Colombia – A Mental Health & Psychosocial Support Coordinator in Bogota

Location : Colombia based in Bogota

Starting Date : September 2020

Duration of Mission : 6 months renewable

Première Urgence Internationale (PUI) is a non-governmental, non-profit, non-political and non-religious international aid organization. Our teams are committed to supporting civilians’ victims of marginalization and exclusion, or hit by natural disasters, wars and economic collapses, by answering their fundamental needs. Our aim is to provide emergency relief to uprooted people in order to help them recover their dignity and regain self-sufficiency.

The association leads in average 190 projects by year in the following sectors of intervention: food security, health, nutrition, construction and rehabilitation of infrastructures, water, sanitation, hygiene and economic recovery. PUI is providing assistance to around 5 million people in 20 countries – in Africa, Asia, Middle East, Eastern Europe and France.

Find out about our history and values.

Humanitarian situation and needs

Since 2013, Venezuela is enduring a socio-economic crisis triggered by the fall of oil prices, contested economic measures, and ambitious social policies that fueled insecurity and a decline in the previously richest economy in Latin America. The political and humanitarian crisis worsened in 2018, with UNHCR estimating that thousands of Venezuelans were leaving their country each day to reach and remain in various destinations in Colombia. According the 2020 Refugee and Migrant Response Plan (RMRP), Colombia remains the country most impacted and largest host of arrivals from Venezuela, with an estimated 1,630,903 Venezuelans in the country as of December 2019 (52% male and 48% female, with only 641,825 having legal status), and the return of approximately 500,000 Colombians. This influx has put considerable strain on the Colombian system, meaning that those arriving now are facing harsher conditions than those of the past, as well as those arriving being generally poorer than those who were able to travel earlier.

The 2019 Colombian Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) stated that there are 1.9 million people in need in Colombia, consisting of 1,467,000 Venezuelan refugees or migrants and 403,000 Colombians. Of this, there is approximately 946,000 males (including 232,000 under 18 and 23,000 over 59 years old) and 925,000 females (including 227,000 under 18 and 24,000 over 59 years old). However, it is important to recognize that the data on Venezuelans is potentially underestimated, because it is believed that thousands are not registered due to crossing into the country informally, and it only reflects disaggregated data for people who have been assessed in need of humanitarian assistance in Colombia.

Beginning in early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic spread quickly and exponentially throughout the world, and entered Colombia in March 2020. The Colombian government has since taken continually increasing measures to contain the virus, including shutting down the border (including that with Venezuela), installing curfews and travel restrictions, and imposing social distancing rules on gatherings. The general situation and conditions has significant impact on Venezuelan migrants and vulnerable Colombians, drastically increasing vulnerability throughout the country.

Our action in the field

PUI has been operational in Colombia since 2019 and launched the first programs in partnership with Solidarités International. In 2020, PUI will launch humanitarian projects in North Santander/Santander and Arauca covering health, MHPSS, and protection. In North Santander/Santander, PUI aims to support Venezuelan migrant and refuges, particularly PWSN, on the dangerous migration route from the border, while in Arauca PUI will operate several clinics supporting primary healthcare and MHPSS. PUI will also be seeking to expand its humanitarian program into 2021, with a new country wide strategy taking into consideration the current and impending challenges related to the COVID-19 crisis.

As part of our activities in the in Colombia, we are looking for a Mental Health & Psychosocial Support Coordinator in Bogota.

OVERALL OBJECTIVE

The Mental Health & Psychosocial Coordinator (MHPSS Co) launches the MHPSS interventions, enforces the mission’s MHPSS strategy and the quality of current and future programmes during the design, implementation, and evaluation stages.

The MHPSS Co will contribute to the identification of programmatic priorities through needs assessment, the design and guidance for MHPSS programming in Colombia, as well as any other areas where needs are identified. In addition, the MHPSS Co will ensure that MHPSS programs are implemented in accordance with international standard protocols, guidelines and best practices, providing support to programme managers and directly to national MHPSS staff. S/he will promote quality of care in all PUI services.

TASKS AND RESPONSABILITIES

• Evaluation/Strategy: S/he takes part in launching and developing the operating strategy and proposes new services to respond to needs identified in the target country. S/he carries out MHPSS monitoring for the country and analyses strengths and weaknesses from the point of view of public health
• Programmes: S/he provides functional support, related to technical aspects during programme implementation.
• Representation/Coordination: S/he ensures PUI’s representation to partners, donors, and authorities within the sector, in the technical field of expertise, and ensures that information about the mission is properly distributed.
• Human Resources / Training: S/he supports the MHPSS team (PUI employees), provides support to project managers for recruiting technical staff and oversee the technical training activities on the basis of identified needs.
• Logistics and Administration: S/he ensures the activities for which s/he is responsible comply with logistical and administrative procedures.
• Safety: S/he contributes to compliance with safety rules within the mission and communicates any safety-related information to the Head of Mission.

TRAINING AND EXPERIENCES

Training:

• Clinical Psychologist (or Psychiatrist) with at least 3 years of clinical experience and implementing MHPSS programs

Experience:

• Humanitarian (previous experience with NGO)
• International (previous working experience abroad)
• Technical (in managing MHPSS related projects)

Knowledge and Skills:

• Good written communication skills
• Knowledge of programs management
• Pack Office skills

Required Personal Characteristics:

• Ability to work independently, take the initiative and take responsibility
• Strong commitment in humanitarian principles
• Resilience to stress
• Diplomacy and open-mindedness
• Good analytical skills
• Organisation and ability to manage priorities
• Proactive approach to making proposals and identifying solutions
• Ability to work and manage professionally and maturely
• Ability to integrate into the local environment, taking account of its political, economic and historical characteristics

Languages: Spanish and English are mandatory

PROPOSED TERMS

• Employed with a Fixed-Term Contract – 6 months renewable
• Starting Date : September 2020
• Monthly gross income: from 2,200 up to 2,530 Euros depending on the experience in International Solidarity + 50 Euros per semester seniority with PUI
• Cost covered: Round-trip transportation to and from home / mission, visas, vaccines etc.
• Insurance including medical coverage and complementary healthcare, 24/7 assistance and repatriation
• Housingin collective accommodation
• Daily living Expenses «Per diem»
• Break Policy : 5 working days at 3 and 9 months
• Paid Leaves Policy : 5 weeks of paid leave per year + return ticket every 6 months

For more information, please look at the complete job description on our website.

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