and enable prioritization and sustainability of MH activities (30%)
Ensure the technical briefing & debriefing of MH professionals, medical and project coordinators as well as the respective headquarter counterparts
Contribute to the staff development by:
Identifying training needs and facilitating access to remote learning, communities of practice and through trainings, webinars and workshops. This includes one-on-one sessions, joint meetings, and co-facilitation of internal trainings such as MHPSS, Survivors of Violence (including gender-based violence), Health Promotion trainings
Supporting and facilitating mhGAP (mental Health Gap Action Programme) and training to strengthen multi-disciplinary interventions that meet the needs of people with mental health conditions in Primary Health Care (PHC) and community-based health care
Supporting effective information knowledge management
Identifying needs and promotion of relevant external resources and training
Facilitating exchange at project and coordination level to support peer-learning
Support innovation and participate in the development of relevant operational research following the established framework and Support presentation and publication of operational research results
Stay updated on new developments and research in psychiatry and relevance for MSF settings
Strategic and programmatic focus:
Collaborate with the project and country medical and operational managers, headquarters and medical department referents to provide strategic guidance to projects. Participate in strategic meetings e.g., annual review of operations (ARO)
Provide expert advice regarding MHPSS components of the program: assessment, design, implementation, monitoring of MHPSS services within the project. This includes objectives, population target, and relevant activities
Ensure appropriate choice and use of monitoring and evaluation methodologies at project level
Advise country and project teams on different MHPSS Human resources mobilisation and the potential for task shifting
Support strategies at project, country and international levels through data analysis, identification of problems or needs and technical advice in terms of proposed solutions
Participate to the active monitoring of mental health projects and their activities through visits, debriefings, report-reading, etc., and regularly share this analysis with the relevant stakeholders
In cooperation with MHPSS colleagues, co-lead the development and implementation of mental health policy and strategy in MSF-OCB operations
Identify and evaluate new developments (evidence, approaches, techniques and tools), to ensure:
MHPSS policy and strategy are in line with new developments in the mental health/psycho-social/psychiatry field
MHPSS activities are adapted to incorporate best-practice
The development/revision of essential documents (policies, guidelines, protocols, tools, and other strategic papers) of other disciplines, incorporating relevant MHPSS components
Participate in interdisciplinary working groups (e.g. migration circle, violence, palliative care) when required/relevant
Identify major gaps or concerns in mental health care provision at project level and recommend strategies to address these at global level
Contribute to the writing of the mental health activities chapter in the annual medical report and participate, promote organisational learning through project experience
Ensure good collaboration and representation within and outside MSF
Participate actively in the MH intersectional Working group in the development of guidelines, trainings and clinical guidance and in the implementation of the action plan with a particular focus on psychiatric care
Collaborate with other referents in the medical and operations department on subjects of common interest: health promotion, anthropologists, intercultural mediators, sexual and reproductive health, paediatrics, nutrition, non-communicable disease, researchers, health information system, etc.
Participate in the medical meetings, OCB working groups (“circles”), as required and other MSF OCB gathering or events
Support the communication and analysis departments as required
Collaborate and coordinate regularly with the human resources department in the management of MH staff, including recruitment, skills assessment, matching and evaluation
Contribute to the building of a relevant network of experts in mental health issues and in humanitarian aid around mental health to foster exchange, influence, and partnership possibilities
Participate in workshops, international expert groups organized by WHO, academic institutions or other validated initiatives, when relevant
REQUIREMENTS
Education & Experience
Medical Degree
Specialization in psychiatry
Post graduated training in psychological therapies is a strong asset
Minimum five years of clinical experience as a clinical psychiatrist
Minimum two years of experience working in a humanitarian context, either with MSF or another relevant medical organization
Experience in advising on mental health strategies
Experience in providing technical advice in humanitarian contexts.
Experience in writing of guidelines, protocols, and tools
Experience in delivering trainings and facilitating professional development of teams
Leadership position in mental health services is an asset
Competencies
Good team player with flexibility, creativity, and management skills
Good communication skills: active listener, clear and effective communication, sense of diplomacy and pedagogy
Ability to establish and retain positive working relationships (internally and externally)
Driven to improve quality of care and support innovation
Capacity to work within agreed timeline and ability to prioritize activities/tasks and respond to urgent requests
Strong cross-cultural awareness and adaptability
Use of excel, word and PowerPoint
Humanitarian interest and motivation, especially towards MSF
Languages
Fluent in English and French (spoken and written)
Working knowledge of Arabic, Portuguese or Spanish is an asset
Apply via :
form.123formbuilder.com
