Mental Health Officer

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The main objectives of the Special Initiative for Mental Health in the WHO Representative Office in Zimbabwe is to assist the Ministry of Health &Child Care (MOHCC), particularly the Mental Health Department other relevant institutions and partners in implementing the five year program by building and consolidating their capacity to plan, implement, monitor and evaluate Mental health prevention, detection, treatment and care activities as well as to strengthen coordination among different partners and stakeholders for effective programming

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

•Oversee the overall timeliness and quality of all program deliverables of the Special Initiative for mental healthoperational work plan, assure compliance with WHO rules and regulations,and efficiently deliver related services/products within the country.•Provide technical support to the Ministry of Health and other lineministries and their technical departments in the review and implementation ofthe of mental health strategy through the Special Initiative for Mental Health as part of the Universal Health coverage ensuring care that is timely,efficient, equitable and people centered. •Coordinate with the international and national stakeholders (includingUN/NGO and civil society organizations and institutions working in the field of mental health to optimize mental health service delivery •Contribute to the mobilization of adequate and sustained resources forthe development and implementation of mental health activities.•Facilitate the development of community-based mental health servicesand contribute to the development and strengthening of secondary level specialist psychiatric services.•Provide technical guidance to develop, implement and disseminatestrategic information, policies and guidelines with stakeholders and partnersas well as monitor and evaluate implementation of mental health plans and the integration of mental health in the primary health care.•Monitor implementation of the Grand Challenge Canada Fund (GCC) on the FRIENDZ project •Facilitate and advocate for strategic partnerships to enhance public private partnerships for health and fostering joint Mental Health integration into other programs•Promote and support Operational/Implementation Research to identify innovative strategies which inform national policies, strategies and enable evidence-based decision making and programming for Mental health and the documentation of best practices in Mental Health awareness, prevention,detection, treatment, and care.•Monitor impact of pandemics like Covid-19 and Floods and any emergencies that impact on people’s psychosocial wellbeing and identify innovative strategies to ensure continued delivery of these essential services.•Prepare monthly and quarterly progress reports of activities accomplished.•Perform any other related incident-specific duties, as required by thefunctional supervisor.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: Degree in psychiatry,clinical psychology, social work or allied sciences from an accredited/recognizedinstitute.
Desirable: Masters in a mental health field, post-graduate qualificationor specialized training in (a) public health (b) clinical psychology or psychiatry;Training in delivering interventions in MNS disorders, training in WHOQuality Rights

Experience

Essential: At leasttwo (2 ) years of practical experience in the assessment,development and implementation of policies, strategies, and action plans for nationallevel Mental health in a developing country.
Desirable: Experience of managing national mental health programme(s) including experience withi mplementing WHO’s Mental health Gap Action Programme (MHGAP), in capacity building, developing, and promoting collaborative partnerships. Relevant work and in WHO, other UN agencies, relevant nongovernmental, and health cluster partners. A minimum of 3 years of working experience in large public health projects would be an asset

Skills

Ability to establish harmonious working relationships and to function within multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams.•Ability to consolidate information from multiple sources and preparestrategic information and reports for decision makers•Ability to lead and achieve consensus and coordination throughteambuilding•Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, orally and in writing.

WHO Competencies

Teamwork
Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
Communication
Building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond
Ensuring the effective use of resources
Creating an empowering and motivating environment

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English.
Desirable:

REMUNERATION

Remuneration comprises an annual base salary starting at USD 47,096 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable) and 30 days of annual leave.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level

• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.

• A written test and/or an asynchronous video assessment may be used as a form of screening.

• In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.

• According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible.

• Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual.

• The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits and employs staff regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics.

• The WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its staff. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply.

• Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to reasonableaccommodation@who.int

• An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice.

• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.

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• WHO also offers wide range of benefits to staff, including parental leave and attractive flexible work arrangements to help promote a healthy work-life balance and to allow all staff members to express and develop their talents fully.

• The statutory retirement age for staff appointments is 65 years. For external applicants, only those who are expected to complete the term of appointment will normally be considered.

• Please note that WHO’s contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Staff Health and Wellbeing Services (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at shws@who.int.

• This is a National Professional Officer position. Therefore, only applications from nationals of the country where the duty station is located will be accepted. Applicants who are not nationals of this country will not be considered.

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