Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (SMAPS) Specialist- Colombia

Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (SMAPS) Specialist- Colombia

The Mental Health Psychosocial Support (SMAPS) Specialist will strengthen the quality of SMAPS services provided at a locally-run organization that provides psychosocial care to survivors of conflict and torture as a component of rehabilitation. The SMAPS Specialist role will build the capacity of the organization to better meet the SMAPS needs of survivors. Activities include support in assessment, training, clinical supervision, group and individual counseling, program evaluation and community collaboration.

This position focuses on technical training, material development, clinical consultation, staff support and empowering staff to conduct services, not on direct provision of services by the SMAPS Specialist.

Position Details:                                         

• Location: Bogota, Colombia
• Reports to: International Services Clinical Advisor, HSH Program Manager
• Remote status: Hybrid; relocation required, a minimum of 60% in-person
• Full-time/part-time status: Full-time
• Employment type: Secondment Agreement with partner organization in Spanish and English
• Position is open to local/regional candidates who are eligible to work in the country and/or can obtain a valid work permit in Colombia

About the Project:

Helping Survivors Heal is a capacity development project which supports the mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) work of 12 torture rehabilitation organizations around the world by providing subgrants and technical assistance.

Organization:

The Center for Victims of Torture works toward a future in which torture ceases to exist and its victims have hope for a new life. We are an international nonprofit dedicated to healing survivors of torture. We offer rehabilitation services to those who have been tortured, train partners around the world who can prevent and treat torture, and advocate for human rights and an end to torture. We are headquartered in Minnesota, and we have US offices in Georgia and DC, as well as offices in Africa and the Middle East.

Responsibilities:

• Strategic Clinical Support:  Collaborate with the partner center staff on developing SMAPS services. Support the consolidation of knowledge and learnings at the organization as well as the documentation of the existing SMAPS model.  Develop guidelines to facilitate a coordinated approach and effective clinical policies, practices and tools.
• Clinical Supervision (support):  In coordiantion with existing CV clinical supervisor, provide clincal supervision to local SMAPS practitioners, including live supervision and competency assessment. Develop supervision guidelines and/or manual tailored to the organization and grounded in the systemic theoretical perspective. Provide training, coaching and technical supervision for developing supervisors, acting as a role model for partner practitioners, with emphasis on trauma-informed service provision, as well as self-care and staff care components.
• Service Management: Help facilitate the development of a coherant service model, including the development of clinical guidance notes and other resources.  Provide mentoring and modeling in order to improve the service management system of the partner.
• Training:  Design and carry out competency-informed training programs for local SMAPS practitioners, including formal training sessions, mentoring, modeling and supervision.  These training sessions may be in-person or remote, depending on the specific needs of each team. Continually assess development of SMAPS team and adapt trainings to meet their needs.  Develop orientation training materials tailored to the partner organization’s SMAPS program, grounded in a systemic theoretical orientation. Develop core modules for continuing education for SMAPS team.  Develop modules on provision of trauma-informed care for non-SMAPS service providers and paraprofessionals to be conducted by partner organization staff with external organizations. Build capacity of staff members to design and conduct trainings. 
• Assessment: In collaboration with the CVT and partner monitoring, evaluation and learning teams, revise or develop clinically appropriate assessment tools and strategies. Support project team in data collection and ethical storage, as well as assessment of organization’s existing systems and methods of mental health service delivery.
• Reporting: Write and submit regular reports regarding clinical and training activities. Mentor staff on report writing.
• Other Duties: Support implementation of Institutional Strengthening Plan (ISP) and the annual work plan, in collaboration with the partner center staff.  Gather learnings from partner organization/context and best practices from literature to put together guidance’s for partner organizations.  Support partner organization in developing staff care policies and programming.  Participate in other program and organization-wide activities, meetings and trainings. Complete administrative responsibilities such as expense reporting and time sheet submission. Perform other duties as assigned. 

Deliverables:

• Documented partner-specific SMAPS service model
• Clinical guidance notes, tools and policies, including do no harm policy and staff wellbeing policy
• Supervision guidance/manual
• SMAPS orientation training package, including trainer guidance
• SMAPS continuing education training package, including trainer guidance
• Trauma-informed care for non SMAPS professionals and paraprofessional training package, including trainer guidance
• Training of trainer materials

Qualifications:

Required education, experience, certificates, licenses or registrations

• Advanced degree (Master’s degree, PhD or equivalent) in clinical psychology, clinical social work, clinical counseling
• 6 years of experience providing trauma-informed mental health/psychosocial support services to a variety of target groups including torture and trauma survivors, prisoners, adults and families.
• 4 years of experience providing training on SMAPS topics for participants with different professional backgrounds and knowledge.
• 3 years of experience supervising SMAPS practitioners
• Documented experience with or background in peacebuilding activities, including a knowledge of the intersection of peacebuilding and SMAPS
• Experience working with locally-run NGO partner organizations and negotiating multiple relationships within and between organizations.
• Experience in writing SMAPS documents (such as guidelines, handbook, unified approaches, etc.)

Preferred education, experience, certificates, licenses or registrations

• Theoretical orientation grounded in Systemic Therapy
• 8 years of experience providing mental health/psychosocial support services
• 5 years of experience supervising SMAPS practitioners
• Experience working with a torture survivor-led organization
• Experience working on interdisciplinary teams, particularly with physiotherapy rehabilitation
• Experience implementing monitoring and evaluation systems

Competencies (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities)

• Understanding of SMAPS and human rights
• Experience with psychosocial accompaniment
• Experience working/living the Colombian context is preferred
• Experience conducting program needs assessments, program development, program evaluation and reporting.
• Experience conducting training needs assessments, competency assessments
• Knowledge and experience with service management
• Flexibility, adaptability, diplomacy and self-sufficiency to work within a local partner organization.
• Training and experience in cross-cultural sensitivity and adaptation
• Training in gender sensitivity and inclusivity
• Demonstrated flexibility to adapt to changing program requirements, client needs and political climate.
• Understanding of and extensive experience implementing culturally appropriate mental health interventions, including individual, group and community-based approaches for people who have suffered torture and trauma.     
• Understanding of and experience developing curricula and providing training for mental health counselors on counseling approaches, sensitization on the effects of trauma and conflict, and designing interventions, as well as training and coaching on clinical supervision modalities.
• Appreciation and desire for participating in and receiving clinical supervision
• Excellent skills in organization, attention to detail and time management (including the ability to meet deadlines)
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office suite (Outlook, Word and Excel)
• Fluency in English and Spanish (oral and written)
• Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communications skills
• Ability to travel by car for up to 8 hours/week.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Clinical supervision for mental health professionals.

Work Environment:

• Typical office environment
• Time spent on the computer is approximately 50-70%
• Periodic travel to field locations for trainings or supervision

Physical Demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. The employee frequently is required to sit; stand; walk; use hands to handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms. This position requires the ability to occasionally lift supplies of 10 to 15 pounds.

Travel: Ability to travel to a variety of locations within large city, metro area, territorial office spaces, etc.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions

To Apply: Please submit your curriculum vitae (CV), cover letter and salary expectations by July 29, 2024 to http://cvt.simplicant.com/.*

*If you are selected to be interviewed, please note that the interview will be in English, and you will be requested to provide application materials in Spanish as well.

CVT is committed to hiring and fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce that leverages the skills and talents of all employees in our organization, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions), gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, familial status, genetic information, or any other protected status. We encourage candidates with diverse backgrounds such as these to apply for this position.