The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) has been present in West Africa since 1998. In 2006, the Danish Refugee Council expanded its West Africa operation to include the Guinée Foréstière region in southern Guinea, which borders Sierra Leone, Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire. The programme focuses on protection, return and reintegration of refugees, internally displaced persons and ex-combatants as well as contributing to a general recovery in Guinea. Currently, DRC runs a regional programme focusing on border areas between
Liberia, Cote D’Ivoire and South East Guinée that includes protection and emergency interventions as well as rehabilitation and recovery activities. The regional office is located in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
In Guinea, DRC operates a program focused on providing community-based support to local integration of Liberian refugees, return and reintegration of refugees, IDPs, and ex-combatants as well as the general recovery and reconstruction in communities affected by the long term presence of refugees. Current donors include the European Commission, DANIDA, UNICEF plus private foundations.
The reintegration project funded under the Peace Building Fund and implemented in partnership with UNICEF seeks to rehabilitate around 2,000 youth formerly recruited in Guinean armed forces through education and vocational skills training.
Job purpose
The Psychosocial Training and Support Expert (PTSE) is responsible for the operational implementation of a psychosocial project aiming at assisting groups of vulnerable children and youth (specifically children recruited by armed groups and forces) and their families. He/she will participate in setting up the DRC’s strategy for the implementation of the UNICEF psychosocial project and will be responsible for the monitoring of activities and the psychosocial teams in DRC’s area of implementation under the supervision of the Head of Field Office.
Key Responsibilities
Management
• Manage project teams in day-to-day activities, including:
• Provide technical support to Vocational training centers teachers in the management of youth/students with a complex profile (taking into account students specific and sometimes complexes difficulties)
• Support the local partner NGOs in the continuous rehabilitation and reintegration process of the youth
• Participate in setting up and monitoring the teams
• Develop a solid training strategy for enhancing, building the capacity and consolidating essential skills and competencies of the social workers team from local partners NGOs on the project
• Draft training modules
• Plan and deliver thematic training sessions for social workers, project assistants, and vocational training centers teachers on themes related to psychosocial support of children associated with armed forces, identification of difficulties/troubles, response to incidents of trouble, listening/counseling, and the development of a youth rehabilitation strategy for the project.
Program implementation and development
• Facilitate the set up of the psychosocial intervention strategy, including:
• Support analysis of psychosocial needs
• Support definition of psychosocial activities
• Proposal for adjustment of psychosocial intervention strategy
• Support local partner NGOs in the development of a functioning and efficient, locally appropriate psychosocial support system (emotional support, counseling/listening, identification of problems, etc.)
• Support project staff (social workers/project assistants) in the identification of key stakeholders and the development of a functioning referral system.
Monitoring and reporting
• Support the development of monitoring tools: Develop appropriate, practical and useful tools and train social workers, project assistants, and other project staff in the use of the same tools in the psychosocial support process/continuum
• Regular follow-up (M&E) during the implementation of the activities: Provide practical and onsite follow-up of social workers, project assistants, and teachers through practical response sessions, case studies, and incident response
• Regular qualitative and quantitative reporting of the activities to DRC Senior Management and donors.
Requirements
Professional qualifications, experience and skills
• Demonstrated experience (minimum 5 years) in psychosocial training and the development of culturally acceptable systems for psychosocial support of children affected by armed forces/violence
• Advanced qualification (masters preferred) in clinical psychology, mental health, social sciences with relevant practical experience
• Fluency in both English and French is mandatory
• Practical and demonstrated experience in the planning and delivery of trainings on psychosocial support for youth with a complex profile.
Personal attributes
• Excellent listening / communication skills
• Capacity to develop positive relations with youth in difficult circumstances
• Capacity to develop culturally acceptable psychosocial support systems
We encourage all qualified candidates to apply, irrespective of age, nationality, race, gender or age.
Conditions
Availability: 1 March, 2012
Duty station: Forest Guinea, Guinea (Non Family Duty station).
Contract: 3 months, with possibility of extension (subject to funding).
Please note that this is a Field recruited expatriate position. Starting salary is 3,000 EUR. DRC furthermore covers insurance, accommodation on the base, travel expenses at the beginning and termination of employment reimbursed, 25 days of paid holiday per year, and R&R every 12 weeks with up to 1000$ transport/accommodation reimbursed for employment of more than 3 months. Employment conditions can be obtained per request.
Further information
You are welcome to contact Regional Director Gilles Ponserre on email: rd-wa@drc.dk for further information on the programme and the position.
Please note that applications are not to be sent to Mr Ponserre; we only receive applications via our online system at www.drc.dk under Vacancies > Current Vacancies > Psycho-Social Trainer and Support Expert – Guinea. Applications sent directly to Mr Ponserre will NOT be considered.
For general information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult www.drc.dk.
Commitments
DRC has a Humanitarian Accountability Framework, outlining its global accountability commitment. All staff are required to contribute to the achievement of this framework: (http://www.drc.dk/fileadmin/uploads/pdf/IA_PDF/HAP/humanitarian_accountability_framework_2012_west_africa.pdf).
Application and CV
Interested candidates who meet the required qualifications and experience are invited to submit updated CV and cover letter explaining their motivation and why they are suited for the post. Only motivated applications that address the stipulated duties and meet the required qualifications will be considered. CV-only applications will not be considered.
We only accept applications sent via our online system at www.drc.dk under Vacancies > Current Vacancies > Psycho-Social Trainer and Suppert Expert – Guinea.
Please forward the application and CV, in English and marked “Psycho-Social Trainer and Support Expert – Guinea”, no later than Tuesday, 21 February, 2012.
Please contact Anne Oxholm, job@drc.dk, if you experience problems with your online application.
About DRC
The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a private, independent, humanitarian organization working on all aspects of the refugee cause in more than thirty countries/ areas throughout the world. The aim of DRC is to protect refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) against persecution and to promote durable solutions to the problems of forced migration, on the basis of humanitarian principles and human rights. DRC works in accordance with the UN Conventions on Refugees and the Code of Conduct for the ICRC and NGOs in Disaster Relief.
