Danish Red Cross (DRC) in partnership with the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) has been supporting humanitarian and development programs in Afghanistan since 2012. DRC in Afghanistan runs multilateral projects with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society (IFRC) for Youth and volunteering Development, on the promotion of Exploring Humanitarian Law & Humanitarian Principles and Values and Psychosocial peer-to-peer support. DRC continued its support to the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) through bilateral and consortium approaches from 2016 to 2021 to contribute support to building resilience of the most vulnerable people of Afghanistan who were affected by crises. In 2022, DRC re-established its’ Country Office under the integration agreement with IFRC to support.

Reporting to the DRC MHPSS Delegate, the incumbent is responsible for supporting the ARCS in ensuring the provision of quality MHPSS services in emergency and non-emergency settings, to coaches and manage accompaniers to implement the program and efforts to promote the mental health and psychosocial well-being of individuals and communities affected by crises.

MHPSS Senior Technical Supervisor will be recruited by the IFRC and seconded to DRC to support the integration of MHPSS services into health and livelihood programs. The duty station is Kandahar but the person is expected to travel to other project sites to provide mentoring and coaching to counsellors.

General Duties

• Understands and adheres to the seven Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
• Understands and adheres to the IFRC Code of Conduct
• Understands the roles of the components of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
• Respect and observe staff regulations and security rules at all times
• Represents the IFRC/DRC professionally at all times
• Develops and maintains a pleasant and conducive working environment with colleagues and line managers
• Performs all duties with the highest level of confidentiality in the interest of the employees and the IFRC/DRC

• May be asked to perform tasks not covered in this job description and to provide support to other departments when necessary

Technical support and capacity building 70%

Identification of skills development needs

• Identify key community actors and/or health staff who will benefit from mental health awareness, sensitization, and /or basic psychological and psychosocial support training, with the support of the MHPSS delegate.
• Ensure regular links with key actors and health facilities are maintained to ensure beneficiary identification and referral pathways are relevant and functional.
• Ensure integration of MHPSS activities to both emergency and non-emergency contexts across programs, operations, and sectors.

Modeling – Supervision

• Model, co-facilitate, and observe MHPSS interventions (individual counseling, group work, psychoeducation, sensitization, outreach activities, etc.) with counselors and others as appropriate providing them with timely constructive feedback to develop their skills and/or awareness.
• Ensure that all MHPSS activities are carried out under adequate and appropriate supervision to maintain the quality of the program. Supervision must occur regularly, ideally monthly. On-the-job coaching is provided in an ongoing manner and adapted to the needs of the counselors and others.
• Conduct monitoring at program sites.

Training

• In consultation with the MHPSS Delegate, coordinate the implementation of activities as defined in the MHPSS project document.
• Assist the MHPSS Delegate in training and coaching counselors, key community actors, health staff, ARCS, and/or others as identified and agreed.
• Develop and design appropriate training materials according to the specific needs, with the support of the MHPSS delegate
• Interprets with accuracy in any situation and translates documents from English to Pashto and Dari and vice versa.
• Lead the ARCS counselors in the MRH/PHC/MHTs/Marastoons involved in MHPSS activities in a collaborative manner to identify the mental health and psychosocial needs of the community, identifying relevant topics for problem solving, therapeutic and psychoeducational individual sessions, groups and sensitization activities as appropriate, with the support of the MHPSS Delegate.
• Organize and conduct pieces of training in basic psychological first aid (PFA), Training of Trainers on PFA, PFA in Groups, and other relevant MHPSS pieces of training requested by the ARCS.
• Collaborate with the counselors and health actors to identify and develop culturally appropriate methods and tools (outreach material) to address psychological and psychosocial needs.
• Support with capacity building the counselors to maintain client files per international standards. Ensure all client information is kept confidential and clinical records are kept securely and written respectfully.
• Support counselors and others involved in MHPSS activities in referrals for clients with specific needs to other medical professionals as appropriate, (e.g. people with severe and enduring mental health problems, victims of sexual violence in need of medical care, or those with needs outside the MHPSS program parameters).
• Provide technical advice, guidelines, and operational procedures, common standards, reporting templates, or any other MHPSS operational tools as needed.
• In coordination with Movement Partners support ARCS to strengthen caring for staff and volunteer systems.

Support the ARCS on coordination (general responsibilities) 30%

• Collaborate with the ARCS to implement MHPSS activities as appropriate.
• Co-operate and coordinate activities with the other Movement Partners and other stakeholders, by actively contributing to the work of the Red Cross Movement (RCM) Protection Working Group and another coordination platform.
• Maintain close contact with and support identified RCM focal points and reference groups for MHPSS at the Regional level.
• Support the collection and analysis of MHPSS information, given advocacy activities with government authorities.
• Strengthen internal awareness and capacity of Movement partners in Afghanistan to better understand mental health and psychosocial issues and concerns of vulnerable people in Afghanistan.
• Keep abreast of the MHPSS needs and concerns of vulnerable people affected by the ongoing Afghanistan Humanitarian Crisis Operation to identify relevant interventions.

Required:

• University degree or equivalent qualification in Social Work, Psychology, Guidance and Counselling, Medicine, or Psychiatry.

Required:

• Minimum of 4 years relevant work experience in MHPSS with 2 years in the humanitarian context
• Field experience on MHPSS response.

Preferred:

• Experience in working with an International Organisation or International Non-Governmental Organisation.

Required:

• Proven Training Skills
• Excellent cooperation skills
• Teamwork
• Ability to work well independently
• Strong analytical and reporting skills
• Demonstrated accountability
• Ability to work well in a multicultural team
• Fluently spoken and written English

Preferred:

• Knowledge of the Afghanistan government system particularly on MHPSS (legislation, actors and social services procedures)
• Understanding of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including the mandate of each component of the Movement and the Fundamental Principles
• Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic)

Judgment and decision-making

Respect for Diversity

Professionalism

Capacity-building skills or experiences in working with counterparts

Collaboration and Teamwork

Communication

Building trust

Creativity and Innovation