General Assignment: Organize and conduct the activities linked to the Mental Health and Care Practices (MHCP) program in the region within a CMAM approach with close supervision of health staff (HEWs/HWs) at health center, health post, community and home level..
Duties and Responsibilities:
Objective 1 : Promote mental health and appropriate care practices among beneficiaries, stakeholders and communities
- Implement and facilitate awareness-raising sessions at centres and community levels, based on a guidebook; particularly on child development, mothering practices, mother and child interactions and breastfeeding practices
- Participate in elaborating key messages and adapting them according to the context and the target population
- Be able to describe MHCP project and objectives in a clear, understandable and culturally adapted manner
- Supervise daily the proper transmission of project information and key messages by beneficiaries to the community, by supporting them on awareness raising methods, sense of responsibility and motivation
- Promote the full range of care practices including aspects of hygiene practice and infant & young child feeding practices (IYCF)
Objective 2 : Organize and conduct mental health and care practices group activities with the beneficiaries
- Conduct group discussions and support groups with the beneficiaries on mental health, care practices and psychosocial issues, by using recommended guidelines and tools
- Conduct stimulation activities (therapeutic play sessions and others) for mothers and children according to beneficiaries needs
- Contribute to develop interactive teaching methods (like role playing etc.) for group facilitation, in order to have an impact on behaviour change
- Stimulate group dynamic by favouring exchanges and participation among beneficiaries in group sessions on a particular theme
- Be able of receiving and restraining expressions of strong emotions
- Be able to observe, evaluate and analyse the content of a group session with an evaluation grid
- Evaluate the beneficiaries’ knowledges and skills before and after the group sessions
Objective 3 : Ensure center-based and community-based individual psychosocial follow-up for beneficiaries
- Conduct individual support and counselling activities for the beneficiaries, according to an adapted action plan, and based on MHCP psychosocial approach of care practices
- Ensure the follow-up and support of beneficiaries at household level, involving when necessary the family members
- Be able to assess individual MHCP skills and practices of the beneficiaries, by using recommended tools, scales and questionnaires
- Be able to adequately refer beneficiaries to existing available resources in case of need
- Contribute actively to MHCP group supervision and case management sessions, by helping to identify beneficiaries’ difficulties and action plan for the follow-up
Objective 4 : Contribute to capacity building for community key persons, stakeholders and local partners
- Participate to the development of standards and IEC material and training methods, for AAH and for training of trainers
- Conduct training skills for beneficiaries and training for community key persons and members on specific topics, using MHCP guidelines and participation learning techniques
- Provide regular technical support to trained stakeholders and community key persons, about quality service delivery, by identifying on-the-job needs and supervising skills progression
- Provide regular supervision to HEWs & HWs (and HDA supervisors if required) using MHCP tools.
- Working with HEWS/HWS, organise regular planned bi-monthly HDA meetings to provide support, learning and evaluation of their community activity.
Objective 5 : Participate in program monitoring by collecting and analyzing information on field activities and beneficiaries’ MHCP needs
- Contribute to needs and resources assessments, and be able to identify the most vulnerable groups in need of MHCP support.
- Collect information during the programme activities on the beneficiaries’ MHCP needs, by using specific reporting tools and including this information systematically in each activity report.
- Maintain detailed and up to date programme records, and ensure the confidentiality of beneficiaries information.
- Prepare (in collaboration with line manager) and implement work plan.
- Collaborate with AAH others sectors for all activities, reporting and meeting.
Educational / Professional Background Level of studies: experience in health education on Health/Psychological/ social and Diploma in health/psychological/social diploma.
Required skills:
Sense of confidentiality – Skilled activity leader –Knowledge of child development – Good communication and adaptation capacity – Good relations with people – speak English and local language.