Mental Health Officer Full-time Job

Grade: NO-C

Contractual Arrangement: Fixed-term appointment

Contract Duration (Years, Months, Days): two years

Job Posting : Sep 18, 2022, 5:00:00 PM

Closing Date : Oct 2, 2022, 4:59:00 PM

Organization: AF_NGA Nigeria

Schedule: Full-time

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that the deadline for receipt of applications indicated above reflects your personal device's system settings.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The objective of the program is to support the government in scaling up coverage of mental health services in the Country through community-based mental health services including integration of mental health services primary health care(PHC) level. Mental health has historically been neglected on Africa's health and development policy agenda. Faced with many challenges, including intractable poverty, infectious diseases, maternal and child mortality, as well as conflict, African political leaders and international development agencies frequently overlook the importance of mental health. This trend is often compounded by three factors: ignorance about the extent of mental health problems, stigma against those living with mental illness, and mistaken belief that mental illnesses cannot be treated. The absence of treatment is the norm rather than the exception across the continent. The “treatment gap” -the proportion of mental illness patients who don't get treatment - rangesfrom75% in South Africa to more than 90% in Ethiopia and Nigeria

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Oversee the overall timeliness and quality of all program deliverables, the finalization of operational transactions in accordance with the MPSS operational work plan, assure compliance with WHO rules and regulations, and efficiently deliver related services/products within the country. Engage and coordinate with the international and national stakeholders (including UN/NGO and civil society organizations)to Facilitate and provide technical assistance in the assessment of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) needs, resources, and capacities. Support the development of a mental health service organization plan, with an initial focus on Promoting a system-based approach to integrate MHPSS in health and related social sectors, in coordination with relevant agencies and entities. Establish and lead the Mental Health Working Group under the health cluster based on the interagency cluster approach for ensuring a coordinated response. Provide technical support to the Ministry of Health and other national entities/ institutions in building capacity in the MHPSS response at the national level. Provide technical advice to partner civil society organizations and other entities, as appropriate, on the issues related to instituting a robust MHPSS program. Contribute to the mobilization of adequate and sustained resources for the development and implementation of MHPSS activities. Facilitate the development of community-based mental health services. Contribute to the development of secondary and strengthening of specialist-level psychiatric services. Provide technical guidance to develop, implement and monitor the integration of mental health into primary health care. Co-develop, in coordination with national stakeholders, surveillance and monitoring systems for mental, neurological, and substance use disorders (MNS).Draft and revise technical documents, briefing notes, meeting reports, information products, and content, as appropriate.Perform any other related incident-specific duties, as required by the functional supervisor

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: University degree in psychiatry, clinical, psychology, social work, or allied sciences from an accredited/recognized institute
Desirable: Post-graduate qualification or specialized training in(a) public health (b) clinical psychology or psychiatry and/or (c) MHPSS in emergency and humanitarian crises; Training in delivering bio-psychosocial interventions for MNS disorders

Experience

Essential: At least five (5) years of experience in the assessment, development, and implementation of policies, strategies, and action plans for MHPSS in the context of emergencies
Desirable: Experience in managing national mental health program (s) including experience with implementing WHO's mental health GapAction Programme (MHGAP); Experience in capacity building, developing, and promoting collaborative partnerships.Relevant work experience in WHO, other UN agencies, relevant nongovernmental, health cluster partners, or recognized humanitarian organizations. A minimum of 3 years of working experience in large public health projects would be an asset

Skills

Knowledge of: International policy frameworks (WHO, Sphere, IASC) for reduction of public health challenges related to mental health in emergency settings. Implementation tools (e.g., WHO/United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) MHPSS assessment toolkit, psychological first aid field guide, MH GAP Humanitarian Intervention Guide, mental health component of Interagency Emergency Health Kit (IEHK), “Building Back Better” casebook) for reduction of public health problems related to mental health in (post-) emergency settings. Demonstrated ability to Plan and conduct capacity-building activities in MHPSS. Work effectively in an emergency and humanitarian response context, under constraints, and meet deadlines. Collaborate on MHPSSacross different sectors

WHO Competencies

Teamwork
Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
Communication
Building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond
Producing results

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English.
Desirable:

REMUNERATION

Remuneration comprises an annual base salary starting at NGN 25,344,462 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable) and 30 days of annual leave.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level

• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.

• A written test may be used as a form of screening.

• In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.

• Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules, and Manual.

• For information on WHO's operations please visit http://www.who.int.

• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.

• WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and is committed to putting the WHO Values Charter into practice.

• WHO has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment, and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment, or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.

• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

• This is a National Professional Officer position. Therefore, only applications from nationals of the country where the duty station is located will be accepted. Applicants who are not nationals of this country will not be considered.