Counsellor/era in mental health and psychosocial support services (SMSPS) At Heartland Alliance International’s

Heartland Alliance International’s

DRC Action to Reduce and Respond to Exploitation and Trafficking (ARRETE)

Title of the Post : Counsellor/era in mental health and psychosocial support services (SMSPS)

Company : Heartland Alliance International’s

Programme/Department : International programs

Relief of : Project manager

Place of Work : North or South Kivu, DRC

Supervisory responsibilities : This position oversees case management capacity building coordinators.

About the ARRETE Project

The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (GRDC) has experienced decades of internal conflict that has weakened central governance structures and disrupted, if not prevented, the, L’State to provide services throughout the country. As a result, the DRC is facing high levels of human trafficking-related crimes, including incidents of commercial sexual exploitation, labour trafficking, etc, child labour, forced marriages and recruitment of child soldiers. The government is making efforts to address these issues but has limited resources to respond to the threat.

Heartland Alliance International will partner with ABA-ROLI to implement a five-year project, funded by USAID (2024-2029) to improve the response of GRDC to trafficking in human beings through better coordination and collaboration with international, national and local organizations and leaders ; increase the state’s capacity to identify and prosecute traffickers; and create anti-trafficking support networks tailored to the unique needs of their communities. A/e counsellor/era in mental health and psychosocial support (SMSPS) is required to support this work with HAI.

Summary of Responsibilities

The SMSPS Advisor/era will provide general technical advice on mental health and psychosocial support for the project, including, including technical assistance and capacity building support for DRC government partners and civil society actors related to the quality of services available to survivors of milking. The role requires collaboration with ABA ROLI and local partners and anti-trafficking experts to conduct recourse mapping and needs assessments and develop plans institutional strengthening. This position will also provide technical support and supervision to case management capacity building coordinators and community liaison officers.

Essential Functions

Duties and Responsibilities

To accomplish this work successfully, a person must be able to’ accomplish each essential task satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills and/or competencies required.

• Organize meetings with mental health experts and partners, psychosocial support and anti-trafficking in North and South Kivu and with anti-trafficking partners in the region and mapping resources, existing services and activities.
• Assess the strengths and gaps of existing services for people at risk or who have been trafficked.
• Develop contribution mechanisms and conduct outreach to partners and the community in areas of greatest need.
• Support the design and implementation of inclusive survivor referral mechanisms and provide ongoing mentoring and feedback to local institutions, service providers and CSO networks to ensure that mechanisms address trauma and enable individuals to receive the services they need.
• To develop basic indicators for safety assessments, psychological and medical assessments and for admission.
• Provide training and technical assistance to strengthen the overall delivery and quality of services to survivors.
• Strengthen the technical capacities of service providers, such as victim identification and assistance, case processing, trauma-informed psychosocial care, shelter and counselling.
• Collaborate with ABA ROLI and local partners to conduct a needs assessment and develop tailor-made institutional strengthening plans for victim identification and assistance, psychosocial care, etc, social work, victim-centred and trauma-informed services, human rights monitoring and reporting, and.
• Contribute/participate in the design of data collection tools and provide advice on their use (concerning technical inputs, trauma-informed data collection approaches).
• Oversee the interpretation of data analysed and disaggregated by sex for monitoring, evaluation and learning purposes.
• If necessary, contribute to the design of evaluation exercises specified in the monitoring,’evaluation and’apprenticeship plan (baseline, final line, etc.)

Training & Experience

To accomplish this work successfully, a person must be able to’ accomplish each essential task satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills and/or competencies required.

• Master’s degree in psychology, social work/wellness or a related technical field
• At least 5 to 8 years of work experience in SMSPS, including programs focused on anti-trafficking, gender equity and gender-based violence, including experience in humanitarian and/or development fields, preferably in the DRC or other sub-Saharan African countries
• Expertise in evidence-based approaches and international best practices in the field of trauma-informed SMSPS, including, gender equity and GBV in humanitarian and development contexts
• Experience integrating trauma-informed approaches and GBV programs into anti-trafficking programs and with other sectors, including access to justice/the law and means of subsistence
• Proven experience in the conduct of assessments, the mapping of resources and the development of guidance mechanisms
• Experience in assessing staff compliance with SMSPS standards and in developing and conducting training, including, tailor-made coaching and mentoring using participatory and practice-based approaches and distance learning modalities ; ability to assess participants’ needs during the training experience and to modify the application of themes, as appropriate
• Ability to articulate and explain the core principles and practices of SMSPS to a non-expert audience and ensure their understanding of these topics, including, as well as ensuring that trainees are competent in the implementation of these principles and practices
• Experience with programs designed to support the well-being and safety of women and vulnerable populations in the workplace, highly desirable

Linguistic Competence

• Excellent or fluent command of French is required
• Advanced English proficiency is desirable

Knowledge/ Skills/Aptitudes (K/S/A)

