Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Specialist

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) began operations in Chad in 2004 to respond to the humanitarian crisis caused by the influx of refugees from Darfur into eastern Chad.

The Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Specialist based in Hadjer Hadid will be responsible for the overall management and implementation of a high-quality mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) program in all of IRC's areas of operation, and more specifically in refugee camps.

Key Responsibilities:

• Coordinate mental health needs assessments;
• Organize regular meetings on mental health with health program managers and the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) team, in collaboration with other technical coordinators;
• Ensure that mental health and psychosocial support are fully integrated into the various sectors of the health program (primary health care, sexual and reproductive health, nutrition, environmental health) and other IRC programs (WPE and ERD);
• Coordinate the implementation of all interventions in the field of mental health and psychosocial support;
• Contribute to capacity building for the MHPSS team to enable them to effectively carry out their duties and ensure a smooth transition;
• Participate in capacity building for local partners (Ministry of Public Health, NGOs, United Nations agencies, etc.) in the field of mental health and psychosocial support;
• Contribute to the development of new funding proposals for mental health and psychosocial support;

Evaluation and Monitoring of the Quality of Clinical and Community Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services

• Conduct a situational analysis to identify and assess mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) needs in IRC's areas of operation in Chad;
• Provide formative supervision and/or refresher training for healthcare providers and community health workers;
• Provide specialized mental health consultations and psychosocial support to people with specific needs, including survivors of gender-based violence;
• Support the organization of community-based services to improve care, follow-up, and referrals between the community and health facilities;

Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, Learning, and Reporting

• In collaboration with the MEAL Coordinator, conduct a monthly analysis of mental health and psychosocial support data and share the database and report with the Senior Health Coordinator;
• Contribute to improving the quality of periodic health program reports and donor reports;
• Support the monitoring and evaluation framework for the mental health program through regular data analysis and supervision of program activities in the field;

Partnership, Coordination, and Representation

• Represent IRC at meetings with partners from the Ministry of Public Health, NGOs, and United Nations agencies working in the mental health and psychosocial support sector;
• Participate in the development of the mental health working group's roadmap;
• Provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Public Health in the development and review of national policies, guidelines, standards, protocols, and programs/modules.