Staff Counsellor

Organizational Context

UNICEF's core mission is to promote the rights of every child globally, focusing on equity for the most disadvantaged. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, UNICEF supports the Ministry of Health's response to an Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in Ituri and North Kivu. This complex humanitarian context, marked by insecurity and displacement, requires robust Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures, as no vaccine is currently available.

Job Purpose

The UN Volunteer Staff Counsellor will provide crucial psychosocial support to UNICEF staff operating in a challenging EVD outbreak environment in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The role involves offering confidential counseling, stress management, and psychoeducational programs to mitigate stress and enhance resilience among personnel. This includes supporting leadership with staff well-being strategies, coordinating peer support, and managing critical incident stress. The aim is to ensure staff well-being, promote a positive work environment, and strengthen the overall humanitarian response by maintaining the health and effectiveness of the personnel involved.

Responsibilities

Provide preventive and protective psychosocial support to all staff, especially in emergency locations, to mitigate stress during the EVD response. Offer a confidential environment for individual and group counseling, assessment, intervention, and referral. Advise leadership and managers on healthy work practices and staff support strategies during crises. Deliver psychoeducational programs, workshops, and webinars on mental health themes, anti-stigma, and change management. Conduct pre/post-deployment briefings and develop a network of external mental health providers. Coordinate the Peer Support Volunteer (PSV) Programme. Provide Critical Incident Stress Management, including practical support, psychoeducation, psychological first aid, and follow-up interventions for staff and their dependents. Monitor and report on staff well-being trends, maintaining confidentiality, and alerting management to concerns. Undertake travel to regions, identify prevention measures for systemic issues, and ensure adherence to UN Staff Counsellor standards and ethics.

Work Experience

Requires a minimum of five years of professional experience, including three years at the international level, in psychological counseling and training, with a focus on critical incident stress management. Experience in developing and delivering online/face-to-face workshops on well-being topics is desirable. Experience in hardship locations or the UN System is also beneficial.

Skills

Key competencies include professionalism, integrity, teamwork, respect for diversity, and commitment to continuous learning. Essential skills involve strong planning and organizing abilities, effective communication (written and verbal), interpersonal skills for diverse interactions, and flexibility to work in challenging, remote, and potentially hazardous environments. A genuine commitment to voluntary engagement principles and UNICEF's mission is also crucial.

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