Job Specification:
Program: Safer Migration (SaMi) Programme
Location: Program Support Unit, Safer Migration (SaMi) Programme, HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation Nepal, Lalitpur, with around 50% of field visits
Reporting to: Team Leader, Safer Migration (SaMi) Programme
Job purpose:
The Psychosocial Specialist is responsible for leading the psychosocial component of the SaMi Programme. The position holder will provide technical support in building institutional and technical capacity at the federal, provincial, and local levels to provide quality psychological services for the migrant workers and families in distress, creating ownership by provincial governments and local health units for this programme component. She/he will be responsible for working closely with the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) and National Health Training Center to empower and equip the Provincial Ministries responsible for health, Provincial Health Directorates, and Local Governments to formulate or update psychosocial counseling/mental health policy and programme, allocate budget, to build the capacity of the psychosocial service providers, and to include the psychosocial services related information in the integrated information management system.
Job requirements
A. Minimum education attainment: Master’s degree in psychology or public health.
B. Minimum professional experience: At least 5 years of work experience in public health system in similar roles.
C. Required competencies:
- Experiences of working with the federal, provincial, and local governments in the health system strengthening programs
- Good understanding of public mental health
- Sound understanding of health system strengthening approaches in the federal system of public health governance.
- Good understanding of social development and human rights-related issues
- Good experience in program cycle management
- Strong competence in providing technical advisory services to the government and other stakeholders
- Commitment towards gender equality, social inclusion, and poverty reduction
- Excellent coordination and communication skills
- Team-oriented with excellent facilitation skills
- Excellent in written and spoken Nepali and English
- Result-oriented, ability to handle multiple tasks and maintain deadlines
- Proficient in using MS Office.
Interested and committed candidates who meet the above requirements are requested to visit our website at https://apply.helvetasnepal.org and submit their application through the online portal. Detailed Job Description is available on the website.
Any telephone inquiries/and or attempts to apply undue influence will result disqualification of candidate. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for the further screening process. Helvetas Nepal reserves the right to reject any or all applications without assigning any reasons.
Helvetas Nepal promotes workforce diversity and applies positive discrimination to candidates from discriminated groups (Women, Dalit, Janajati, Madhesi/Terai and other minority communities).
Deadline for submission of application: 26 January 2025
Job Responsibilities :
Major duties and responsibilities
1. Technical support and capacity building
- Provide technical support to the local level and provincial governments formulate/update mental health policy based on the National Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Strategy and Action Plan ensuring accessible psychosocial services for the migrant workers and families in distress.
- Support MoHP to integrate psychosocial counseling services in the national health reporting and information management system;
- In close cooperation with WHO, UNFPA, and other relevant agencies support the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) and National Health Training Center to develop tools, standards and systems, guidelines for the selection of psychosocial counselors, and training, certification, accreditation and clinical supervision of the psychosocial service providers;
- Provide strategic direction to the National thematic Partner to support Federal and Provincial Governments to institutionalize psychosocial services for the migrant workers and families in distress;
- Work closely with the National Health Training Center and the national thematic partner to capacitate the Provincial Health Training Centers and Psychologists based at the Provincial Health Directorates and ensure the quality of capacity-building programs for effective psychosocial counseling and clinical supervision;
- Provide technical support to the Psychologists based at the Provincial Health Directorates;
- Support Provincial Health Directorates/Psychologists to plan capacity-building activities for the Psychosocial Workers/Counselors working with the local governments;
- Manage the national thematic/implementing partner to ensure the quality of the psychosocial component;
- Provide technical support for the placement of Psychosocial Counselors in the organogram of the municipality hospital of local governments;
- Provide coaching and mentoring support to the Psychologists based at the Provincial Health Directorate;
- Contribute to the development of Yearly Plan of Operation (YPOs), ensure timely/periodic review of annual program budgets, and analyze and accommodate necessary revisions of the psychosocial component;
- Support for the procurement of service providers by preparing Terms of Reference (ToRs) and bid documents for the national and international bid invitations for the services required for the
- psychosocial component;
- Provide technical assistance to establish referral mechanism for complex psychosocial cases by ensuring that the local/provincial and federal health service system has appropriate referral mechanism.
2. Monitoring, documentation and reporting
- Ensure regular monitoring of psychosocial services and their quality;
- Ensure the implementation of an effective monitoring system and provisions that provide accurate data on the psychosocial problems faced by migrants and their families;
- Analyze data on the psychosocial problems of migrants and their families and contribute to developing knowledge management products;
- Ensure that the Department of Health Services (DoHS) includes psychosocial counseling-related data in the Health Management Information System (HMIS);
- Contribute to timely and quality reporting of psychosocial support-related activities.
3. Communication, coordination, representation and networking
- Coordinate with the government stakeholders at the federal, provincial, and local levels, including the Ministry of Health and Population/DoHS, National Health Training Center, provincial health-related ministries/directorates, and training centers as appropriate;
- Maintain communication and coordination within the program team and related stakeholders and contribute to achieving the goals and objectives of the program and those of HELVETAS Nepal Country Program/projects;
- Coordinate and collaborate with the Reintegration of Returnee Migrant Workers (ReMi) Project and other like-minded projects, to ensure coherence and synergies, particularly for the institutionalization of best practices and cross-referrals of key services;
- Represent the SaMi Programme in relevant seminars, meetings, and workshops at all levels;
- Contribute to ensuring a fair, friendly, inclusive, and equitable working environment within the SaMi team;
- Ensure an effective culture of sharing and constructive feedback.
4. Compliance to policies, guidelines, and manuals
- Adhere to relevant policies, procedures, regulations, and guidelines of HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation (Personnel, Financial, Administrative policies; Security Response Guide; Gender Equality and
- Social Inclusion Guide; Sexual Harassment & Mobbing Policy; Code of Conduct Against Corruption, etc.) and other specific policies applicable for the SaMi Programme;
- Ensure conflict-sensitive program management at all levels;
- Ensure compliance with the Government of Nepal (GoN) and Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC) policies and approaches as relevant and required.
5. Other specific responsibilities
- Undertake other tasks assigned by the Line Manager;
- Be proactive in bringing innovations to the program and taking new initiatives.
