Stress Counsellor

Details

Mission and objectives

The United Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS) is responsible for providing leadership, operational support and oversight of the security management system to enable the safest and most efficient conduct of the programs and activities of the United Nations System. The headquarters of UNDSS is located in New York and have operations in more than one hundred countries. UNDSS Ethiopia is supporting the UNSMS in country through security advice and guidance to enable the conduct of operations in the safest way possible. The Stress Counsellor will work in the UNDSS Ethiopia. UNDSS will implement the Locally Cost-Shared Security Budget, which constitutes the financial contributions of all UNSMS Organizations in South Sudan.

Context

The primary goal of the United Nations Security Management System (UNSMS) is to enable the conduct of United Nations (UN) activities while ensuring the safety, security and well-being of personnel. The conditions under which UN personnel operate in the field have changed drastically over the years, particularly in light of the UN’s shift to a “stay and deliver” approach to operating in high-risk environments. This has substantially increased the number of individuals exposed to stress and critical incident stress. While many individuals who experience stress or critical incident stress can resume their daily activities with minimal or no disruption, some may encounter difficulty resuming such activities due to psychological, somatic or social reactions linked to such exposure. The United Nations Department of Safety and Security’s (UNDSS) Critical Incident Stress Management Section (CISMS) serves as the central body responsible for ensuring the adequate and timely coordination and provision of psycho-social services to staff. Such services are provided primarily at the field level through the establishment of a Critical Incident Stress Intervention Cell (CISIC), with coordination and support provided at the headquarter level, these cells consist of professional Stress Counsellors supported by UN system staff trained as Peer Helpers. The cells work on preparing the staff members and teams on improving resilience to stress, improve the response to stressful situations, and aid in the recovery from stressful or traumatic events. The Tigray region in Ethiopia was an active conflict zone in 2021 & 2022 ending in November 2022. This has increased stress level and critical incident issues among UN staff in the region. UN staff in Tigray region are faced with psychosocial distress. The mental health of staff and their families in the region is increasingly under pressure due to the conflict and adhesive humanitarian conditions in the region. Staff working in the region are routinely exposed to psychosocial distress such as stress, depression, burnout, trauma and anxiety. There is an increase in the demand for counselling services from UN agencies in the region. Other factors that have been identified commonly in UN staff in the region are cumulative stress reactions related to overwork, and declining efficiency due to burnout in the work environment.

Task description

Within the delegated authority and under the administrative supervision of the Chief Security Adviser and the technical guidance of the CISMS Regional Stress Counsellor, the UN Volunteer Stress Counsellor, will administrate a wide range of stress management activities, actively participating in emergency preparedness in the country in collaboration with UNDSS and the UN emergency coordination group as per the UNDSS CISMS standard operational procedures on the Management of Stress and Critical Incident Stress (MSCIS). Specific responsibilities will include : • Develop and implement a stress prevention and management plan applicable to all UN Agencies in the country. • Provide individual and group stress management and critical incident counselling sessions to the staff and dependents as/when needed, • Plan and facilitate training programmes on a variety of stress management related issues for UN personnel in the country and circulate useful reading resources related to stress. • Assist in establishing the Critical Incident Stress Intervention Cells (CISICs) including selecting Peer Helpers and Family Focal Points; facilitating peer helper training sessions (jointly with UNDSS CISMS); coordinating and following up on all relevant activities. • Liaise with existing local Staff Association to advocate for the organization of welfare activities for UN personnel. • Identify, address and follow up on high stress cases and critical incident stress cases among the UN personnel and dependents in the country. • Be willing to visit & travel regularly to the UN Offices/Sub Offices in the country in order to implement preventative stress management training activities and offer technical consultations when needed. • Collaborate with UN managers, agency counsellors, medical doctors, local experts and institutions on psychosocial issues with the objective of establishing a network of professionals ready to support and intervene in case of need. • Under the guidance of the CISMS Regional Stress Counsellor, coordinate all critical incident stress management activities with relevant stakeholders, including UN staff counsellors in the country and in neighboring countries, Peer Helpers, Family Focal Points, Mental Health Professionals etc. • Advise UN management on stress mitigating strategies and activities. • Perform ongoing psychosocial needs assessments and monitor the determinants of stress in UN personnel, including activities such as data collection, analyses, resource mapping and coordinating collective psychosocial capacity across UN agencies and partners. • Provide monthly reports to the Chief Security Adviser with copies to UNDSS CISMS on all his/her activities. Results/expected outputs As an active UNDSS team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to UNSMS and its partners in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including expert knowledge in the field of stress management and counselling; demonstrated adaptability and ability to work in austere, insecure environments and to adjust rapidly to varying social, organizational and geographic settings; good conceptual skills in mental health programming and/or public health; proven ability to provide counselling in stress and stress related issues and treat sensitive or confidential information appropriately; in depth understanding of the strategic directions in critical incident stress management. Candidate also shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observes deadlines and achieving results; motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations; takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.