wellbeing counselor

The Wellbeing Counselor having university degree in Psychology and at least two years of experience in the role of a mental health worker will support HI's MHPSS program in the field. The Wellbeing Counselor will report to the Project Manager.

Mission 1: Mental Health Support

Wellbeing Counselor will:

• Plan and facilitate MHPSS group sessions for the students of Non-Formal Education Centers, addressing common psychological and emotional challenges.
• Incorporate elements of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) in the group sessions to build resilience, improve emotional regulation, and foster healthy interpersonal relationships.
• Ensure that sessions are age-appropriate, culturally sensitive, and align with the educational and psychosocial needs of the students.
• Provide individual counseling to students and community members who are experiencing psychological distress.
• Assess and identify extreme cases like individuals with severe anxiety symptoms, or trauma-related challenges, and will connect them to appropriate specialized services for further support.
• Maintain confidential records of counseling sessions and ensure follow-up care for referred individuals.
• Provide all services through person-centered approach, in line with HI's principles of confidentiality, do no harm, and PSEAH.

Mission 2: Community Awareness and Trainings

• Raise awareness within the community on mental health and psychosocial support.
• Conduct awareness sessions, workshops, and community events to reduce stigma around mental health issues and promote healthy coping strategies.
• Ensure that the community is well-informed about available MHPSS services and how to access support.
• Provide training and support to education staff, community workers and PTCs on basic MHPSS principles and how to support students' emotional needs.
• Collaborate with other components within the project for trainings and seminars, and identification of cross-cutting issues that may lead to mental health outcomes within the community.
• Conduct trainings, learning sessions, and seminars with beneficiaries, and relevant stakeholders as identified.
• Maintain follow-up of learning, feedback, and new areas identified.

Mission 3: Documentation & Data Reporting

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation of all MHPSS activities, including group sessions, individual counseling, referrals and community awareness.
• Provide regular reports on progress, challenges, and outcomes of MHPSS activities to the line supervisor and MEAL team.
• Monitor the overall effectiveness of MHPSS interventions and suggest improvements or adaptations as needed.
• Share lessons learnt in the field, prepare case studies and success stories pertaining to mental health and psychosocial support for every quarter and/or as required.

Mission 4: Collaboration and Field Management

• Work closely with the education team to integrate MHPSS strategies into the overall education program.
• Collaborate with school leaders, community workers, PTCs to ensure a holistic approach to student well-being, including family and community involvement in MHPSS activities.
• Is responsible for support in arranging training venues within the community.
• Is responsible for liaising with different components of the project and other organizations in the field to avoid duplication.

• Can speak Pashto and Urdu.

Professional skills:

• Knows
• Practices
• Expert
• Clinical skills
• Communication with community
• Quantitative and qualitative data collection
• Accountability to populations: participatory, non-discriminatory and responsible approaches
• Understanding and respect of local cultures
• Local adaptation of psychosocial strategies
• Handling of relevant software (MS Word, Excel, other relevant)
• Understanding of the refugee crisis and social dynamics following it

Emergency preparedness and response skills

• Knows
• Practices
• Expert
• Emergency response
• Humanitarian monitoring and Emergency Preparedness

Other professional skills

• Knows
• Practices
• Expert
• Project Management
• Assessment
• Planning, steering and coordination
• Finance
• Treasury management
• Budget/financial management
• HR
• Facilitation and/or design of training and skills development programmes
• ISD
• Use of the information system of my profession
• Information security management
• Computer basics
• SECU
• Personal security management
• Public relations / representation / internal-external communication / relations
• Development & implementation of an operational strategy, including fundraising
• Inclusion
• DGA intersectionality
• Proposal & narrative report writing
• Knows
• Practices
• Expert
• Frameworks and references
• Office and collaborative tools
• Stress management
• Collaborating in a global organization

Languages

A1

A2

B1

B2

C1

C2

Country Language (Pashto, Urdu)

HI Official Language (French or English)

Federation Handicap International is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities or any limitation, to apply to become a part of the organization.

Federation Handicap International has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Federation Handicap International, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, PSEA (Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Beneficiaries) abuse of authority and discrimination. Federation Handicap International also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. - This position involves working with children, women and is subject to strict safer recruitment checks. The successful candidate will be required to complete a police check and self-declaration form to help verify their suitability to work with children and women.

HI is an equal employment opportunities provider. Women and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.