• Commitment to human rights and gender equality’.
• Strict ethical standards and ability to maintain confidentiality
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, Outlook/Exchange, and Windows
• Knowledge of the tools and systems for data collection, SMSPS and case management
• Able to prioritize tasks, manage time and complete projects in a fast-paced environment with minimal supervision
• Identifies the means to improve and promote quality ; demonstrates precision and rigour
• Synthesizes complex or diverse information ; shows’attention to detail and’a precise collection and interpretation of data
• Adapts to changes in the workplace ; manages competing demands ; modifies approaches or methods to better adapt to the situation ; is able to manage frequent changes, and, delays or unforeseen events
• Respects the cultural environment in which they work and is sensitive to cultural norms ; demonstrated ability to work and communicate in an intercultural manner
• Behaves sensitively and fairly towards women, genders and ethnic minorities, and respects the diversity of sexual orientations and gender identities of participants, including, partners and other stakeholders of the project
• Must have experience working in an austere environment with limited physical and financial resources and have a clear understanding of an individual’s personal responsibility to team safety
• Must have a thorough understanding of personal safety awareness and actively apply these principles on a daily basis in his or her professional life
• Must be familiar with common telecommunications tools, including mobile phones with location services and personal satellite communications devices
• Knowledge of the tools and systems for data collection, SMSPS and case management

Working Modalities

This position may be based in North or South Kivu, with specific locations to be determined based on the security context and programming requirements. This person is expected to meet for in-person meetings when needed or at the request of others. In-person meetings may be required regularly (weekly, monthly, etc.). It may also be possible to work from home, if necessary.

Working Environment

The SMSPS advisor will need to work closely with the office of the managing partner in Goma as well as with project sites throughout North and South Kivu, as required, for site visits, meetings and implementation of activities. Reasonable accommodations may be made to allow persons with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Requirements

The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of that job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to allow persons with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• In the performance of the duties of this job, the employee is regularly called upon to speak and hear.
• The employee is regularly asked to sit, stand and walk.
• The employee must regularly use his hands to grasp, manipulate or palpate and reach with his hands and arms.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• The employee must have unlimited capacity to exercise physical restraint.
• The specific visual abilities required by this work include near vision, far vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and more, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.

Statement by the Employer on Equal Opportunities

Heartland Alliance International makes all hiring and employment decisions and manages all programs, services and functions regardless of race, receipt of a protection order, beliefs, etc, colour, age, sex, gender identity, marital or parental status, religion, ancestry, national origin, amnesty, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, immigrant status, political affiliation or belief, use of FMLA, VESSA, military military and family rights, etc, former offender status (depending on the offence and position to be filled), unfavourable military demobilization, membership of an organization whose primary purpose is the protection of civil rights or the’improvement of living conditions and human relationships, height, weight or infection with HIV.

About Heartland Alliance International

Heartland Alliance International (HAI) works to ensure the rights and well-being of marginalized people and communities around the world, including in the United States, through the Marjorie Kovler Center. Today an independent organization, HAI began its journey as a global branch of the Heartland Alliance family of nonprofit organizations, based in Chicago, Canada, founded by Jane Addams over 130 years ago. Our technical areas include trauma-informed mental health and specialized treatment of torture, gender equity, access to justice, stigma-free health care, and more, as well as livelihoods and economic empowerment.We advance and support change through a multidimensional approach that includes data-driven direct service delivery, capacity building of local partners, and more, policy advocacy and research.

HAI has extensive global experience in the prevention and response to trafficking in human beings. HAI adopts innovative and survivor-centred approaches that effectively strengthen the capacity of local actors to prevent and respond to trafficking, including, especially in conflict contexts and humanitarian emergencies. HAI programs protect and empower survivors of trafficking and ensure that’s receive the care and resources necessary to regain their well-being, and, achieve’ self-sufficiency and reduce their vulnerability to new trafficking. HAI has engaged in successful campaigns to strengthen national legislation and social services to prevent trafficking, protect survivors and prosecute perpetrators. Since 2004,HAI has provided legal, social and mental health services to survivors of trafficking in various countries, including Iraq, Haiti, Burundi, Cameroon, Swaziland, etc, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Nigeria, the Dominican Republic and others, reaching more than 50,000 highly marginalized people with tailor-made interventions in fragile and conflict-affected environments. Since 2009, HAI in the DRC has served more than 20,000 survivors of GBV, trafficking and other human rights violations by providing capacity building services, legal & SMSPS.the Dominican Republic and others, reaching more than 50,000 highly marginalized people with tailor-made interventions in fragile and conflict-affected environments. Since 2009, HAI in the DRC has served more than 20,000 survivors of GBV, trafficking and other human rights violations by providing capacity building services, legal & SMSPS.the Dominican Republic and others, reaching more than 50,000 highly marginalized people with tailor-made interventions in fragile and conflict-affected environments. Since 2009, HAI in the DRC has served more than 20,000 survivors of GBV, trafficking and other human rights violations by providing capacity building services, legal & SMSPS.