MT04100
COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH WORKER
Level 4
Reports to (Hierarchical)
Head of Community Mental Health Workers
Reports to (Functional)
Head of Community Mental Health Workers
Job Family
Medical and Paramedical
Main Purpose
Providing optimal preventive and psychosocial aid to people with mental health and psychosocial needs at community level according to MSF principles, standards and procedures in order to provide the most appropriate mental health support for patients
Accountabilities
- Providing information and education to the affected population on mental health/psychosocial (psycho-education), according to specific needs
- Working together with other team members to prepare/produce various mental health psychosocial education messages/topics, according to specific groups and needs e.g. caretakers of malnourished children, population affected by armed conflict, etc.
- Identifying and appropriately referring patients who need medical or mental health assistance and providing psychological first aid to identified community members in need.
- Organizing supportive activities in the community (art for children, discussion sessions, etc.), if required.
- Ensuring that all patients attending MSF activities are well informed about services provided.
- Visiting families in their home/tent/shelter if required, in order to facilitate defaulters' tracing or to offer psycho-education.
- Attending supervision sessions and educational sessions with members of the team.
- Maintaining monitoring data and producing regular work reports to the supervisor.
Education
No specific degree required
Experience
- Preferably coming from the beneficiaries’ community and well accepted
- Desired experience in community and/or social work
Language Level Description
B1 Independent User
Threshold or intermediate
- Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc.
- Can deal with most situations likely to arise while travelling in an area where the language is spoken.
- Can produce simple connected text on topics that are familiar or of personal interest.
- Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.
Technical Skills
This job doesn't have technical skills.
Transversal Competencies
Commitment to MSF’s Principles
Demonstrates knowledge of and accepts MSF’s principles
- Respects the choices made by the organisation.
- Has basic knowledge of MSF’s mission and main activities.
- Respects and accepts the medical ethics and principles of MSF.
- Knows the difference between MSF’s activities and those of other NGOs and actors.
Behavioural Flexibility
Accepts changes
- Accepts changes without knowing the full reasons for them.
- Accepts new ideas in a positive way.
- Positively accepts changes in his/her environment.
- Accepts arguments opposed to his/her own.
- Is willing to listen and to take on new tasks in his/her job.
Stress Management
Manages own stress
- Expresses awareness of his/her own stress level.
- Is able to identify causes of his/her own stress and/or asks for help in detecting them.
- Is able to express to others his/her personal stressors at an appropriate time without overwhelming them.
Results and Quality Orientation
Performs his/her work
- Knows objectives of the job.
- Defines tasks to achieve objectives and establishes a working plan.
- Reviews and checks his/her work to detect mistakes and to correct them immediately.
- Values high-quality work.
Service Orientation
Knows and understands clients’ needs and interests
- Identifies and has a clear understanding of who the client to be served is.
- Identifies clients’ needs and concerns, and provides them with useful information and quick solutions.
- Listens to clients and asks them questions to determine their needs and motivations.
- Gets to know how the rest of the team works.
Teamwork and Cooperation
Acknowledges the importance of teamwork and cooperation
- Is responsible for his/her work because he/she knows the repercussions it has on the team or on others.
- Establishes and maintains good working relationships with colleagues, is accessible and listens to others.
- Cooperates with the team and supports decisions made.
- Demonstrates a predisposition to work with others and gives help when asked.
- Acknowledges there are common goals as well as individual objectives deriving from the personal plan of action.