Mental Health Officer (MHO)

Start Date: October 2011

Job Title: Mental Health Officer (MHO)

Location: Dadaab Dagahaley Mental Health Program

Job Purpose / Objective: Implement mental health activities within the MSF mission.

Key Responsibilities:

• Evaluate the psychiatric needs of the patient.
• Diagnose any psychiatric or psychological disorder.
• Define the best response (treatment and strategy) to answer the mental health needs.
• Refer patients in accordance with MSF protocols.
• Carry out mental care (medical treatment or psychological support) according to MSF protocols
• Assist in coordination and supervision of community based mental health activities.
• Prepare and compile weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual reports.
• Be party to appropriate networking system with other and or relevant implementing partners, line ministries, hospital departments and community stakeholders through referrals and advocacy.
• Oversee and conduct mental health assessments, diagnosis and planning individual clinical case management of all psychiatric patients in the camp and local community
• Design and initiate appropriate treatment plans for war trauma and torture survivors suffering from PTSD through individual or small group psychotherapeutic sessions and supervise as necessary
• Identify and define the prevalence of mental health problems and needs of the refugee and local community through mental health surveys
• Provide technical advice on all psychiatric patients regarding management and or referrals to special clinics or to Nairobi for further review and management as well as. Preparation of referral letters for the same
• Review special psychiatric outpatients in the clinics and provide guidance to mental health workers in diagnosing and treatment plans
• Providing mentorship of the national staff and refugee/support staff working in the MH department through continuous education, guidance, supervision and support.
• Design a training curriculum and conduct mental health trainings for the mental health workers, and other stakeholders
• Design and plan budgets for important department related events such as World Torture Day, World Mental Health Day etc.

Required Qualifications and Experience:

• Diploma in Registered Nursing from recognized medical training institution
• Higher Diploma in Community Psychiatric Nursing from a recognized medical training institution
• Advanced Diploma or certificate in Psychological counseling from a recognized institution
• Fluency in English, fluency in Somali would be an advantage.
• Work experience in community based mental health program with refugees and displaced persons preferable.
• Ability to design training curriculums and facilitate Mental health, torture and war trauma trainings to relevant staff and stakeholders
• Computer literacy in MS word, excel, power point and internet use
• Experience of work in multicultural settings and culturally sensitive to others
• Good communication skills

Send your CV, motivation letter, copies of relevant documents, mentioning on the envelope “Mental Health Officer (MHO)” to:

The Medical Coordinator
MSF-Switzerland, Kenya Mission
P.O. Box 25091 – 00603,
Lavington, Nairobi

Deadline: 10th October 2011

Only short-listed candidate will be contacted.