Psychosocial Support Consultant – SFCG

The Organization:

Search for Common Ground (Search) is an international non-profit organization that promotes the peaceful resolution of conflict. With headquarters in Washington, DC and Brussels, Belgium, Search’s mission is to transform how individuals, organizations, and governments deal with conflict—away from destructive approaches towards cooperative solutions. With more than 800 staff worldwide, Search implements projects in more than 30 countries across the globe, including in Sudan where it has been working since 2009.

The project:

Search in Sudan is currently implementing a diversity of programs aimed at fostering locally-led peacebuilding and empowering women and youth to engage as actors of peace in their communities. These programs are funded by an array of international donors, and they combine community-led capacity building, dialogue and peace and livelihood initiatives with media and social media engagement, with a view to amplify its programming’s reach and impact.

The Assignment:

Search is looking to contract consultancy services (either as individuals or as a team as part of a dedicated organization) to provide psychosocial support to its staff and activity participants (youth, women, traditional and community leaders, religious leaders, displaced people) involved in the project in different states of Sudan, namely White Nile, Blue Nile, South Kordofan, West Kordofan, North Kordofan, Sennar, Gedaref, Al Jazeera, and Kassala. Search is interested in receiving applications from Mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) experts including trauma healing experts in each state, or in having a consultant(s) cover more than 1 state, if the location and schedule of dialogue sessions allow it. The consultant(s) will organize regular psychosocial support sessions, for individuals and groups,  to help Search staff and community members address the underlying trauma that affects them. The consultant(s) will provide orientation to participants on how to access additional services as needed (referrals to counseling, legal and health centers). 

Search Sudan Staff Welfare Initiative The consultant is expected to contribute to the Staff Welfare initiative organized by Search Sudan country HR. The objective is to cater to the psychosocial support needs of our Sudan staff who have and are experiencing all types of stress as a result of the ongoing war. All coordination will be executed by HR.

Duty Location: White Nile, Blue Nile, South Kordofan, West Kordofan, North Kordofan, Sennar, Gedaref, Al Jazeera, and Kassala

Deliverables

• Identification of psychosocial support needs for Search staff and participants in the state covered by the consultant;
• Develop a work plan for psychosocial support sessions;
• Develop methodology for one-on-one and group support sessions (22);
• Deliver and facilitate psychosocial support sessions;
• Throughout the sessions, provide support to project beneficiaries in both processing any vicarious trauma or addressing trauma in the communities they live in;
• Compile succinct progress reports after each support session, always ensuring confidentiality principles;
• Provide psychosocial support sessions to staff as requested and coordinated by country HR either online or in person.

Requirements

• A degree or postgraduate diploma in psychology, mental health, sociology, public health or related field
• Experience in delivering MHPSS programs (preferably in the contexts of Sudan or similar contexts)
• Experience working in the targeted states is an advantage
• Experience working with the psychological effects of violence, community conflicts or other traumatic events
• Extensive knowledge of coping mechanisms and therapeutic tools that can be applied to people experiencing frequent exposure to conflict, trauma and stress
•  Experience working with peacebuilders or mediators in general is an advantage
• Previous experience working with (I)NGOs is an advantage
• The ideal candidate(s) would be living/working in the targeted states, and have experience in trauma healing
• Demonstrated skills in empathy, active listening, communication, critical thinking, patience, observation and confidentiality
• Availability to travel to the targeted states
• Motivation and self-discipline to work with limited supervision
• Excellent facilitation skills
• Languages: command (oral and written) of Arabic is required
• Knowledge of state-specific local languages is an advantage

Application deadline: October 24th 2023

Only candidates that are formally set up as consultants in Sudan will be considered for this assignment.

Submitted offers will be reviewed on an ongoing basis and selection made according to the following criteria:

1). Daily rate

2). CV

3). Consultant’s availability and ability between November 2023 and April 2024.

For any questions regarding this assignment, kindly contact the following email address: [email protected]

As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key responsibilities.

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Only applicants invited for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls, please. Please see our website www.sfcg.org for full details of our work.All Search Employees must adhere to the values: Collaboration- Audacity – Tenacity – Empathy – Results. In accordance with these values, Search enforces compliance with the Code of Conduct and related policies on Anti Workplace Harassment, Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Conflict of Interest, and Anti-fraud. Search is committed to safeguarding the interests, rights, and well-being of children, youth, and vulnerable adults with whom it is in contact and to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for children, youth, and vulnerable adults.Search for Common Ground does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.