Job purpose

The Senior Officer, Mental Health will ensure effective delivery of mental health services in rural areas by providing training, on-job coaching, supervision to sasthyo kormi and individual counselling to referred clients. The role involves monitoring psychosocial services, coordinating referrals, and supporting safeguarding initiatives to create a safe working environment.

About the role

BRAC is an international development organisation founded in Bangladesh that partners with over 100 million people living with inequality and poverty globally to create sustainable opportunities to realise potential.

Working at BRAC is not like any other job. It is a platform where you can bring about real change for people who need it the most. We are not just dreaming of a better world, we are building it. Join us to find the way.

ABOUT THE PROGRAMME:

BRAC Health Programme is currently implementing Mental Health pilot projects to address mental health issues at the community level in collaboration with the National Control Disease Center (NCDC) and the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). BRAC will integrate mental health services with non-communicable disease (NCD) services through its community health workers (Shasthyo Kormi)

JOB PURPOSE:

This is a project based position responsible for ensuring effective delivery of mental health services in rural areas by providing training, on-job coaching, and supervision to sasthyo kormis, as well as individual counselling to referred clients. The Senior Officer, Mental Health will oversee and monitor psychosocial services, coordinate referrals, and support safeguarding initiatives to create a safe and supportive working environment.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

Develop capacity of frontline health care staff on mental health through conducting training, structured supervision, on-the-job coaching, mentoring, and skills development initiatives.
Ensure continuous capacity development of frontline health care staff by conducting regular supervisory visits to multiple upazilas on a rotational basis.
Conduct regular field visits to monitor the quality of mental health screening, case identification, counseling, referral, and overall service delivery, ensuring adherence to programme standards and clinical protocols.
Conduct joint field visits with frontline health care staff in remote and hard-to-reach areas to assess high-risk clients, provide clinical assessment, and ensure timely referral to appropriate tertiary-level mental health facilities when required.
Provide individual counseling services to referred high-risk clients through face-to-face sessions during field visits or via tele-counseling, and facilitate appropriate referrals for specialized care.
Conduct group supervision sessions at the upazila level to strengthen the technical capacity of frontline staff, improve service quality, and address implementation challenges.
Follow up with referred clients to ensure successful linkage with tertiary-level services and continuity of mental health care.
Contribute to the development and revision of training curricula, facilitator guides, job aids, behavior change communication (BCC) materials, and other technical resources related to mental health.
Coordinate with government health facilities, and other relevant stakeholders to strengthen referral pathways and improve access to mental health services.
Organize and facilitate training programmes, workshops, coordination meetings, seminars, and other capacity-building events related to mental health.
Prepare and submit monthly reports, field visit reports, supervision reports, case documentation, and other programme reports as required.
Receive regular clinical supervision from the Mental Health Manager, psychiatrists, psychologists, and other designated technical consultants to ensure quality clinical practice.
Participate in internal and external training programmes organized by BRAC Health Programme (BHP) as part of continuous professional development.
Provide Psychological First Aid (PFA), counseling, and psychosocial support during emergencies, disasters, humanitarian crises, or other national emergency responses as assigned.

SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES:

Ensure the safety of Programme Participants, people who come into contact with the organisation and team members from any harm, abuse, neglect, harassment and exploitation including sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) to achieve the programme`s goals of safeguarding implementation. Act as a key source of support, guidance and expertise on safeguarding for establishing a safe working environment.
Practice, promote and endorse the issues of safeguarding policy among team members and ensure the implementation of safeguarding standards in every course of action.
Follow the safeguarding reporting procedure in case any reportable incident takes place, encourage others to do so.

ADDITIONAL JOB REQUIREMENTS:

Sound knowledge of counseling, training, monitoring, safeguarding, report writing, presentation preparation, and people management.
Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) with strong skills in data presentation and technical documentation.
Excellent influencing, negotiation, critical thinking, and motivational skills to maintain effective relationships in sensitive environments.
Strong organization, management, and coordination skills to handle field-level activities and cross-functional operations.
Proven ability to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, and work independently as well as collaboratively within culturally diverse, complex environments.

EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Masters in In Clinical Psychology / Counseling Psychology / Mental health. Training on mhGAP, CBT, IPT etc will get preference.

EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

Minimum 2 years of experience in relevant field

OTHER BENEFITS:

Festival Bonus, Health and Life Insurance and others as per policy.

This position is open to Bangladeshi nationals only. BRAC does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process.

Key responsibilities

Develop capacity of frontline health care staff on mental health through conducting training, structured supervision, on-the-job coaching, mentoring, and skills development initiatives.
Ensure continuous capacity development of frontline health care staff by conducting regular supervisory visits to multiple upazilas on a rotational basis.
Conduct regular field visits to monitor the quality of mental health screening, case identification, counseling, referral, and overall service delivery, ensuring adherence to programme standards and clinical protocols.
Conduct joint field visits with frontline health care staff in remote and hard-to-reach areas to assess high-risk clients, provide clinical assessment, and ensure timely referral to appropriate tertiary-level mental health facilities when required.
Provide individual counseling services to referred high-risk clients through face-to-face sessions during field visits or via tele-counseling, and facilitate appropriate referrals for specialized care.
Conduct group supervision sessions at the upazila level to strengthen the technical capacity of frontline staff, improve service quality, and address implementation challenges.
Follow up with referred clients to ensure successful linkage with tertiary-level services and continuity of mental health care.
Contribute to the development and revision of training curricula, facilitator guides, job aids, behavior change communication (BCC) materials, and other technical resources related to mental health.
Coordinate with government health facilities, and other relevant stakeholders to strengthen referral pathways and improve access to mental health services.
Organize and facilitate training programmes, workshops, coordination meetings, seminars, and other capacity-building events related to mental health.
Prepare and submit monthly reports, field visit reports, supervision reports, case documentation, and other programme reports as required.
Receive regular clinical supervision from the Mental Health Manager, psychiatrists, psychologists, and other designated technical consultants to ensure quality clinical practice.
Participate in internal and external training programmes organized by BRAC Health Programme (BHP) as part of continuous professional development.
Provide Psychological First Aid (PFA), counseling, and psychosocial support during emergencies, disasters, humanitarian crises, or other national emergency responses as assigned.

Required knowledge

Knowledge on counselling, training, coordination, monitoring, report writing, presentation preparation, and safeguarding.
Knowledge on people management.

Required skills

Maintain good working relationships with stakeholders in a sensitive environment.
Effective communication and presentation skills.
Have computer skills with all Microsoft Office programs (MS Word, Power Point, and Excel).
Excellent influencing, negotiating and communication skills.
Critical thinking and motivational skills
Excellent organization, management and coordination skills.

Required competencies

Competent to think technically, prioritize and meet deadlines in a complex and challenging environment; must be culturally sensitive.
Competent to operate in a complex organization, across functions and work on own initiative and collaboratively as part of diverse teams.

Additional requirements

Maintain good working relationships with stakeholders in a sensitive environment.
Effective communication and presentation skills.
Have computer skills with all Microsoft Office programs (MS Word, Power Point, and Excel).
Excellent influencing, negotiating and communication skills.
Critical thinking and motivational skills
Excellent organization, management and coordination skills.

Knowledge on counselling, training, coordination, monitoring, report writing, presentation preparation, and safeguarding.
Knowledge on people management.

Competent to think technically, prioritize and meet deadlines in a complex and challenging environment; must be culturally sensitive.
Competent to operate in a complex organization, across functions and work on own initiative and collaboratively as part of diverse teams.

Education

Master

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Senior Officer, Mental Health; BRAC Health Programme (BHP)