The role of the Counsellor Educator is to perform counselling and education sessions for patients, adhering to MSF medical and mental health protocols and procedures, in order to improve their psychosocial wellbeing.
Main Accountabilities
General Accountabilities:
- Identify the psychosocial, socio-economic, and administrative needs for patients.
- Actively promote the availability of counselling services and carry out individual or group counseling, basic psycho-educational sessions to patients and their families (when needed) to alleviate their psychosocial difficulties within the project scope.
- Refer patients to other specialists or institutions for further assistance when necessary to propose the best support available.
- Participate in the creation of any material needed for counseling activities and maintain it.
- Keep files and statistics of daily activities and participate in team meetings to share experiences and discuss special cases with other counselors, preserving confidentiality.
- Inform the line manager of any problem arising during day-to-day activities.
- Take an active part in trainings, supervisions/intervisions, and support the activities manager when necessary in doing sensitization for MSF staff or external partners about mental health/psychosocial issues.
- Discuss difficulties and problems in counselling with supervisor.
MSF Section/Context Specific Accountabilities (Dagahaley Hospital)
The Mental Health Department is located within the 100-bed capacity Dagahaley Hospital that serves a catchment population of approximately 92,000, including the refugee population in Dagahaley and other camps, the local non-refugee population, Garissa county, neighboring Wajir South and Wajir counties, and Somali nationals accessing the camp for medical reasons from across the border. The counsellor educators form the frontline of the primary health intervention for patients with psychological, psychosocial, and mental health conditions in both in-patient and out-patient settings.
- Provide counselling and psychoeducation services including, but not limited to, individual therapy, group therapy, play therapy, and family therapy in both in-patient and out-patient settings.
- Take a key responsibility in the community for mental health promotion, sensitization, and empowering community health workers to identify cases and refer them to hospital for further care.
- Play an active role in community sensitization and awareness, specifically tailored to address misperceptions about mental health, substance abuse, and stigmatization of perceived mental health patients.
- Work closely with the social worker by referring cases that require referrals/linkages to external resources for psychosocial, socio-economic, and protection support.
Requirements
Education:
- Essential: Psychology Degree/Diploma.
- Registered and licensed by MOH's Kenya Counsellors and Psychologist Board.
- Registration by Kenya Counsellors and Psychologist Association (KCPA) or Kenya Psychologist Association (KPA).
Experience:
- 1 year experience essential.
- Experience with NGO desirable.
Languages:
- Fluency in English and Somali is essential.
- Fluency in Swahili is desirable.
Competencies:
- Results-oriented
- Teamwork
- Flexibility
- Commitment
- Service oriented
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