National Stress Counsellor

Background

This position is located within UNDSS office under the SMT local-cost-shared-budget. The incumbent develops, organizes, and implements a comprehensive stress management program for UN personnel in Fiji that includes but not limited to; individual and group crisis interventions during emergencies  and  psychological assessments and evidence based interventions in the case of individual staff members experiencing difficulty coping and/or presenting mental health-related symptoms or syndromes;  advice to the UN AFPs personnel upon request, with the aim of improving work life balance and resolving work-related conflicts that adversely affect job performance and productivity, and training on mental health and well being topics  The Stress Counsellor works under the technical  guidance of the Critical Incident Stress Management Section in UNHQ and the overall administrative supervision of the UNDSS Regional Security Advisor, Fiji. UNDSS Fiji is supporting the UN Agencies through security advice and guidance to enable the UN Agencies to conduct their operations in the safest way possible. UNDSS has its headquarters in New York and has operations in more than one hundred countries.

Stress Counsellors affiliated to UNDSS, are primarily responsible for preparedness, response and recovery of UN personnel pre, during and post emergencies as per the management of stress and critical incident stress (MSCIS) framework of the UN outlined in the UN policy on MSCIS (2015). Preparedness includes stress identification and management, and resilience building activities among others and response and recovery activities include professional mental health service provision following critical incidents including mass casualty and non casualty incidents. Stress Counsellors monitor stressors that affect UN personnel, identify needs and trends and tailor psychosocial support services to address and promote holistic staff psychosocial wellbeing approaches in collaboration with the local UN doctor, the Regional Security Advisor, HR Officers, UN Counsellors from other UN agencies, funds and programs and senior and line managers UN systemwide.

The National Stress Counsellor will be based in Fiji and provide psychosocial support services for staff and eligible dependents located across the country. The current Security Level in the country is highly volatile and as a result, the psychosocial well-being of staff is impacted severely. The unpredictability of civil unrest, lack of access to medical facilities, and the ever-present threat of crime have made UN personnel highly vulnerable to high cumulative stress and critical incident stress resulting in physical and psychological trauma and illness. 

Duties and Responsibilities

The pacific region has witnessed a significant increase in the prevalence of mental health challenges since the COVID 19 pandemic, and an increase of depression, and anxiety and related disorders, similar to other regions in the world (WHO).

Extreme weather events such as category four cyclones are well known to the region, that have devastated agriculture and livelihoods of many Pacific islanders, including in Fiji, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu, causing widespread displacement, loss of livelihoods and identity that has led to hopelessness, haplessness and helplessness in the population.

Moreover, domestic violence and intimate partner violence are areas of high concern in Fiji (UNWOMEN). High rates of child abuse, including sexual abuse, are common in the Pacific, with 34 per cent of girls experiencing childhood sexual abuse (UNICEF, 2024).

UN personnel in Fiji are often exposed to the above mentioned natural and man made disasters as well as other work- life imbalances that have a ripple effect on their families.

Due to the above reasons and in line with the UN Duty of Care Framework, it is essential to continue the services of a stress counsellor for psychosocial support services for UN personnel and eligible dependents in Fiji and other locations under the preview of the UNDSS regional security advisor.

The UN Security Management Team in collaboration with the UN stress/staff counsellor, medical and security professionals in country are required to adopt appropriate psychosocial strategies and interventions to assist UN personnel and their eligible family members in dealing with the impacts of the aforementioned. 

The primary role of the UNDSS Fiji Stress Counsellor will be to develop an efficient and sustainable stress management system in the UN Offices operating in the country with a focus on critical incident stress management preparedness, response and recovery of the UN safety and security system in case of emergencies. Within delegated authority, overall supervision of the Regional Security Advisor and the technical guidance of CISMS Regional Stress Counsellor for Asia Pacific, the Stress Counsellor will be responsible for the following duties as per the UN policy on the Management of Stress and Critical Incident Stress (MSCIS -2015).

