Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Expert

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

H (no hardship)FamilyCONTR Local Senior Level Support2024-11-01October 29, 2024Organizational context:

Currently, some 105,000 asylum-seekers and refugees are hosted in Greece. In 2023, over 48,700 people arrived either by sea or land. UNHCR provides expert advice to the State and evidence-based information that helps inform programmes and policies for asylum-seekers and refugees. Access to international protection, identifying durable solutions and support to vulnerable asylum-seekers and refugees, such as unaccompanied children and survivors of gender-based violence, are UNHCR’s key priorities. UNHCR also works with national and local authorities, the private sector, civil society and refugee communities to advance protection solutions and inclusion, develop support networks and create employability and training opportunities for refugees. The Office retains a readiness to respond to emergencies and new arrivals, with a focus on immediate support to the most vulnerable. UNHCR Greece plays a strong advocacy role since continued support is needed, particularly from EU countries and EU institutions in providing immediate protection to those most at-risk through sufficient resources, ensuring capacity in the country and responsibility-sharing. UNHCR will continue to assist Greek authorities in responding to both short and long-term challenges.

General Background of Project or Assignment:

The project ‘Reception and integration reforms for migrants, especially unaccompanied youth’ is implemented in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Greece, in consultation with the Greek State. This project aims at improving and adapting the institutional and legal framework for unaccompanied youth in Greece and enhancing capacities of the Greek authorities to implement it. Alignment with the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, education, vocational training and employment opportunities, mental health, and psychosocial well-being would be among the areas of focus.
The Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPS) Expert will provide expertise to integrate the needs of unaccompanied youth (migrants and refugees aged 15 to 23) into existing mental health and psychosocial support services and protocols of the national system, and to enhance its efficiency to meet the needs of this distinct population group. The Expert will support relevant services and designated employees of the Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum (MoMA) and of the Ministry of Health (MoH) as needed. This support will help better identify existing MHPS services and necessary institutional and policy changes to make them more accessible. Additionally, the Expert will develop specialized materials to further build the capacity of MHPS support providers.
The MHPS Expert will create a detailed stakeholder mapping report that outlines the current mental health and psychosocial support services available to unaccompanied youth, including a gap analysis. Additionally, the Expert will develop an action plan to help key stakeholders improve the accessibility, appropriateness, and quality of these services, with special attention to vulnerable groups and their specific needs. Furthermore, the Expert will design and pilot a Training-of-Trainers program for frontline mental health and psychosocial support providers.
The Expert reports to the UNHCR Senior Protection Associate/MHPS focal point and works in close collaboration with UNHCR’s Child Protection team under the overall supervision of the Assistant Representative (Protection). A functional communication line will exist with competent Protection staff of UNHCR.
The Expert will be engaged as an individual contractor for 12 months with a possible extension of 6 months. The Expert will be engaged full time. She/he shall be required to be present at the Country Office of the UNHCR Representation in Athens, while she/he will be also required to be present when required/requested at the premises of the office of the Secretary General for Vulnerable Persons and Institutional Protection (GSVPIP) of the MoMA for coordination and cooperation with the Ministry counterparts as deemed necessary to serve the purposes of the project.

Purpose and Scope of Assignment:

Under the guidance of UNHCR’s Senior Protection Associate, and in close coordination with UNHCR’s Child Protection team, the Expert will be required to:
1. Work closely with the GSVPIP - and other sectors of the MoMA - and the MoH, as required, to obtain full understanding of the existing MHPS structures for the protection of unaccompanied youth.
2. Review and map the existing MHPS services available to unaccompanied youth and compile a comprehensive Stakeholder Analysis report.
3. Develop an action plan to enhance the accessibility, appropriateness and quality of mental health and psychosocial support services available to unaccompanied youth.
4. Work closely with the Legal Expert of the project to propose legislative amendments for the inclusion of the unaccompanied youth into the National Mental Health System where they can be supported.
5. Develop a specialised Training-of-Trainer curriculum and materials for front-line mental health and psychosocial support providers that includes training on distress and trauma-informed approaches, as well as culture, age and gender specific needs and vulnerabilities.
6. Pilot the specialised training material with a pool of existing MHPS providers. Collect feedback and incorporate revisions and amendments for final curriculum.
7. Participate in meetings, conferences or trainings relevant to the project, as required by the GSVPIP, following approval by UNHCR.
The Expert will be required to deliver the following products throughout the duration of the Action, within specific deadlines:
• Desk review of the existing mental health support system available to unaccompanied youth in Greece.
• Action Plan to enhance mental health services for unaccompanied youth aims to systematically improve accessibility, appropriateness, and quality of care spanning between 15-20 pages (in English and Greek).
• Development a Training of Trainers (ToT) curriculum guided by a competency-based education framework tailored to address the unique psychological needs and challenges of unaccompanied youth (10-15 pages in English and Greek).
• Testing of the ToT curriculum and adaptation.

Qualifications and experience required:
Required:
- University degree in psychology, social work, global mental health or psychiatry
Field of expertise, competencies:
Required:
- Additional training on MHPS in humanitarian and emergency settings is essential.
- Good interpersonal skills; respect to cultural diversity; good knowledge of different cultural attitudes, practices, and systems of social support.
- Ability to work under pressure.
- Good ability to handle software supporting presentations, data analysis or other needed tools for the tasks required.
Desirable:
- Postgraduate studies in Child Protection, Humanitarian Field and forcibly displaced persons related issues are considered an asset.
- Training on scalable psychological interventions (PM+ and Interpersonal Therapy) is a strong advantage.

Minimum years of work experience
- At least five (5) years of prior working experience on relevant issues pertaining to the mental health and psychosocial issues of youth and/ or unaccompanied youth and those forcibly displaced in general.
- Prior experience in developing and providing training material and/ or a Trainer of Trainers curriculum.
Desirable:
- Experience in training non-specialized community members on MHPS-related topics, including scalable psychological interventions, is considered an asset.
- Good knowledge of the UN and NGO humanitarian community is considered an asset.

Language Requirements:
Required
- Fluency in Greek and English language.
- Excellent writing skills in Greek and English.

Compliance with applicable legislation

The Expert will be responsible for her/his compliance with the Greek legislation, including taxation and social security. Accordingly, the Expert has to be registered with the relevant tax and social security authorities. UNHCR may require the Expert to provide evidence that she/he has registered for and is paying applicable taxation and social security to the relevant national authorities.

Additional Information:

Shortlisted candidates will have to undergo an oral interview and may be requested to sit for a written test.

 

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Additional Qualifications

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Other information

This position doesn't require a functional clearance

Home-Based

No