Preliminary job information

• Job Title: PSYCHOSOCIAL OFFICER
• Country and Base of posting: YEMEN – MOKHA
• Reports hierarchically to: AREA COORDINATOR 
• Creation / Replacement (incl. name): CREATION 
• Contract Duration: 6 months renewable based on Performance and budget availability.
• Announcing Date: 27/07/2022
• Announcement Closing Date: 09/08/2022
• Work Starting Date: 15/09/2022

General information on the mission

Context

Première Urgence - Aide Médicale Internationale (PU-AMI) is a non-governmental, non-profit, non-political and non-religious international aid organization. Our teams are committed to supporting civilian victims of marginalization and exclusion, or those hit by natural disasters, wars and economic collapses by answering their fundamental needs. Our aim is to provide emergency relief to uprooted people in order to help them recover their dignity and regain self-sufficiency. The association leads in average 190 projects a year in the following sectors of intervention: Food Security, Health, Nutrition, Construction and Rehabilitation of infrastructures, Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Economic Recovery. PU-AMI is providing assistance to around 5 million people in 20 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and France.

Yemen is one of the 30 poorest countries in the world with 54% of the population (2014 est.) living below the poverty line on less than two dollars a day. In parallel, since 2011 and the Yemeni revolution, the State is facing major humanitarian challenges. The transitional process failed to provide sustainable peace in the region. The country is now divided in two, with northern Yemen being under severe stress to provide for its population. In March 2015, a Saudi-led coalition began airstrikes in support of southern based pro-government forces, leading to a very unstable situation and dire humanitarian needs. 
The armed conflict has spread rapidly throughout much of Yemen since mid-March 2015, with devastating consequences for civilians. Two years of violence has led one of the world's poorest countries into chaos. Around 70% of the population, or 18.8 million people, now depend on humanitarian aid (OCHA); 2.8 million people are displaced; Dozens of schools and hospitals were the target of attacks; 17 million Yemenis are food insecure and 3 million children and pregnant or lactating women are acutely malnourished. The lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation also affects 14 million people. 14.8 million people have no access to health care. A generation of Yemeni children is at risk, as nearly 2 million children do not have access to education because of conflict, poverty and discrimination. Yemen has turned into the number one humanitarian crisis in absolute numbers of people in need.

PU-AMI’s history in the country and intervention strategy

PU-AMI has been present in Yemen since 2007. From 2007 to 2011, PU-AMI supported the primary health system in Hodeidah Governorate. After a one-year stand-by in 2011 due to security reasons, the mission re-started in July 2012 with a nutrition project focusing both on emergency response and a longer term community-based approach in Hodeidah and extended its activity in Raymah Governorate. 
In 2017, PU-AMI continues to concentrate its intervention in 6 districts of Hodeida and 3 districts of Raymah. The number of IDPs in those two Governorates is very large and weight consequently on a population already living in extreme precariousness. The core field of intervention for PU-AMI in these Governorates is an integrated approach on nutrition including community-based activities (OTP/SFP and community mobilization as a strong component of the program, within health facilities, but also within an outreached approach and mobile clinics). 
In Hodeidah governorate, PU-AMI works to contribute to reduce the impact and severity of nutritional challenges and to improve health status of most vulnerable populations, through supplementary nutrition integrated response based upon health, hygiene and nutrition education and capacity building (Mobile Health Clinic, support to Health facilities, General Food Distributions, etc.). 
In Raymah governorate, PU-AMI is responding to the ongoing nutrition crisis through the same activities as in Hodeidah (primary health care and management of acute malnutrition for children U5 and pregnant and lactating women), as well as running a Stabilization Centre for severely malnourished children with medical complications. 
As part of this integrated approach in those two governorates, PU-AMI also implements food security and livelihoods activities, mostly consisting on general food distribution and some Food For Training activities (started in 01/2017). In addition, water, hygiene and sanitation will also be part of PUI intervention in the focused area, with WASH being prioritized in the rehabilitation of health facilities to manage more effectively nutrition activities.
In May 2017, PU-AMI started being a part of the Emergency Cholera Response in Hodeida and Raymah through the set up or Oral Rehydration Points and support of one Cholera Treatment Centre in Raymah.
PU-AMI will also position itself in influencing positions, through effective participation to clusters and sub-clusters (nutrition; food security and livelihoods; WASH) and working closely with relevant government departments (MOPIC; MoPHP).The mission will explore opportunities for geographical expansion through developing and clarifying expansion criteria beyond the current Governorates and District.  

Overall objective:

Under the supervision of the Area Coordinator and technical support of MHPSS PM, Psychosocial Officer is responsible for the provision of dedicated psychosocial support to the national staff (PU-AMI and HI) in Mokha base taking into account the psychological consequences of movement restriction, work in a remote and unstable area, and/or either internally or externally work-related issues, mental health, and personal issues. 

Tasks and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Area Coordinator and technical support of MHPSS PM, the Psychosocial Officer is responsible for:

1.    Provision of culturally sensitive psychosocial support, in-person individual, and group psychosocial support according to the needs of all national staff:

• Individual sessions on request from employees and/or by referral.
• Group counseling sessions based on the needs.

2.    Provision of culturally sensitive, active psychosocial support during emergencies and/or after critical incidents through individual and group sessions: 

• Identification of acute psychological distress cases and referral if needed, informing ORGANISATION focal point.
• Provision of psychological support to staff after facing critical incidents according to the needs and organization with the HR Organization Focal Point. 

3.    Provide preventative and mitigating stress and crisis management training and other psychoeducation activities including support groups:

• Monthly workshop on the following topics and according to the needs (For example Problem-solving (professional/ personal), stress management, self-care training, etc);
• Conduct psychosocial activities to facilitate team building and cohesion through formal and informal interventions according to the needs.

4.    Monitoring and reporting on staff-care-related aspects.

• Weekly reporting on needs and responses respecting privacy, and professional secrecy, based on the ORGANISATION reporting template

Team Management

• Under the direct management of:  Area Coordinator 
• Under the technical supervision of:  MHPSS PM
• Directly Managing: None

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• At least 5 years of relevant work experience, preferably in the field of Mental Health or psychosocial support. 
• A previous work experience in humanitarian mental health psychosocial support (MHPSS) or with INGOs is preferred 
• Experience in conflict zones, including psychosocial support to conflict-affected workers
• Knowledge and experience providing individual and group staff support activities. 
• Cross-cultural working experience in the field of staff care and psychosocial support.
• Strong work ethics and commitment to humanitarian issues.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills in a dynamic, multicultural setting.
• Proven reliability in the delivery of timely and quality services.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills.
• Sound understanding of professional ethics as they apply to mental health and employee care.
• Positive, innovative, inspirational, and problem-solving attitude.

LANGUAGES

• Arabic: Native speaker
• English: Preferable     

SOFTWARE

•     Pack Office    

Required Personal Characteristics (fitting into the team, suitability for the job and assignment)

• Good human relations and diplomacy – Analytical 
• Experience in problems linked with humanitarian crises 
• Capacity to work under stressful situations
• Communication skills.