Clinical Psychologist for Children and their Caregivers - Bekaa

International Rescue Committee•Lebanon, PA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future. The consultant, a clinical psychologist for children and their caregivers will provide clinical supervision of high-risk cases mainly under the case management component or their caregivers as needed and indicated by the Field manager or case management officer. The psychologist will conduct face-to-face, one-on-one, and group sessions for children exposed to high risks, vulnerabilities, and distress. In addition, the consultant will support case workers through coaching sessions to build their capacity to deal with children with challenging behaviors when/if needed.

Requirements

MA in clinical psychology.
A completed clinical training/practicum in a university center consisting of at least 100 hours of training under supervision and 300 hours of applied training.
Lebanese colloquium certificate for clinical psychologists.
License to practice the clinical psychology profession from the Ministry of Public Health.
Minimum of 7 years of professional experience in MHPSS.
Skilled and experienced in evidence-based approaches to mental health (e.g., IPT, CBT, TF-CBT, EMDR).
Knowledge of and experiences in using established inter-agency standards and guidelines in MHPSS and CP, such as the IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings, Setting the Standard – A Common Approach to Child Protection for International NGOs, and Minimum Standards for Child Protection In Humanitarian Action.
Ability to maintain confidentiality, respect, non-discrimination, and safety of beneficiaries always.
Excellent communication.
Ability to develop a consistent and acceptable improvement plan with clear objectives.
Ability to recognize mental health priority conditions as per the mhGAP.
Skilled in at least one evidenced-based psychotherapy approach.
Using different relaxation and stress management techniques.
Ability to develop rapport with the patient.
Interviewing skills.
Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills, creativity, and flexibility.
Ability to work autonomously, take initiative and responsibly escalate issues.
Excellent coaching skills, including the capacity to provide structured feedback.
Ability to work in a multidisciplinary team.
Demonstrated cultural sensitivity, non-discrimination, and readiness to work with men, women, and girls and boys from diverse backgrounds, particularly the most marginalized segments of the community.
Ability to adhere to ethical considerations and principles regarding work with vulnerable populations.
Skilled in developing person-centered, goal and strength-focused, recovery-oriented care plans.
Skilled in mental health in complex emergencies (IASC guidelines, Psychological First Aid, mhGAP…).
Skilled in biopsychosocial model in mental health.
Skilled in community-based approach in mental health.
Skilled in human rights-based approach in mental health.
Knowledge about the predictable stresses of humanitarian aid workers and the policies and practices needed to mitigate them.
Good digital literacy and knowledge of Microsoft Office and internet use.
Ability to fluently communicate, read, and write in Arabic and English.
Must be willing to travel to different areas within Bekaa and Hermel Governorate to conduct home visits.
Must have a smartphone with a SIM card dedicated to the delivery of remote MH interventions.
The smartphone and the application for telecommunication used (WhatsApp…) must be protected with strong passwords.

Nice To Haves

A letter of recommendation from a senior clinical psychologist supervisor (holder of a doctorate and/or a scholar) and membership in one of the registered psychological associations of Lebanon is preferable.
Previous experience training MHPSS staff and supervising implementation is strongly preferred.
Experience supporting children at a high-risk level.
Experience providing clinical supervision or leading training is a plus.

Responsibilities

Provide clinical supervision of high-risk cases mainly under the case management component or their caregivers as needed and indicated by the Field manager or case management officer.
Conduct face-to-face, one-on-one, and group sessions for children exposed to high risks, vulnerabilities, and distress.
Support case workers through coaching sessions to build their capacity to deal with children with challenging behaviors when/if needed.
Conduct one-on-one and group sessions for children exposed to high-risk vulnerabilities through home visits, or within the Case management room in the municipalities or at the IRC’s partner premises.
Provide structured clinical assessments and clear case formulation: Assess the needs of the beneficiaries on the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional levels.
Use standardized assessment tools.
Develop a consistent and acceptable treatment plan with clear objectives in relevance to the need assessment with a logical and consistent timeframe that includes estimated dates for case evaluation, closure, and post-support check-up.
Monitor and evaluate the psychological progress of the patient.
Maintain irreproachable levels of confidentiality and privacy.
Complete intake assessments, evaluations, treatment recommendations, reviews, follow-up, and other documentation for each consultation and as necessary in an organized and efficient manner.
Ensure that emergency cases are properly managed, referred to, and followed.
Submit reports and updates on the cases to the manager of the program, the Case management officer, and the designated case worker after every session or field visit, including feedback, concerns, and recommendations for the case of every child.
Deliver specialized MHPSS consultations per child or caregiver – Echo Project.
Deliver specialized MHPSS consultations per child or caregiver- SDC Project.
Deliver one report/month on the child’s situation including feedback, concerns, and recommendations for each case.
Abide by the guidelines on delivering telepsychology interventions.
Abide by humanitarian principles and report any possible exploitation, abuse or degrading treatment, discrimination, harm, involuntary admission to institutions, forced medication, transgression of rights, and disregard to content being committed by family, community members, and other professionals.
Ensure that the smartphone is operational and connected to the internet network during working hours.
Contact clients to ask about their preferences for receiving MH services, either in-person or remotely.
Conduct an initial assessment to determine the suitability of remote intervention if chosen.
Prioritize clients based on their MH status, risk of complications, and urgent need to receive MH intervention.
Re-explain informed consent to the client for remote sessions, mentioning special considerations for this modality.
Set boundaries for the intervention (working hours, when to reach the MH staff).
Discuss emergency planning including emergency contacts.
Develop agreements with clients to assume some role in protecting the data and information they receive from the MH staff.
Uphold the same ethical and professional principles applicable during the in-person intervention during remote intervention.
Do best not to compromise the professional relationship, ensure appropriate conduct, and respect professional boundaries.
Use telecommunication applications to augment the in-person or remote intervention (share IEC materials, links, exercises, and toolkits).
Dispose of the conversation (deleted) after the MH staff takes notes of the session at the end of each remote session.
Export and store important documents shared via telecommunication such as images, reports, scans in the client’s file.
Explain to the client the need to dispose of the conversation (possible privacy and secrecy breaches), yet it is up to the client her/himself to decide whether to dispose of it or not.
Monitor and regularly assess the progress of the clients to determine if the remote intervention is still appropriate and beneficial.
Discuss concerns with the client, appropriately terminate their remote services with adequate notice, and refer or offer any needed alternative services to the client if remote intervention is no longer beneficial or presents a risk.
Begin providing in-person intervention if a client recurrently experiences crises/emergencies, which suggests that in-person intervention may be appropriate.
Coordinate closely with the other staff members to ensure a comprehensive and holistic intervention that responds to the clients’ personalized needs.
Ensure that the integrity of the psychometric properties of the test and the conditions of administration are preserved if psychometric testing is needed.
Make appropriate arrangements to address the speciﬁc issues that may arise with diverse populations if psychometric testing is needed.
Specify that psychometric testing was administered remotely.
Document every step of the process.
Conduct sessions with the main caregivers focusing on advice and exercises for children who are not able to participate in the interview.
Dedicate a part of the session to the main caregivers to share recommendations and exercises for children who can participate in the interview and depending on the situation.
Follow-up with IRC’s MHPSS technical focal point periodically.
Adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct: Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability.
Operate and enforce policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation.