Job offer: Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Officer

Job Opportunity: Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Officer – South-West Region

• Job ID: req52666
• Location: Buea, South-West, Cameroon
• Category: Technical Units
• Employment Type: Fixed Term, Full Time
• Open to Expatriates: No
• Compensation: Monthly, CFA Franc BCEAO

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is seeking a dedicated Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Officer for the South-West region. This is your opportunity to make a significant impact and advance your career.

About IRC:

The IRC responds to the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, aiming to restore health, safety, education, economic stability, and empowerment to individuals affected by conflict and disaster. Established in 1933 at the behest of Albert Einstein, the IRC is a leading international humanitarian non-governmental organization (INGO). We operate in over 50 countries and more than 25 U.S. cities, providing critical support to people as they strive to rebuild their lives and communities. Our employees are committed to delivering lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity, and hope to millions.

Organizational Overview:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) addresses the world’s most urgent humanitarian emergencies, offering lifesaving care and transformative assistance to refugees and internally displaced persons forced to flee from war or disaster. With a presence in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we are dedicated to restoring safety, dignity, and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to survive. The IRC leads the way from harm to home, creating pathways for recovery and resilience.

COUNTRY PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The IRC initiated its operations in Cameroon in 2016, addressing the growing concerns for individuals impacted by Boko Haram-related violence in the Far North. Assistance is extended across the Far North, particularly in Mayo Sava, Mayo Tsanaga, and Logone & Chari, delivering crucial programs to enhance access to water and promote better hygiene practices among vulnerable displaced and host communities. Additionally, cash assistance programs are provided to help impoverished families meet their basic needs and improve food security, along with protection programs tailored to address the specific needs of women and girls. In response to the escalating crisis in the North-West and South-West regions, the IRC expanded its operations to the South-West in August 2018 and to the North-West in December 2019, providing essential humanitarian aid to internally displaced populations. The IRC maintains field offices in Maroua and Kousseri in the Far North, Buea in the South-West, Bamenda in the North-West, and a representation office in Yaoundé.

IRC Cameroon is dedicated to continuing the provision of critical humanitarian services, emphasizing community safety and ensuring that affected populations can meet their fundamental needs while building resilience, especially among women and girls.

JOB CONTEXT

The ongoing crisis in the South-West and North-West regions has profoundly affected the mental health of individuals and communities, with a notable increase in self-harm incidents reported. The factors driving mental health issues are diverse and complex, including physical, sexual, and emotional violence, socio-economic conditions, discrimination and exclusion, gender norms, parental responsibilities, the humanitarian and fragile settings, and a lack of access to quality support and services.

Mental health challenges faced by internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host communities can have a profound impact on their overall well-being. Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) is recognized as an essential cross-cutting domain, integral to addressing the health and social needs of affected populations. MHPSS encompasses a range of local and external interventions aimed at protecting and promoting mental well-being, as well as preventing and treating mental health disorders. It is therefore inherently multi-sectoral in nature. Within the International Rescue Committee (IRC), MHPSS activities are integrated into existing programs, including community-based protection, child protection, and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) services.

The MHPSS Officer plays a pivotal role in building and maintaining the capacity for MHPSS interventions within IRC, ensuring the delivery of quality mental health and psychosocial support services to IDPs and host communities.

Key Responsibilities

The MHPSS Officer will provide technical and programmatic leadership for IRC’s MHPSS interventions in the South-West Region, directly contributing to the achievement of programmatic outcomes under the ECHO-funded project. Specific responsibilities include:

Technical Leadership & Program Design

• Spearhead the development of high-quality MHPSS interventions, tools, and resources, incorporating evidence-based practices and culturally relevant approaches.
• Deliver comprehensive training and ongoing mentorship to IRC staff, empowering them to provide effective MHPSS support.

Needs Assessment & Service Integration

• Conduct thorough field assessments to identify the diverse MHPSS needs of affected populations, prioritizing those with unique vulnerabilities.
• Collaborate with health staff to provide holistic mental health and psychosocial support services.
• Establish robust referral pathways between community-based services, MHPSS providers, and protection actors, ensuring continuity of care.
• Proactively engage in relevant coordination mechanisms, advocating for adherence to international MHPSS guidelines.

Quality Assurance & Client-Centered Care

• Ensure that implementing partners (if applicable) uphold global protection standards and ethical principles in MHPSS service delivery.
• Assess and triage individuals with complex or severe MHPSS needs, initiating timely treatment and appropriate follow-up interventions.
• Facilitate accessible, safe, and inclusive social and recreational activities for diverse beneficiaries, promoting resilience and well-being.
• Establish transparent communication channels with communities, addressing stigma, rights awareness, and feedback on MHPSS services.

Capacity Building & Team Development

• Invest in the professional growth of MHPSS staff through structured coaching, training, and mentorship programs.
• Foster a culture of knowledge sharing and collaboration within the team, promoting continuous improvement.

Integrated Protection Oversight

• Oversee the quality of case management activities across child protection, women’s protection and empowerment, and rule of law programs implemented by partners.
• Ensure adherence to standard operating procedures, best practices, and ethical case management principles.
• Convene regular case conferences to review complex cases, ensuring comprehensive documentation and timely, expert support.

Reporting:

• Collaborate with ECHO Senior Project Manager and PROL Team to develop comprehensive reporting templates for MHPSS activities, ensuring timely and accurate submission of reports.
• Compile and submit monthly MHPSS internal reports, detailing progress, trends, and contextual shifts for internal review, regional updates, and external stakeholder communication.
• Provide partners with guidance and support in reporting project activities, particularly in the area of case management.
• Contribute to the preparation of periodic project activity reports for internal use and donor requirements, collaborating closely with the Senior Project Manager.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Uphold and adhere to IRC Cameroon HR Policies and Procedures, exemplifying a high standard of compliance through actions and communication.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in social work, mental health, psychology, or a related field from an accredited university or institution.

Knowledge and Experience:

• 3-5 years of specialized experience in community-based psychosocial support interventions, with a focus on social norm change and experience in humanitarian settings.
• Proven understanding of IASC Guidelines on MHPSS in Emergency Settings.
• Demonstrated expertise in counseling skills and clinical supervision of lay counselors.
• Experience in developing technical curriculum and materials for MHPSS programming in low-resource environments.
• Strong training and supervision capabilities.

Required Skillset:

• Excellent communication skills, including clear and concise writing, and the ability to explain MHPSS concepts in an accessible manner.
• Strong interpersonal skills for effective relationship management, including the ability to facilitate collective decision-making and build consensus.
• Analytical thinking to support strategic planning for enhancing MHPSS and peacebuilding interventions.

Languages:

Proficiency in both spoken and written English and French is essential.

The deadline for application submissions is July 15, 2024.

Standard of Professional Conduct:

All employees of the IRC are expected to uphold the values and principles encapsulated in the IRC Way—our Code of Conduct. These core values include Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.

Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion:

The IRC is dedicated to fostering a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and secure workplace where everyone is treated equitably and with dignity. The organization strictly prohibits and will not tolerate any form of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying in any professional environment. Our goal is to enhance the representation of women, individuals from the countries and communities we serve, and those who identify as races and ethnicities that are historically underrepresented in global leadership roles.

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