INTERNAL/EXTERNAL VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT 

For

 Psychosocial and Stimulation Therapy Officer-Nutrition Services

Country Office: Ethiopia

Work Base:  Gode, Adadale, Ethiopia 

Availability: As Soon As Possible

Salary Scale: EMS06 Level 1 $ 662

Insurance - (Life, Group Personal Accident and Medical Insurances are covered upon the organization policies).

Seniority Allowance – paid depending up the years of service.

 Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply for this position. 

 Action Against Hunger-USA is part of the Action Against Hunger International network, which provides humanitarian relief in over 50 countries worldwide in the sectors of nutrition and health, Water, sanitation and Hygiene, and food security and Livelihoods. Action Against Hunger-USA, an independent NGO, currently manages operations in 8 countries: Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Haiti, Somalia and Zambia. Action Against Hunger-USA has over $75 million in programs, and approximately 2000 staff based in the various country offices, Head Quarter in New York City and Operational Centre in Nairobi. Additional growth is anticipated. 

I. Summary of the position

Under  the direct supervision of the  Deputy Nutrition and Health –PM  and in collaboration with other Nutrition and Health team in the base, the Senior Psychosocial Worker will provide direct Psychosocial stimulation, emotional services and cognitive development support for children hospitalized for  complicated Severe Acute Malnutrition in Stabilization centers (SC) or In-Patient SAM treatment centers with the aim to reduce the risk of permanent mental retardation and emotional impairment, to promote the development of the child’s motor skills and to enhance growth in the rehabilitation phase. Meanwhile, he/she will also transfer skills and knowledge to government frontline health workers working in stabilization centers on psychosocial stimulation therapy for SAM children and their caretakers through on and off the job trainings. S/he will lead and support the integration of emotional and physical stimulation services into assigned health facility. S/he will also identify critically sick children and caretakers with complicated mental health and psychosocial problems and facilitate referral for more specialized services whenever needed. In addition, s/he will ensure functional linkage among acute malnutrition treatment centers, Baby Friendly Space (BFS) and IYCF-E services in assigned district and health facility. The immediate supervisor could assign and delegate additional roles, responsibilities, and tasks when deemed necessary.

Purpose, Engagement and Delivery

Purpose:

• The Senior Psychosocial Worker will provide direct psychosocial support, social and emotional learning and stimulation services in assigned health facility in collaboration with the government frontline health care providers and Action Against Hunger field based Nutrition and Health as well as PGMHPSS team.

• S/he will also be responsible in ensuring quality of care pertaining to psychosocial support and stimulation services in SC and linkage among acute malnutrition treatment and other preventive services. S/he will lead and support the integration of emotional and physical stimulation services into the treatment of severely malnourished children in assigned health facility.

• In addition, s/he will provide tailored and practical capacity building training, mentoring and supportive supervisions to government frontline health workers in assigned health facilities in accordance with national and international standard guidelines, tools and methods. 

Engagement:

• The Senior Psychosocial Worker will engage with Action Against Hunger Somali base nutrition and health team, government frontline health workers and is likely to work more closely with other departments in Action Against Hunger notably Protection, Gender and MHPSS (PG-MHPSS) for a smooth, effective and integrated implementation of psychosocial support services in assigned health facility.

Delivery:

• The Senior Psychosocial Worker in addition to providing psychosocial stimulation, social and emotional learning services to children in SC and ensure program linkage, early recovery and cognitive development support to affected children.

• S/he will produce high quality reports on the initiative and share best practices and challenges to the health and nutrition supervisor and program managers using standard reporting tools and technical guidelines. 

II. Essential Job Duties

Objective 1: Provide sensory stimulation and play therapy services for children admitted in SC:

• Makes subjective and objective assessments of patients with regard to impairments, function, patient goals and social situations.

• Based on assessment, identify problems and make treatment plan with the beneficiary.

• Carries out stimulation therapy treatments U5 SAM/MAM children admitted in stabilization centre such as reading, singing and telling stories for children in SC  to enhance child language, numeracy, memory, exploration, and problem-solving and recovery from sever wasting.

• Ensure good communication with beneficiary at all times throughout assessment, setting of goals and explanation of treatment.

• Build the capacity of service providers in SC and/or OTP on psychosocial stimulation services.

• Organize awareness-raising sessions at centres and community levels, based on a on child development, mothering practices, mother and child interactions and breastfeeding practices

• Set-up a Stimulation Therapy rooms for malnourished children near or at the nutrition service.

• Equip health facilities with necessary equipment and materials in consultation with base project team.

• Participate in development of key messages for counseling services and adapting them according to the context and the target population.

• Promote the full range of care practices including aspects of hygiene practice and infant & young child feeding practices (IYCF)

• Teach/train caregivers on the importance of interactions such as massage or stimulation of movement as well as for their cognition.

