Location: Mae Hong Son
Organization Description
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) Thailand country program was established in 1976 to assist refugees from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia and currently assists refugees and migrants from Burma. IRC operates one of the largest and programmatically diverse humanitarian programs providing essential services to displaced populations in Thailand. Assistance programs encompass health, education, institutional capacity building, gender-based violence prevention and response, water and sanitation, advocacy, protection and legal assistance.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Job Summary
The Psychosocial Officer (PSPO) works within the MHS health/psychosocial team to improve the community’s ability to detect and deal with the psychosocial needs of camp residents in two refugee camps in Mae Hong Son province.
The PSPO has primary responsibility for identifying psychosocial training needs, for developing relevant trainings and accompanying support materials, and for building the capacity of KNHD and other camp-based workers and organisations to understand mental health and psychosocial interventions/topics. The PSPO also focuses on supporting KNHD case management of mental health cases (direct and indirect assistance) and the improvement of monitoring and support services for clients receiving psychosocial support services through KNHD. The PO performs a key liaison role in establishing linkages and coordinating between refugee families and camp organisations/ groups on psychosocial needs and approaches and provides translation support to other members of the psychosocial program as needed.
Job-Specific
- Work with key members of the camp community to identify refugee problems and needs, and to develop appropriate interventions for psychosocial detection and response
- Train and provide capacity building to KNHD staff on mental health and psychosocial interventions.
- Provide translation and logistic support as needed/requested.
- Help to design psychosocial trainings and accompanying materials
- Conduct training on basic psychosocial skills, basic counselling skills, and advanced counselling skills for refugees, members of NGOs, CBOs, camp committees, Security Committee, Justice Committee and key IRC staff; work to adapt and psychosocial training and materials and approaches for specific audiences.
-Assist refugee communities, camp committees, CBO’s and NGO’s to enhance the capacity of their members and staff to carry out psychosocial training/interventions through the transfer of training skills (training of trainers)
- Identify key actors within the community with the potential to become psychosocial trainers
- Conduct pre- and post-test training evaluations to assess knowledge change
- Monitor long-term training impact through surveys on behaviour change
Case Management
- Provide direct assistance (basic needs such as clothing, sanitary supplies and/or cash) for critical psychosocial cases
- Provide counselling and case management support, with the camp based health and psychosocial staff, and facilitate indirect assistance for psychosocial clients through referrals and collaboration with other psychosocial actors in the field
- Provide ongoing monitoring and support services for case management clients including tracking of progress and maintenance of confidential case files
- Organise joint case management meetings with those organisations dealing directly with psychosocial cases
Awareness raising and promotion of psychosocial well-being
- Produce and field-test a range of psychosocial IEC materials targeted at camp communities
- Proactively promote psychosocial awareness, well-being and social cohesion
Coordination/ Social Cohesion
- Establish linkages and maintain close cooperation with refugees, camp committees, CBO’s and NGO’s (attending working groups, etc)
- Liaise regularly with camp committees, related local authorities, officers of UNHCR, other NGOs (Thai, international and refugee) concerning refugee psychosocial needs and issues
- Identify and establish relationships with key support structures and individuals in Camp 1 and Camp 2
Monitoring and Evaluation
- Collect and compile monthly psychosocial report data.
- Monitor psychosocial activities and the impact of PSP interventions
- Document work plan progress.
- Assist in the preparation of donor reports.
- Assist in the development and collation of satisfaction program surveys
- Develop and collect qualitative data though interviews and FGDs for monitoring and evaluation of program progress
- Attend and participate in IRC trainings and external trainings as necessary
- Collaborate with other IRC departments including RCH and CHW programs, WPE and LAC to share information and develop joint initiatives to maximise the holistic approach of the PSP
- Focus on vulnerable target groups including mental health patients, youth groups, vulnerable children, drug abusers/those with chronic disease and WPE survivors.
POSITION REQUIREMENTS
Candidate selection will be based on the criteria described below.
Education
Bachelor degree in related filed
Work Experience and/or Demonstrated Abilities
Previous experience in participatory development and/or community mobilisation
Previous experience as a trainer, group facilitator and or psychosocial activities
Skills
- Computer literate with strong excel/database and powerpoint skills with ability to type Burmese /Karenni fonts
Language(s.)
- Fluent written and spoken English and Burmese
- Other ethnic languages useful: Karen, Karenni and Thai
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Although these are not requirements, IRC would prefer candidates with the qualifications listed below.
- Previous experience working with humanitarian working
How to apply
Application letter and most recent CV in English stating qualifications and experience should be submitted to the IRC Human Resources Department at:Thailand.HR@Rescue.org
All applications will be treated confidentially and not returned. The IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, national origin, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age, marital status or physical or mental disability. The IRC is an equal opportunity employer.
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