• He/she will administer a wide range of stress management activities, actively participating in emergency preparedness in the country in collaboration with UNDSS and the UN emergency coordination group.
• Develop and implement a stress management plan that includes a wide range of stress identification, mitigation, prevention activities,
• Plan and facilitate stress management training on a variety of mental health and well being topics to UN personnel in the country and the circulation of useful reading resources applicable to the cultural context.
• Identify, address, and follow up on personnel affected by critical incident stress among the UN personnel and dependents in the country. 
• Provide individual and group counselling sessions related to critical incidents.
• Provide referral advice to UN staff when in need of specialized mental health services outside of the UN. 
• Liaise with local experts and institutions in the country for referral, as well as with UN line managers, medical doctors, and local physicians in order to build a network of professionals ready to support and intervene in case of need.
• Provide technical advice to UN senior management on stress mitigating strategies and activities during crises.
• Perform psychosocial needs assessments to monitor the determinants of stress in UN personnel according to the highest industry standards using appropriate data collection tools and statistical and qualitative analysis.
• Provide monthly activity reports to the Regional Security Advisor and CISMS Regional Stress Counsellor with due client confidentiality observed.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization. 

Competencies

Core competencies:

• Achieve Results: Level 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
• Think Innovatively: Level 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements 
• Learn Continuously: Level 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
• Adapt with Agility: Level 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible 
• Act with Determination: Level 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
• Engage and Partner: Level 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: Level 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination 

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

• Communication. Communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.
• Teamwork. The individual works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals, actively seeking input by genuinely valuing the ideas and expertise of others and demonstrating a willingness to learn from them. They prioritise the team agenda over personal interests and focus on building consensus regarding the task's purpose and direction with team members. Furthermore, they support and adhere to final group decisions, even when those decisions may not fully align with their personal views. They also share credit for the team's accomplishments and accept joint responsibility for any shortcomings.
• Planning and Organizing. The individual establishes clear goals that align with agreed-upon strategies and identifies priority activities and assignments, adjusting them as needed. They allocate the appropriate amount of time and resources to ensure work is completed effectively, while anticipating potential risks and allowing for contingencies in their planning. Additionally, they monitor progress and make necessary adjustments to plans and actions, ensuring efficient use of time throughout the process.
• Accountability. The individual takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours their commitments. They deliver outputs for which they are accountable, adhering to prescribed timelines, cost parameters, and quality standards. They operate in accordance with organisational regulations and rules, while also supporting subordinates by providing oversight and taking responsibility for delegated assignments. Furthermore, they take personal accountability for their own shortcomings and, when applicable, for those of their work unit.
• Client Orientation. The individual views everyone they serve as "clients" and strives to understand their perspectives. They establish and maintain productive relationships with clients by earning their trust and respect. By identifying clients' needs, they effectively match them with appropriate solutions. Additionally, they monitor ongoing developments both within and outside the clients' environments to stay informed and anticipate potential issues. They ensure clients are kept updated on the progress or setbacks of projects and consistently meet delivery timelines for products or services.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s Degree in Psychology (Clinical Psychology or Counselling Psychology (Master’s Degree should have been obtained after a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Counselling or Social Work), or Doctor of Medicine, Degree in Psychiatry (MD) after a Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine. 
• A license to practice as a Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Clinical Psychologist or a Counselling Psychologist by a certified body in country (i.e. psychological council or medical council or equivalent). 
• Additional certification, training and/or experience in a broad range of related fields, such as alcohol/substance abuse, stress management, psychosomatic disease, behavioural problems, psychosocial programming would be an asset.

Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in psychological counselling and or psychotherapy is required. 
• Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and web-based management systems.
• Prior experience with the United Nations, international NGO or cross border is desirable.
• Experience in Crisis management
• Experience in Substance abuse management 
• Experience in Domestic abuse and intimate partner violence interventions
• Experience in conducting psycho educational trainings 

Required languages:

• Fluency in English and Fiji Hindi and/or Itaukei is required.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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