Objective 2: Promote stimulation therapy service at the community level.

• Conduct group discussions and support groups with the beneficiaries on mental health, care practices and psychosocial issues and stimulation services by using recommended guidelines and tools.

• Conduct psychosocial stimulation activities (therapeutic play sessions and others) for mothers and children at community level according to beneficiaries needs

• Train/orient caregivers of children with acute malnutrition on home-based stimulation therapy skills

• Contribute to develop interactive teaching methods (like role playing etc.) for group facilitation, in order to have an impact on behaviour change

• Stimulate group dynamic by favouring exchanges and participation among beneficiaries in group sessions on a particular theme

• Be able of receiving and restraining expressions of strong emotions

• Be able to observe, evaluate and analyse the content of a group session with an evaluation grid

• Evaluate the beneficiaries’ knowledge and skills before and after the group sessions

• Establish/strengthen referral linkage between communities based activities with facility level services.

• Referral of case with complicated psychosocial problems for more specialized services whenever required.

Objective 3: Program monitoring, reporting and analyzing of information on field activities and beneficiaries:

• Maintain detailed and up to date programme records, and ensure the confidentiality of beneficiaries’ information.

• Compile reports from each facility and share to the Nutrition and Health supervisor.

• Identity needs and gaps with in the facility and share to base team for program decision.

• Collaborate with Action Against Hunger others departments for all activities, reporting and information sharing.  

• Collaborate with the PG-MHPSS department on needs and gaps and program monitoring, reports and capacity building activities.

• Document lessons and share to the base and capital team as necessary

III. Supervisory Responsibilities

•  The Senior Psychosocial Worker will not have a supervisory role and responsibility.

 IV. Fiscal Responsibility

               N/A

V. Physical Demands

• While performing the duties of this job, the Senior Psychosocial Worker is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a moderately noisy office with interruptions.

•  The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made available in office to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

VI. Working Conditions, Travel and Environment

• The duties of the position require regular job attendance at least five days per week. Could be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as required.

• The Psychosocial Worker will make travel to health facilities as required and in consultation with his/her line manager.  Hence, s/he must attest to a level of physical fitness capable of enduring physically difficult, highly stressful situations that may include the necessity to walk long distances, to eat a limited diet and/or to reside in potentially uncomfortable housing or tents.  

• While visiting the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high security risks and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well is to infectious diseases.

VII. Gender Equality Commitments & Zero Tolerance to Abuse

• Foster an environment that reinforces values of women and men, and equal access to information.

• Provide a work environment where women and men must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance.

• Promote a safe, secure, and respectful environment for all stakeholders, particularly for children, beneficiaries, and members of staff.

• Help to prevent any type of abuse including workplace harassment and sexual abuse and exploitation.

• Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sex orientation, disability, religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status.

• Value and respect all cultures.

VIII. Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA)

•  Beware of minimum operating standards of SEA

•  Protect and prevent others from SEA.

• Report SEA.

•  Strictly comply with AAH child protection and SEA policies.

Job Requirements

I. Required Qualifications and Professional Experience

•  Bachelor’s degree or diploma in psychology, Sociology, social anthropology, physiotherapy  (with strong stimulation therapy experience) or related field of study from recognized university and at least 3 years of relevant work experience.   

• Work experience in the nutrition and health sector or academic background in Nutrition, Nursing, Public Health and any medical field with strong psychosocial experience is a plus.

• Previous work experience on Psychosocial support and stimulation therapy is a plus

• Previous work experience in humanitarian and development Nutrition and Health interventions and Hands-on experience in provision of psychosocial support, social and emotional learning activities for children with malnutrition in INGO is advantageous.

II. Required Skills and Competencies

• Strong organizational skills, and ability to lead a stream of work.

• Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to work both independently and as a member of a team.

• Ability to take initiative and prioritize multiple tasks as well as self-direct with minimum supervision.

• Demonstrated ability to emotional intelligence (Self Awareness, self-regulation, Motivation,  Empathy and Social skills)

• Demonstrated ability to coordinate closely with government staff, capable to effectively manage their expectations, and build their capacity in the areas of psychosocial support and stimulation.

• Knowledge and skills of MS Office Suite is required.

• Genuine interest and commitment to the mission and principles of Action Against Hunger.

• Proven abilities to set priorities, to multi-task, and to work collaboratively across technical disciplines.  

• Proficient and fluency in English and Somali Language is mandatory. 

How to Apply

 APPLICATION PROCEDURE 

If you are interested, please send your application composed of none returnable CV, a Covering Letter with Psychosocial and Stimulation Therapy Officer-Nutrition Services, Gode, Adadele" written in the subject line, and three references, applicants to this LINK

 Deadline:   Friday  04 August  2023 before 5:00 PM

NB: Only shortlisted applicants will be communicated and the selection process includes a technical test and an interview.