Description

Vacancy Announcement

Job title:

Mental Health Community Health Officer

Work Location:

Koidu, Kono, Sierra Leone

Department:

Clinical

Reports to:

Mental Health Program Manager

Requisition No:

Line Management

No

Application Status

External Advert

Organisation Profile

Partners In Health (PIH) is an international health organization relentlessly committed to improving the health of the poor and marginalized. PIH partners with local governments to build local capacity and works closely with impoverished communities to deliver high-quality health care, address the root causes of illness, train providers, advance research, and advocate for global policy change. Our delivered services in the field are based in our partnership with the Governments and Ministries of Health and the support to education, training and mentorship to Health care workers and students is one of our pillars for the Health care system strengthening.

PIH currently has implementation programs in Haiti, Rwanda, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Peru, Mexico, Russia, Sierra Leone and Navajo Nation. Through our partnership with Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, we support a wide range of programs in dozens of other countries around the world.

Our Work In Sierra Leone:

Partners In Health (PIH) began supporting the government of Sierra Leone in response to the Ebola epidemic in October 2014. Recognizing the large need for continued investments in the health system after Ebola, PIH is committed to long-term health system strengthening in support of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MOHS), guided by the same principles as our emergency response and our work around the world: public sector accompaniment, integrated and comprehensive services, social justice, nimbleness and flexibility, partnership, community ownership, and evidence-based interventions. In the aftermath of the epidemic, PIH is committed to supporting the delivery of comprehensive health services in Sierra Leone, from the community level to the health center and to referral hospitals.

Position Overview

A Mental Health Community Health Officer (CHO) generally applies his/her medical knowledge and skills to the diagnosis, prevention and management of patients experiencing mental health problems that flow into the Wellbody Clinic, Koidu Government Hospital, and any of the Wellbody Alliance/Partners in Health affiliated health facilities.

He/she does this thoroughly the taking of comprehensive history and performing the mental state examination,, and also utilizing the appropriate laboratory work to rule out any underlying medical condition. He/she should consult the mental health clinical team for discussion on patient’s care plan in critical cases, respecting patient’s privacy and confidentiality as much as possible.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Responding to mental and physical health problems presented by patients including proper history taking, investigations, diagnosis, treatment and referral as appropriate.
• Maintaining confidentiality and impartiality.
• Promoting continuous medical education amongst other junior clinical staff.
• Admitting patients requiring special care followed by investigations and treatment.
• Liaising with other medical and non-medical staff in the hospital to ensure quality treatment is giving to the patients, and also promotes health education.
• Ensures that all emergency cases are prioritized and seen appropriately regardless of the time of the day.
• Be willing to work long and unpredictable hours dictated by the needs of the patients.

  Location of clinical work:

  -WBC: Outpatient clinic

  -KGH: Mental Health department

  -Outreach clinics to peripheral facilities

  • Conduct daily patient consultations at the mental health outpatient departments (KGH &WBA)
  • Conduct ward rounds to mental health patients admitted in the wards and respond to calls when mental health care is needed in the wards and other departments
  • Be ready to render mental health services after hours - weekends or night time when the need arises
  • Order routine labs and review lab results on the same day in order to provide appropriate, high-quality, and timely care for patients
  • Consult the Clinical In-Charge of critical and emergency cases as soon as possible for further assessment, diagnosis and management
  • Identify critical and emergency patients, begin initial assessment and stabilization and refer to facility physicians for further assessment, diagnosis, and management
  • Collaborate with MoHS staff in all the clinical activities
  • Identify patients in need of follow-up care at the time of discharge and collaborate with the psychosocial counselors and mental health CHWs focusing on vulnerable patients and those needing close follow-up
  • Collaborate with the ward social worker to identify vulnerable patients and facilitate Social Work Program and Acute Needs Program enrollment and support
  • Collaborate with fellow PIH Clinicians to organise and lead daily and monthly Staff meetings
  • Adhere to guidelines and National protocols and assist in the development and implementation of new ones as needed
  • Participate in KGH/WBC staff meetings

    Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment

    At Partners In Health, we are committed to ensuring that those who benefit from our work- including our patients, families and community members – as well as our staff are treated with dignity and respect and protected from sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment. A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Partners In Health’s PSEAH policy. Partner In Health will request information from applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

    Education and Work Experience Requirements

    • Higher National Diploma in Community Health and Clinical Studies.
    • 2 years working experience in a similar role.
      • Having fast analytical skills for risk assessment and able to work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
      • Demonstrated ability to interact professionally with multicultural staff and partners.
      • Good sense of humor and sociability
      • Interest in social justice and health care issues.
      • Professional proficiency in English is required.
      • Experience in use of Office programs: Excel, Word, Power point is desired

        Social Justice

        We are a global health and social justice organization that responds to the moral imperative to provide high-quality health care globally to those who need it most. We strive to ease suffering by placing patients at the center of all care, bringing the benefits of modern medicine to all.

        Method of application

        Interested candidates are required to apply through our website: www.pih.org/employment. In your application, please ensure to include names, addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers of three (3) referees not later than 5:00pm GMT (Midnight) on Thursday 30th November 2023