​​National Staff Counsellor​

​​Under the direct supervision of the Chief of Mission, and direct technical supervision of the Senior Staff Welfare Officer in Headquarters (HQ), Geneva, and in close coordination with the relevant units in  Country Office as well as the Regional Office, the ​National Staff Counsellor​ will be responsible and accountable for implementing   the staff welfare activities in IOM Ukraine.​ 

1. Provide in-person and online psychological counselling and support, confidential one-to-one and group sessions, to staff members and dependents.

2. Provide psychological and counselling support to staff members in post critical incidents and other emergencies. 

3. Conduct psychosocial risk assessments in the workplace and help, as appropriate, to address highlighted issues.

4. Provide reccomendations to the CoM and relevant stakeholders on improvements for the effective implementation of the UN Mental Health Strategy and IOM People Strategy in  Country Office. 

5. Participate in and, when required, coordinate Staff Welfare responses to emergencies and critical incidents; liaise with the Senior Staff Welfare Officer in case of complex emergencies requiring a coordinated response; ensure that Country Office’s  security plans include provisions to provide for the psychosocial needs of staff during emergencies and following critical incidents.

6. Develop and provide training to all staff on relevant topics including stress management, emotional processing, dealing with critical incidents, wellbeing; provide targeted training to Managers/ Heads of Units to increase their knowledge and skills to create a supportive working environment and increase awareness on mental health issues.

7. Produce psycho-educational material for dissemination. 

8. Work with the Managers/ Heads of Units to develop preventative initiatives (e.g. preparing for critical incidents). 

9. Offer consultations to the Managers/Heads of Units to address specific needs on request and/or to explore avenues for enhancing humanitarian staff wellbeing and mental health in accordance with the UN Mental Health Strategy.

10. Collaborate with colleagues in UN/ international non-governmental organization (INGO) staff in relevant units (e.g. UNDSS, Staff Welfare, Human Resources etc.)

11. Identify and liaise with local and regional mental health resources that can be used for referrals or in times of crisis; refer staff members, who are in crisis, and require emergency psychological and/psychiatric support to appropriate external providers.

12. Ensure that reports and other administrative duties are carried out to a professional standard; develop tools for data collection, analysis, monitoring and reporting mechanisms at  Country Office level while maintaining   records and producing  regular reports; keep the Senior Staff Welfare Officer updated on numbers and statistics of services provided in  Country Office. 

13. Participate in Staff Welfare team meetings and activities (monthly group supervision, team coordination meetings, team retreats, etc.) Participate to the relevant UN Working Group and other relevant technical fora, and liaise with  UN counterparts on matters related to the staff welfare. 

14. Ensure the adherence to the professional standards of the United Nations Stress and Staff Counsellors Group (UNSSCG) as well as the Code of Ethics for UN Staff Counsellors.

15. Perform such other duties as may be assigned.

EDUCATION

• Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology, Counselling,  or Psychiatry or a related field from an accredited academic institution with five years of relevant professional experience; or,

• University degree in the above fields with seven years of relevant professional experience.

• Must possess an active license or certification, or demonstrate registered membership in a legitimate professional organization in the field most relevant to their degree, including psychiatry (medicine or nursing), psychology, counseling, marriage and family therapy, or social work.

EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of five years of relevant counseling experience post licensure/certification/registration, with experience in a similar setting such as an international and/or humanitarian organization is preferred;

• Experience with counselling and psychosocial interventions;

• Experience of working with other UN Agencies, International Humanitarian Organizations or Employee Assistant Programmes is considered essential; and, 

• Demonstrated familiarity with the impact of working conditions of humanitarian workers on their well-being.

SKILLS

• Excellent communication and writing skills;

• In depth knowledge of the broad range of migration related subject areas dealt with by the Organization;

• Familiarity with diversity and its implementation;

• Knowledge of modern technologies, e.g. teleservices; and, 

• Readiness to travel and work in emergency contexts.

For this position, fluency in English and Ukrainian is required.

IOM’s competency framework can be found at this link. Competencies will be assessed during the selection process.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Please refer to this link for guidance on IOM Job Category.

Any offer made to the candidate in relation to this vacancy notice is subject to funding confirmation.

This selection process may be used to staff similar positions in various duty stations. Recommended candidates will remain eligible to be appointed in a similar position for a period of 24 months.

Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, security clearances.

IOM has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and IOM, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities.

IOM does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, processing, training or other fee). IOM does not request any information related to bank accounts.

IOM only accepts duly completed applications submitted through the IOM e-Recruitment system (for internal candidates link here). The online tool also allows candidates to track the status of their application.

No late applications will be accepted. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

For further information and other job postings, you are welcome to visit our website: IOM Careers and Job Vacancies