Mental Health Program Supervisor (PM+ Study) at the Taimaka Project

The Taimaka Project runs a treatment program for acute malnutrition in children younger than five years in Gombe state, Nigeria. Within our treatment program, we incubate innovations to make malnutrition treatment better, cheaper, and simpler so that scarce resources can save more lives. Our research team is preparing to launch a study on the mental health of caregivers of children who are acutely malnourished.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Mental Health Program Supervisor for PM+ Study

Location: Gombe
Employment Type: Full-time
Contract Duration: Full time for 6 months (December 2023 to May 2024), with a probation period of 1 month, subject to extension based on performance

Details

• We are in need of a Mental Health Program Supervisor for PM+ Study who will be based in Gombe, Nigeria, with frequent field visits to primary health facilities in Gombe state, Nigeria, including facilities in:
  • Bajoga, Funakaye LGA
  • Ashaka, Funakaye LGA
  • Kuri, Yamaltu/Deba LGA
  • Kurjale, Yamaltu/Deba LGA
  • Jigawan Iro, Yamaltu/Deba LGA
• Contract Duration: Full time for 6 months (December 2023 to May 2024), with a probation period of 1 month, subject to extension based on performance.

Job Description

• We are seeking a supervisor to join our research program for six months to provide oversight for a study of Problem Management Plus (PM+), a psychological intervention developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to help people in the community with depression, anxiety and stress.
• The Taimaka Project is implementing PM+ as part of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the effect of PM+ on caregivers’ mental health and children’s nutritional outcomes in its CMAM program. The trial will be implemented among 1,000 caregiver-child dyads at field sites in Gombe state between December 2023 and May 2024.

Mental Health Program Supervisor Terms of Reference

• Direct Supervisor: Research Coordinator
• Mental Health Program Supervisor Duties and Responsibilities:
• Support the adaptation and piloting of the WHO PM+ intervention for implementation at field sites located at primary health facilities in Gombe state, Nigeria over six months.
• Collaborate with local authorities, community leaders, and Taimaka community mobilization staff to promote mental health awareness and facilitate program acceptance.
• Regularly visit field sites to supervise 12 PM+ helpers (lay counselors), who will be community members trained to deliver the PM+ intervention as part of the research study. Each supervisory visit will involve:
  • Discussion about clients’ progress;
  • Discussion about difficulties experienced with clients or when delivering PM+ strategies;
  • Role-playing how to manage difficulties or to practice skills (to improve helpers’ skills in PM+);
  • Helper self-care
• Liaise with a psychiatrist to provide care and guidance on referrals for complicated cases identified by PM+ helpers.
• Provide on-the-job training and mentorship to develop the capacity and skills of PM+ helpers to facilitate problem solving and ensure adherence to PM+ guidelines and study protocols.
• Design and implement 1-2 refresher trainings for PM+ helpers to address challenges and guide the smooth implementation of the intervention and the study.
• Monitor data collection by PM+ helpers during mental health screening and the PM+ intervention to ensure high quality, complete data are collected for the study.
• Prepare comprehensive reports, including progress reports, evaluations, and documentation of best practices and challenges encountered.

Minimum Qualification

• Any of the following qualifications will be considered: Nursing Degree with specialization in Psychiatry, Certified Psychologist, or experience managing mental health programs in the community.

Mental Health Program Supervisor qualifications and skills:

• Any of the following minimum qualifications will be considered:
  • Nursing Degree with specialization in Psychiatry,
  • Certified Psychologist,
  • Experience managing mental health programs
• Substantial experience in mental health service delivery, preferably in community-based settings.
• Strong understanding of evidence-based interventions for common mental health conditions and psychosocial support.
• Previous experience in program management, including providing supervision and training.
• Previous experience with data collection for human subjects research, including informed consent processes.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to work effectively in a multicultural and resource-constrained environment.
• Fluency in Hausa and English (written + spoken).
• Experience supervising a research project is strongly preferred.
• Experience implementing PM+ or other scalable psychological interventions is strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with WHO and Nigerian national guidelines and mental health policies is highly beneficial.

Salary

• N200,000 - N300,000 per month, commensurate with credentials and experience.

Application Closing Date
10th December, 2023.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV and a brief Cover Letter outlining your experience to: [email protected] The subject line of the email should be “[YOUR NAME] - Mental Health Program Supervisor.” Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.