1: Ensure the proper implementation of psychosocial supports and care practices and understanding of nutrition in the Baby Friendly Spaces program.
Provide psychosocial support to beneficiaries.
- Identifies and assesses the learning, development, and adjustment characteristics and psycho social needs of individuals and groups, as well as, the environmental factors that affect their mental health status and adjustment. Uses assessment data about the beneficiaries and their environment(s) in developing appropriate interventions and programs
- Applies ethics and standards of professional practice in the delivery of psychosocial services and observes relevant laws and policies that govern practice.
- Participates in professional organizations and continually seeks to improve professional knowledge and skill.
- To provide support, guidance, interpretation and knowledge to caregivers and families to develop behavior management and care plan strategies.
- To consult to staff teams working with dynamics and systems to support clients.
Improve child stimulation and encourage mothers/caregivers in the relationship with their child
- Implement as many play sessions as possible and provide toys tailored to match the age and capacities of the children;
- Provide children and accompanying adults with the opportunity to play together and to improve the mother/child relationship;
- Complete a regular inventory of toys and games and request new ones when necessary;
- Check that all toys are clean and safe for use by children.
- Provide support to the nurse and take part in appetite testing as often as possible;
-Make use of the appetite test to observe and encourage the mother/children bond;
- Provide as much help as possible to any parent/guardian whose child experiences difficulties during the appetite test.
2: Respect confidentiality
- Maintain proper clinical records and provide statistical returns as required;
- Actively involved in monitoring and evaluation of the psychosocial support service within the organization;
- Maintain clinical cases and other organizational records as required;
- Maintain confidentiality for and with clients (individual and organizational).
3: Provide support to all team members regarding understanding and implementing the program’s care practices and Psychosocial supports:
Provide training on care practices and Psychosocial supports for the team:
- Provide training for the various team members in relation to their activities and needs, to improve understanding and the implementation of basic Psychosocial supports and care practices;
- Observe activities in the field to determine the team's specific training requirements to improve understanding of Psycho social supports and care practices and organize the appropriate training in response (child development, psychological impact of malnutrition, communication with parents/guardians, play sessions, etc.).
Supervise the implementation of BFS Program:
- Provide support to the team for the implementation of psychosocial supports and care practices under optimal conditions by offering advice and explanations during their activities;
- Work with the different programme heads to define how and why psychosocial supports and care practices should be implemented in their activities (OTP, awareness rising, SFP, BFP).
- Provide help and support to the parent/guardian and the child at all times (arrival, waiting, feeding, discharges, etc.);
- Assist the team in identifying any problems potentially linked to the child's malnutrition and identify with the members of the BFS and nutrition teams those families experiencing difficulties linked to psychosocial supports and care practices, in order to work with these families in a more specific manner;
- Carry out home visits/follow-ups, counselling sessions, and group discussions to these families to try to understand the situation which may explain the child's malnutrition, stagnation in development or worsening condition and help the family resolve any problems (work on the mental health of the children/caregivers, mother/child relationship, person taking care of the child in the home, etc.);
- Lead training and supervision sessions for the BFS team to identify and manage those families requiring specific monitoring and supervise this activity once the team has received sufficient training.
5: Support the BFS team to avoid any relapses or abandonment.
-In the light of these observations and diagnosis, create tools to facilitate the identification of families by the team;
- Train the team to avoid and to manage relapses and abandonment.
6: Coordination, reports and project development
- To liaise with Social services, organizations working on Child Protection/SGBV/MHPSS, other related services and other staffs in the provision of services to clients.
- Where appropriate, to undertake assessments of medico-legal referrals using a range of tools and measures and produce reports as required.
- Elaborate methodologies for data collection such as keeping clinical records, an attendance record for the counselling sessions, play sessions, home visits/follow-up, stress managements, group discussions (organization, feedback, comments, etc.);
- Report strengths and weaknesses of the team regarding project’s orientation to the program manager on all strong points and areas for improvement for the team with regard to psycho social support and care practices;
- Contribute to the monthly program reports (statistical data collection and analysis and narrative reports);
Attend meetings (as needed) with other organizations (non-governmental and governmental ones) to inform them about ACF work regarding psychosocial supports and care practices and to be kept updated with others advances in this issue.
Educational / Professional Background: : Degree in Psychology/clinical psychology/counselling psychology (BA minimum, MA or MSc is an advantage) - Relevant training and/or work experience in field of Mental Health and Care Practices, Psychosocial support, counselling and communication skills, familiarity with psychosocial stimulation/awareness methods, knowledge in child development, knowledge of psychology, mental health, and psychological therapies relevant to this specialism and nutrition issues.
Required skills: : Relevant clinical experience – counselling experience – Project and Team Management or Supervisory Experience – Good communication skills (written and oral; listening and observation) – Adaptation capacity especially in hardship areas – Training or Capacity Building Experience – Attentive/Compliance with organizational rules – Sense of confidentiality – Respect for cultural diversity – Maturity – Humanitarian experience an asset – Ability to maintain a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems – Ability to use complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration – Good knowledge of English and Nuer languages.