TEAM/PROGRAMME: USAID-LEGO Foundation Childhood Development Activity

LOCATION: Gode

GRADE: 1B

TYPE OF CONTRACT: National

Child Safeguarding:

Level 2:  The role holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work in country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

ROLE PURPOSE:

The MHPSS and Resilience Advisor is a member of the USAID/LEGO Foundation supported Childhood Development Project team. The project is implemented by Save the Children Ethiopia Office and local partners targeting crisis-affected pre-primary school age children in five regions of Ethiopia. 

The Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) and Resilience Advisor will be responsible for developing/adapting context-relevant MHPSS and resilience manual and strategies targeting children, parents and communities. She/he will lead the MHPSS and resilience trainings to master trainers, ECCE facilitators, and Local Implementing Partner (LIP) and government staff. She/he provides coaching and mentorship support on MHPSS and resilience to project technical staff and LIP staff. Monitor LIP MHPSS and resilience activities in ECCE centers and at community level.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Senior ECCEiE Advisor

Staff reporting to this post: None  

Budget Responsibilities: None

Role Dimensions:

The MHPSS and Resilience Advisor, in collaboration with MEAL team, develop/adapt MHPSS and resilience tools to collect MHPSS and resilience data and interpret the data for improving program implementation. She/he support local implementing partners in the use of MHPSS and resilience tools and guidelines in the implementation of MHPSS and resilience activities. She/he, in collaboration with Technology based team, participate in the development/adaptation of  audio and print tailored MHPSS and resilience messages/sessions to be used with ECCE children and parental group. She/he collaborate with MEAL team in the documentation of case stories and best practices in MHPSS and resilience interventions. The MHPSS and Resilience Advisor will represent the project at existing national and regional-level MHPSS and resilience Technical working group (TWG) and forums.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

1. Technical Leadership:

• Identify, design/plan and support LIP to deliver community-based mental health promotion, and implement activities that prevent worries, stresses, and anxieties among crisis affected communities, caregivers and children

• Develop/adapt evidence-informed contents for community based MHPSS and resilience activities.

• Develop/adapt context and culture specific MHPSS awareness raising materials such as brochures, flyers and pictorials

• Develop/adapt MHPSS and resilience manual to hold training for master trainers, ECCE facilitators, and LIP and government staff

• In collaboration with MEAL team, lead the development of MHPSS and child resilience tools and guideline to be used by LIP in ECCE center and community level

• In collaboration with Technology based team, participate in the development of audio and print messages or session on MHPSS and child resilience.

• Develop/adapt coaching and mentoring guides for LIPs on developing skills on the implementation MHPSS and resilience activities and regularly coach and mentor partners, ECCE centers and field based staffs working on MHPSS and child resilience

• Conduct advocacy and communication activities in relation to MHPSS and child resilience

• Lead the continuous assessment of MHPSS needs of children and their care providers and ensure that these are appropriately reflected in project planning, revisions and amendments

B. Ensuring Program Quality (Design & Implementation):

Work closely with new business development colleagues to identify and pursue funding

• Lead master trainers training on Mental Health and Psychosocial support.

• Lead the technical scoping and sequencing of the cascading training on MHPSS to ECCE facilitators, LIP and government staff.

• Organization and lead the cascading trainings in MHPSS for LIP and Government staff and ECCE facilitators.

• Conduct assessment to identify technical capacity gaps and strength among partners, ECCE facilitators and government staffs and set up a regular mentoring/supervision platforms.

• Capacitate LIP staff on the use of MHPSS and child resilience tools, guidelines, and print and audio learning sessions to implement MHPSS and resilience activities at ECCE center and community level

• Capacitate LIP on supporting schools and learning centers on develop DRR plan and its implementation

• Provide coaching and mentoring support to LIPs’ staff on the implementation of MHPSS and resilience activities.

