MHPSS team leader (volunteer)

Boat Refugee Foundation (BRF) is looking for a volunteer team leader who can support the MHPSS programme on Lesvos. Are you a psychologist, psychotherapist, psychiatric nurse or certified in (ortho)pedagogy and want to use your expertise to help people in need? Do you have at least five years of working experience, including experience working abroad? Are you also able to make independent decisions regarding mental health and be available for three to six months? Please read on!

WHERE WILL YOU WORK?

Boat Refugee Foundation provides medical and psychosocial (emergency) aid and stands up for the rights of people seeking refuge. We take action where systems become inhumane and compassion is lost. Since 2015, we have been working in various locations at the borders of Europe.

WHAT WILL YOU DO?

The MHPSS team on Lesvos consists of one to three experienced psychologists, psychotherapists, psychiatric nurses and other mental health professionals. The focus of the MHPSS programme is on providing mental health and psychosocial support in the form of supportive conversations, psychoeducation, stress management techniques and empowerment. The MHPSS team leader provides quality psychosocial support to people on the move in the refugee camp on Lesvos, with an often-changing MHPSS team. The team leader is a stable factor in the often rapidly changing volunteer team. In addition to working a couple of MHPSS shifts per week, they will be working closely with the coordinating team to take care of ad-hoc case management and long-term follow-up on service users, capacity building of the volunteers and administrative tasks.

YOU HAVE THE FOLLOWING RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Responsible for long-term follow-up for BRF’s MHPSS service users;
• Taking on a wide range of MHPSS and non-MHPSS responsibilities from time to time;
• Coordinate additional tasks of the MHPSS volunteers such as group activities, and capacity building to other actors, in addition to MHPSS shifts;
• Contribute to optimising the work of the MHPSS team;
• Plan and schedule intervition for the volunteer team.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

• Relevant degree (higher professional education or university degree);
• At least 5 years of work experience in a clinical setting, preferably including relevant clinical work with intercultural groups, refugees, or migrants (abroad or in another context);
• Experience supporting adults who have experienced trauma, including serious psychological complaints such as panic attacks, psychosis, and suicidality;
• Crisis intervention skills (suicidality, psychosis, acute distress) and trauma-informed care;
• Ability to make independent decisions regarding MHPSS;
• Experience in supervision/intervision and providing peer support;
• Highly flexible and stress-resistant; able to cope with emotional or confronting situations and separate work from personal topics;
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written in English;
• Strong interpersonal, negotiation, and organizational skills; ability to work with a broad spectrum of people;
• Creativity and ability to work with limited resources;
• Teamwork skills and ability to adapt to changing working hours;
• Eligible to live and work in an EU country;
• EU Driver’s license B (required);
• Availability: minimum 3 months (preferably 3–6 months).

WHAT DO WE OFFER YOU?

• Volunteer stipend of €210 per month;
• Free living accommodation in our volunteer house;
• (Shared) rental car + fuel. For work purposes.