Project Context and Scope ย
In response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, IOM is expanding its community-based mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) programming to address the growing needs of individuals and communities affected by the war, displacement, and trauma. As recovery and resilience efforts continue, MHPSS remains a critical component of IOMโs humanitarian response, aimed at enhancing emotional well-being, social cohesion, and access to support services.
IOMโs MHPSS approach is grounded in global standards and implemented through Psychosocial Mobile Teams (PMTs), which deliver flexible, culturally sensitive, and community-based services. These teams operate across various phases of displacement and recovery, ensuring proximity to affected populations and prioritizing accessibility for vulnerable groups, including women, older persons, persons with disabilities, and large families.
To strengthen this effort, IOM Ukraine is establishing a roster of qualified MHPSS Psychosocial Workers who can be rapidly deployed to support field operations, training, and community engagement activities.
ย Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributing 3R (Response, Resilience and Recovery) Unit, (Mental Health and Psychosocial Support) Tasks to be performed under this contract ย IOM Ukraine is establishing a roster of qualified and experienced MHPSS Psychosocial Workers to support its expanding community-based mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) programming. Psychosocial Workers will be deployed as part of Psychosocial Mobile Teams (PMTs) to deliver flexible, culturally sensitive, and inclusive services to individuals and communities affected by conflict and displacement.ย
Tasks to be performed under this contract:
1.Community-Based MHPSS Integration
- Coordinate with the Senior MHPSS Associate and team members to embed MHPSS principles into community-based programming implementation.
- Implement interventions aligned with the IASC MHPSS pyramid framework.ย
2. Training and Capacity Building for humanitarian actors, community focal points, volunteers, and IOM staff. Design and deliver training sessions on:ย
- Psychological First Aid (PFA)
- Stress management
- Team building
- Conflict resolution
- Communication skills
- Community-based MHPSS approaches
3. Community Engagement and Social Support. Organize and facilitate:
- Support groups and discussion forums.
- Cultural and recreational activities (e.g., arts, music, sports, storytelling).
- Strengthen social networks to promote psychosocial well-being.
4. Direct Psychosocial Support:
- Provide individual and group counselling to affected populations.
- Refer individuals to specialized mental health services and social support organizations as needed.
5. Awareness and Psychoeducation:
- Develop and disseminate mental health awareness messages and psychoeducation materials.
- Coordinate outreach efforts with team members for maximum impact.
6. Assessment and Research. Conduct MHPSS needs assessments and impact evaluations using:
- Surveys
- Focus group discussions
- Key informant interviews
- Support research initiatives to improve access to mental health services.
7. Partnership Coordination:
- Assist in managing relationships with local implementing partners.
- Plan and coordinate community-based creative and cultural activities for diverse groups, including IDPs and host communities.
8. Integrated Programming. Support the integration of MHPSS components into broader programmes, such as:
- MHPSS-Livelihoods Initiatives (MLI)
- Projects for veterans, their families, and families of the fallen.
9. Field Deployment:
- Maintain readiness for roving duty travel across Ukraine.
- Be available for short-notice deployment in response to emergencies or evolving needs.
10. Reporting and Documentation:
- Ensure accurate data entry in tracker sheets.
- Document community-based interventions thoroughly.
- Comply with donor visibility requirements in coordination with the Senior MHPSS Associate.
11. Other Duties
- Carry out additional tasks as assigned by the supervisor or programme management.
- Perform such other duties as may be assigned. ย Performance indicators for the evaluation of results
- ย The successful implementation of the planned activities, reaching the target number of individuals and services outlines in the plan with the proper quality of service delivery in line with IOM guidelines.
- The fulfillment of the time on the job required as indicated in the contract, which will be confirmed through a detailed time sheet.
IOM Ukraine is looking for positive, attentive, responsible persons with previous experience inย MHPSS work, community-based work, teamwork and in humanitarian interventions.ย Candidates should be prepared for frequent travel across the country and respond to emergencies as needed. Previous track record of innovative work and taking initiatives locally will be a strong asset.
The Consultant should meet the following requirements:
- Bachelor's degree inย Psychology, Counselling, Educational Psychology, Psychotherapy, Social Sciences, Social Work, or a related field, with at least of 2 years of working experience.
- Previous experience in mental health, social and protection activities in related areas of intervention is an advantage.
- Experience in communicating and working with a wide range of people, including people of culturally diverse backgrounds.
- Fluency in Ukrainian and at least working knowledge of Russian is required. Working knowledge of English would be an asset. IOMโs official languages are English, French and Spanish. Proficiency of language(s) required will be specifically evaluated during the selection process, which may include written and/or oral assessments. ย Travel required
- Travel across Ukraine is required. Required Competencies ย IOMโs competency framework can be found atย this link. Competencies will be assessed during the selection process. ย Values - all IOM staff members must abide by and demonstrate these three values:
- Inclusion and respect for diversity: Respects and promotes individual and cultural differences. Encourages diversity and inclusion.
- Integrity and transparency: Maintains high ethical standards and acts in a manner consistent with organizational principles/rules and standards of conduct.
- Professionalism: Demonstrates ability to work in a composed, competent and committed manner and exercises careful judgment in meeting day-to-day challenges.
- Courage: Demonstrates willingness to take a stand on issues of importance.
- Empathy: Shows compassion for others, makes people feel safe, respected and fairly treated. Core Competenciesย โ behavioural indicators
- Teamwork: Develops and promotes effective collaboration within and across units to achieve shared goals and optimize results.
- Delivering results: Produces and delivers quality results in a service-oriented and timely manner. Is action oriented and committed to achieving agreed outcomes.
- Managing and sharing knowledge: Continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge and innovate.
- Accountability: Takes ownership for achieving the Organizationโs priorities and assumes responsibility for own actions and delegated work.
- Communication: Encourages and contributes to clear and open communication. Explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring and motivational way. Notes
- Any offer made to the candidate in relation to this vacancy notice is subject to funding confirmation.
- Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, verification of residency, visa, and authorizations by the concerned Government, where applicable.
- IOM covers Consultants against occupational accidents and illnesses under the Compensation Plan (CP), free of charge, for the duration of the consultancy. IOM does not provide evacuation or medical insurance for reasons related to non-occupational accidents and illnesses. Consultants are responsible for their own medical insurance for non-occupational accident or illness and will be required to provide written proof of such coverage before commencing work.
- IOM has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and IOM, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities.
- IOM does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, processing, training or other fee). IOM does not request any information related to bank accounts.
- IOM only accepts duly completed applications submitted through the IOM online recruitment system. The online tool also allows candidates to track the status of their application. For further information and other job postings, you are welcome to visit our website:ย IOM Careers and Job Vacancies