• Support the establishment and strengthening of MHPSS referral and coordination mechanisms to ensure improved access to quality and timely MHPSS services for children and families showing signs of distress. This also includes development of standard operating procedures for MHPSS service provisions.

• Provide capacity building support to LIP staff on identification of young child with MHPSS issue for person focused MHPSS referral

• Develop/ adapt for LIP individual case referral and documentation forms and tracking service received by the individual case

• Oversee the implementation of a safe and confidential MHPSS case referral and service received record-keeping system

• Monitor quality implementation of MHPSS and resilience activities and document best practices, case stories and lessons

• Collaborate with the Child Protection Specialist, promote structured play in the ECCE center and at community level to prevent MHPSS issues and concerns among young children

• Collaborate with MEAL team and participate case stories on progress of MHPSS and resilience and intervention.

• Participate in SCI-Education sector community of practice by presenting case stories, best practices and challenges on the implementation of MHPSS and resilience interventions at both ECCE center and community level.  

• Involve in joint field visits to project sites and ensure MHPSS and resilience activities are properly implemented.

1. Networking & External Engagement:

•  Work with local implementing partners to identify potential partner organizations in the different project locations and develop collaborative partnerships with MHPSS specialized service providers so that MHPSS learnings and challenges are shared among service providers

• Work with regional, zonal, district women and children offices and NGOs providing MHPSS services to coordinate at MHPSS services are coordinated ECCE centers and community level and case referral and expected service provisions are facilitated.

• Work through LIPs District Education Office (DEO)s and Schools on the development of school based DRR plan

• Participate in global, national, regional MHPSS technical working groups and district level forums to expand the provision of MHPSS services at ECCE centers and community level.

• Coordinate with technical colleagues from across Save the Children-Education, Child Protection and Health team to share experiences of MHPSS service provisions in the different sectors.

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values

• Holds their team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in accordance with the context, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same

• Widely shares Save the Children’s vision, and engages and motivates others future orientated, thinks strategically and on a national and global scale.

Collaboration:

• builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters

• values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength

• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• develops and encourages new and innovative solutions

• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

• The post holder must commit to work in an international agency that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion and fights racism, gender inequality and discrimination in all forms; and to model positive behaviors that demonstrate a commitment to equality and respect to all colleagues, partners and communities.

Job Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

• BA  degree (Masters is preferred) in Health Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Health or related fields

• Training in MHPSS and Resilience

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• At least 10 years’ experience of designing and implementing PSS interventions with children and 1 year experience in MHPSS with ECCE or primary school children.

• Work experience in humanitarian emergencies or protracted-conflict settings (IDPs, Returnees, &Refugees).

• Proven capacity to train, supervise, and coach staff in MHPSS technical skills and coordination, based on evidence-based approaches and intervention packages

• Sound knowledge of IASC MHPSS guidelines, human rights, and protection in humanitarian contexts.

• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work within different cultural environments.

• Excellent written and verbal communication and reporting skills.

• Fluency in English,

• Commitment to Save the Children values and Child Safeguarding

KEY COMPETENCIES

Technical competencies:

• Ensures all children’s access to quality education

• Ensures all children’s wellbeing

• Supports all children’s learning and development

Generic Competencies

• Being the Voice of Children: Promotes evidence-based policy and public engagement that includes the voices of children and their communities

• Advancing Equality & Inclusion: Displays a commitment to ensuring everything we do considers the most deprived and marginalized children

• Building & Strengthening Partnerships: Promotes working with diverse partners as critical to delivery

• Child Rights: Promotes the rights of children in own work and in work with colleagues and peers

Additional job responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

Equal Opportunities

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI’s global Diversity, Equity and

Inclusion and Gender Equality Policies, supported by relevant procedures.

Child Safeguarding:

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Safeguarding our Staff:

The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy

Health and Safety

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.

How to Apply

Application Information:

Please attach a copy of your CV and cover letter with your application, and include details of your current remuneration and salary expectations. 

Register using the following LINK

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

All employees are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with our global anti-harassment policy.