Psychosocial Counsellor - Child Protection at COOPI- Cooperazione Internazionale

COOPI- Cooperazione Internazionale is an Italian humanitarian non-governmental organization founded in Milan in 1965. COOPI aims to help the world’s poorest to improve their access to healthcare, food, and financial security, and to overcome their special vulnerability to wars, civil conflicts and natural disasters.

COOPI started its operations in North-East Nigeria in July 2014 and its interventions direct assista to the IDPs and host communities, through a multi-sectorial programme covering Disaster Risk Reduction, Food Security, Social protection, Early Recovery and Livelihoods, Nutrition and Child Protection interventions. COOPI's capacity to respond to the humanitarian situation in the country is confirmed by its experience in providing humanitarian aid in more than 28 other Countries around the World, in over 55 years of operations

COOPI is currently present in Yobe, Borno states in Northeast and Sokoto state in Northwest. In Northeast, COOPI’s intervention areas are located in Jakusko, Geidem, Yunusari and Damaturu LGAs and in Kaga LGA of Borno State.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Psychosocial Counsellor - Child Protection

Location: Yobe - Damaturu as main Base Office, with frequent daily trips to Gashua and other field locations Yobe,
Employment Type: Full-time

Scope of the Vacancy

• The Psychosocial Counselor will identify psychosocial support needs for the benefit of children victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence in target LGAs of Yobe state.
• He will create and develop adapted PSS and Child Protection activities in line with the priorities determined by COOPI.
• He will ensure performance tools are available for local staff, in order to guarantee smooth implementation of the programs, while taking into consideration the local cultural context.
• He will be responsible for the implementation, monitoring and follow-up of the PSS and Child Protection activities.

Main Duties / Responsibilities
Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager, he/she:

• Evaluates the risk factors and identifies those in need of long- term PSS support (communities, vulnerable children and their families)
• Put in place assistance programs, taking into consideration the concerns and coping mechanisms of the victims
• Providing technical guidance and support, ensuring best practices on advanced PSS to PSS Support Animators
• Implement and ensure, often in partnership with local stakeholders (NGOs, National Society), proper follow-up of the PSS and Child Protection activities for the benefit of the children and their families victims of armed conflict or other situations of violence
• Provide technical advice, counseling, PSS and Child Protection trainings to primary teachers within the education activities according to the project
• Reinforcing and developing local networks (school community committees) and their PSS capacities
• Evaluate continually the patterns of violence, the victims' situation and the PSS activities.
• Support Case worker supervisors and PM Collects the information needed to identify, registers, analyzes the needs of any child at risk, including UASC;
• Contributes in the success of the trainings for community leaders, also by accompanying them directly on the field;
• Joins actively meetings and trainings to raise gaps and recommendations based on the daily work on the field;
• Supports the data-entry activities providing the proper information about each child at risk from the caseload;
• Communicates regularly with the PM and Case Worker Supervisor for updates on achievements and challenges and any changes in the community’s social context and security status;
• Adopts standard operating procedure (SOPs) for the Child Protection and case management system and data management protocols;
• Performs any other necessary action related to the position to achieve the objectives of the project and of COOPI in Nigeria if requested by the Team Leader
• Upholds COOPI’s mission and Charter of Values;
• Follows and enforces all COOPI codes of conduct and policies (globally and in-country);
• Participate in the field work of the nutrition survey (impact assessment)
• Perform any other action related with the position needed to achieve the objectives of the projects and of COOPI Nigeria if requested by his/her supervisor.
• Profile of the Candidate (Education, Training, Competences, Skills)

Requirements

• Medical Doctor or Nurse with strong background in PSS or Psychologist
• Advanced University Degree in Clinical Psychology (MSc / ClinPsyD) or Psychiatrist
• Experience in mhGAP training, Protection training (SGBV and Child Protection) and training in Case Management as a modality of intervention
• At least two years of professional experience in the support of vulnerable people or in the humanitarian field, preferably in the field of PSS.
• Experience with an NGO
• Experience in Project Management
• Good communicator, strong listening capacity, open minded, proactive and creative
• Respectful and inclusive of individual and cultural differences
• Significant experience involving work engaging people in and from community settings
• Knowledge of the local language (Hausa and Kanuri)

Preferred:

• Good knowledge of the intervention area/s and local context

Application Closing Date
16th August, 2021.