Mental Health and Psyochosocial Support Officer (m/f/x) - Ramallah

Enabel is the Belgian development agency. It implements Belgium’s governmental cooperation as well as interventions for other national and international donors. With its partners in Belgium and abroad, Enabel is offering solutions to address pressing global challenges: Climate Change, Urbanization, Human Mobility, Peace and Security, Economic and Social Inequality, and Global Citizenship. With 1,900 staff, Enabel manages about 170 projects in 21 countries, in Belgium, Africa and the Middle East.   

Background 

Enabel started the implementation of a new cooperation portfolio for Palestine. This program builds on the one hand on the successes of governmental cooperation over the past decade and on the other hand, also provide a response to the Palestinian and global challenges of this decade. 

Enabel is looking for a Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Officer:

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Contribute to the successful implementation of the Palestine portfolio with a focus on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support and wellbeing by ensuring effective interventions in service delivery, coordinating harmonized activities, and establishing comprehensive support mechanisms for vulnerable youth.

Main tasks: 

• Cultivate and sustain strong working relationships with strategic and implementing partners in the MHPSS field to support collaborative efforts and program effectiveness.

• Improve coordination and collaboration with other MHPSS interventions, experts, and organizations to optimize service delivery and response. Foster cross-sectoral relationships to ensure a unified approach.

• Oversee the alignment of MHPSS activities and strategies with Enabel’s policies to ensure compliance and consistency with organizational objectives.

• Promote the exchange of expertise and best practices within the MHPSS field.

• Provide comprehensive country-level analysis and aggregated reporting on MHPSS trends to inform strategic decisions.

• Actively engage in MHPSS service delivery coordination mechanisms with relevant stakeholders in Palestine, ensuring effective communication and timely dissemination of information.

• Assist in the planning and coordination of meetings, workshops, seminars, and networking events within the MHPSS field to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing.

• Offer technical and advisory support to partners to ensure the delivery of holistic, survivor-centred, and high-quality MHPSS services for young people. This includes developing training materials, raising awareness, and building partner capacity on key MHPSS and youth protection concepts.

• Identify and leverage existing networking channels while actively creating new opportunities to enhance communication and collaboration among MHPSS stakeholders, focusing on increasing engagement with Enabel’s partners.

2. Deliver technical guidance within the MHPSS sector, steering the execution of MHPSS and wellbeing projects to ensure they achieve impactful. Sustainable outcomes and drive long-term improvements. 

Main Tasks:

• Drive the comprehensive management of MHPSS projects by providing technical inputs throughout the entire project cycle, ensuring alignment with both national and international standards.

• Offer strategic contributions to the planning, execution, coordination, follow-up, monitoring, and evaluation of MHPSS activities to ensure they are effectively implemented and meet their intended objectives.

• Oversee that all projects’ outputs and outcomes are realized within established timelines, maintaining a focus on achieving measurable and impactful results.

• Contribute to efforts to build, manage, and disseminate knowledge within the MHPSS sector, fostering an environment of continuous learning and improvement.

• Provide guidance to enhance the delivery of high-quality MHPSS services for young people, ensuring that all services adhere to the highest standards of care.

• Support the operational and financial planning processes of the project, collaborating with the Project Manager, other experts, and partners to ensure effective resource management.

• Contribute to the development and implementation of communication and advocacy strategies on MHPSS issues, engaging with Palestinian authorities, policymakers, civil society organizations, UN agencies, and the public to promote MHPSS priorities.

• Identify and analyse deviations, risks, and other factors that may impact MHPSS objectives, proposing and implementing corrective actions to mitigate these issues.

• Actively engage with communities to assess their MHPSS needs and identify gaps in current response and programming, ensuring interventions are responsive and effective.

• Perform other related duties as assigned by the Project Manager to support the broader goals of Enabel’s portfolio.

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3. Elevate the quality of interventions and knowledge management by implementing best practices, promoting continuous learning, and ensuring rigorous monitoring, effective dissemination, and strategic application of expertise within the MHPSS sector.

Main Tasks:

• Develop and maintain documentation, processes, standards, and instruments to support the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) system, optimizing planning, management, and reporting in accordance with Enabel’s Monitoring Framework.

• Periodically review MHPSS activities to extract lessons learned and assess progress toward achieving project goals and outcomes, ensuring continuous improvement.

• Provide advice on culturally sensitive MHPSS support for vulnerable young people, including individual and group interventions, to address elevated distress levels effectively.

• Offer guidance on psycho-social support and positive parenting skills for parents and caregivers to strengthen their ability to support young people in need.

• Stay updated on developments in the MHPSS field to prepare comprehensive reports, briefings, background notes, and other necessary documentation to support informed decision-making.

• Assist in analysing results information to identify necessary operational and strategic decisions, ensuring projects achieve desired outcomes and contribute to their expected impact.

• Prepare and present data for Steering and Technical Committee meetings, including coordinating follow-up actions with other project experts to ensure alignment and progress.

• Manage the preparations, efficient implementation, documentation, and follow-up for the Project Technical Committee on MHPSS, ensuring effective oversight and decision-making.

• Actively participate in Enabel’s working circles that address cross-cutting principles, contributing to the achievement of broader organizational goals.

• Collaborate with Enabel’s human rights-based approach focal point to ensure integration of HRBA across all MHPSS and wellbeing projects, aligning with organizational commitments.

• Proactively identify and pursue opportunities for capacity development and awareness-raising activities related to MHPSS and wellbeing, both within the Enabel office and among implementing partners.

• Expected results of the function: 

Oversee and ensure the realization of MHPSS-related targets within the project, focusing on enhancing youth protection to achieve impactful and lasting outcomes.

• Contextual factors impacting the function:  

Recruit a Palestinian residing in the West Bank since s/he will be based in Ramallah City.

Professional Qualifications and Experience:

Any specialism in the diploma: 

A master's degree in the field of clinical or counselling Psychology, mental health, or related fields. 

Specific competences or knowledge required: 

• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in MHPSS.
• Proven expertise in developing, implementing, and managing MHPSS programs, including conducting needs assessments and providing culturally sensitive care.
• Experience working with an international development agency and coordinating with local and international partners.
• Professional background in evidence-based psychological interventions for child and youth mental health, community-based MHPSS, and staff wellbeing and care.
• Demonstrated experience in building the capacity of teams and partners through targeted training, coupled with expertise in analysing and interpreting data to inform comprehensive reporting and effectively identify and mitigate risks within MHPSS programs.

Specific competences or knowledge considered an asset: 

• Proficient in IT skills including spreadsheet applications and word-processing coupled with strong affinity with and ability to utilize various digital tools and new technologies.
• In-depth knowledge of MHPSS concepts, standards, and debates, including gender equality, adolescence, and youth, both in Palestine and globally.
• Understanding of results-based management, log frame approach, and theories of change.
• Proven hands-on experience in structured and specialized MHPSS intervention packages.
• Experience in integrating MHPSS dimensions into thematic programming.
• Skilled in organizing meetings, workshops, and group sessions, with a proven ability to foster collaborative environments.

Languages: 

Excellent command of both Arabic and English, in speaking and writing.

We offer you