Mental Health Facilitator (Multiple Positions) at StrongMinds

StrongMinds is a fast-growing, dynamic social enterprise committed to providing life-changing mental health services to impoverished women in Africa. Following five successful years in Uganda, StrongMinds is expanding into Zambia in 2019. We are seeking qualified staff to begin delivering mental health services in Lusaka and the surrounding areas.

StrongMinds’ Mental Health Facilitators (MHF) are dynamic, energetic individuals who run group therapy sessions (each lasting 90 minutes) for women affected by depression. MHFs mobilize, screen and recruit women into groups, and provide treatment using Interpersonal Group Therapy (IPT-G). MHFs engage our clients in small groups to discuss the issues that are affecting them, and support them in resolving their challenges. MHFs also work with community leaders, partners and health-workers to create favorable environments for women affected by depression to not only recover, but thrive.

Our MHFs work collaboratively, sharing their experiences and learnings to continuously improve the StrongMinds therapy model. MHFs should be accessible to–and approachable by–vulnerable women and adolescent girls. They should be able to work independently in the catchment area allocated, building the necessary networks and partnerships to ensure successful cycles of group therapy sessions. They should be totally committed to upholding StrongMinds’ core values, and understand their role in safeguarding vulnerable communities.

MHFs perform tasks in the following key areas, and are expected to plan and implement their work in accordance with the organization’s annual and therapy cycle calendars:

1. Serving women with depression

• Constantly seek to identify, understand, document and report participants’ barriers to seeking help and participating in group therapy sessions. Communicate these to supervisors and team to find and test innovative solutions.
• Following the prescribed IPT-G sessions guidelines, create a safe environment for women to discuss depression, their interpersonal relations and how the depression is currently affecting their lives.
• Follow–up and track participant attendance and participation, and document progress to assess IPT-G efficacy.
• Conduct effective referral of women using the StrongMinds Zambia referral guidelines.
• Identify women who can volunteer to lead IPT-G groups in their communities to be trained in an adapted peer-led therapy curriculum.
• Ensure complete adherence to the IPT-G model – with no deviation at any point during delivery of therapy.

2. Networking and partnerships

• Educate community leaders, members and strategic partners on depression, its effects, the costs of inaction and benefits of treatment so that they can encourage and support women with depression to undertake and complete the course of treatment.
• Actively engage stakeholders to ensure their buy-in and ownership of the StrongMinds group talk therapy program.
• Raise awareness and understanding of depression and mental health more broadly among community members, leaders and stakeholders.

3. Data collection and reporting

• Maintain accurate records including the collection of qualitative data (using both electronic and paper-based tools) and ensure timely reporting based on the StrongMinds Zambia reporting calendar.
• Contribute to the understanding of the overall monitoring and evaluation processes alongside the StrongMinds Zambia management and M&E team/department.
• Periodically conduct client satisfaction focus group discussions.

4. Management and self-care

• Attend and participate in weekly debriefing meetings with your team and supervisors.
• Participate in face-to-face meeting with your supervisor.
• Attend and participate in all trainings organized by StrongMinds Zambia.
• Identify and report any instances in which you notice feelings of conflict between yourself and the client or clients (transference, counter transference, set boundaries are violated, secondary trauma and compassion fatigue).
• Attend regular support, debriefing, case conference and/or supervision meetings to ensure information and skill-sharing.
• Set aside time for self-care so as to avoid burnout.

5. Community engagement

• Develop the Community’s awareness, understanding and engagement with the issues relating to depression, and mental health, in conjunction with the StrongMinds team.
• Assist in planning and implementation sensitization and education campaigns to increase community awareness about issues relating to mental health, sexual and gender-based violence and HIV- linking them to depression
• Planning and implementing community mental health awareness and education campaigns in village or town/block where the MHF is based
• Participate in sensitization, problem-solving, dialogue and mediation with the wider population about the people in order to raise understanding, develop coping strategies and encourage those who need counseling services to contact strong Minds staff.
• Providing interpretation between clients and other Strong Minds Zambia staff members when needed.

Capacity building

• Attend trainings given by StrongMinds and other agencies as directed by the StrongMinds Trainer.

Essential Experience and Qualifications:

• Minimum of one years of experience working with vulnerable people (especially women and girls) on community development and/or self-help groups and programs – preferably in a counseling capacity.
• Proven experience (and a natural ability) in community engagement, outreach and mobilization specifically for vulnerable groups.
• Excellent facilitation, listening and communication skills.
• Experience and detailed understanding of the need for maintaining strict, clear boundaries as a therapist and your clients at all times.
• A good understanding of depression and how it can be treated using group talk therapy – including an understanding of self help approaches and empowerment in mental health.
• Deep understanding of the developmental challenges facing women in Zambia and how these affect their mental health.
• Experience of working in under-developed, high population density settings (e.g. compounds).
• Tech savvy – comfortable with the daily use of computer and mobile phone software applications, smartphones, tablets etc.
• Demonstrated experience of monitoring and evaluation processes, data collection and qualitative and quantitative tools.
• Significant experience of facilitating groups and managing the dynamics within a group setting.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision and support.
• Ability to develop, inform and sustain professional relationships, partnerships and networks.
• Fluent speaker of English, Bemba and Nyanja. All these languages will be tested during interviews.
• Ability and willingness to undertake physical movements between and within communities mostly by public means.
• Flexibility in carrying out tasks
• Ability to work with diverse cultures
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Candidates must be respectful of themselves and others, timely, self-driven, hard-working, results-oriented, eager to learn and a team player.

Education

• A relevant bachelor’s degree
• Diploma holders with more than one year of professional experience will be considered.

Targets

• Number of IPT-G groups that complete 10 sessions
• Percentage reduction in symptoms of people completing group sessions
• Percentage of women who complete IPT-G sessions
• Attendance at weekly debriefing meetings
• Attendance at organized trainings
• Up-to-date data collected, compiled and submitted to StrongMinds Zambia within set timeframes.

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