Clinical Psychologist

Main Purpose

• Providing psychological support to patients according to MSF principles, standards and procedures in order to improve the patients’ mental health.

Accountabilities

• Carrying out evaluation/assessment of mental health needs of patients and establishing a diagnosis and a plan of treatment. Informing the patient and his/her relatives about the possible consequences of the MH symptoms and the drug treatment to follow and referring patients to other health professionals whenever necessary, in order to provide the most appropriate treatment and improve the patient's condition
• Attend in an appropriate welcoming and confidential manner all patients seeking care in the facility
• Assess and evaluate at all times the changes in mental health needs/ identification of specific vulnerable subgroups(s) within the target population in collaboration with the medical team
• Inform the Mental Health Manager and the medical team about any issues or problems that may arise related to patients’ assessment and treatment in order to provide the best quality of services the best quality of services
• Provide comprehensive mental health care according to the clinics’ guidelines and protocols
• Provide psychological activities (group and individual sessions) to patients according to MSF protocols
• Provide MH reports and certificates
• Provide information on pertinent psychological issues and concerns and psycho-education for patients, their families, relatives and community members when needed
• Attend in an appropriate welcoming and confidential manner all patients seeking care in the facility
• Participate and provide input to the Mental Health team meetings and case discussions
• Ensure complete documentation of all cases new and follow up (group and individual sessions), in the patient file and statistic sheets
• Actively participate in all meetings and trainings planned in the project
• Report all information linked to clinical cases
• Inform the line manager about problems exceeding one’s competence, ask for support
• Availability to work in different places according to the needs of the MSF target population
• Implement MH activities according wit MSF standards and procedures
• Ensuring that all patient information is kept confidential

Referral of Patients

• Refer patients to other MSF health professionals according the internal procedure whenever necessary in order to provide the most appropriate treatment
• Refer patients to social workers whenever necessary

Team Work and Training

• Maintain a close and regular collaboration and exchange of information with the other MSF professionals linked with Mental Health activities
• Work in close collaboration with cultural mediators in order to ensure that appropriate terminology and behavior are used during sessions and ensure support after difficult consultations
• Assist and provide training/sensitization to MSF staff members, identified partners and resourceful people whenever necessary in order to enhance the scope of Mental Health activities
• Promote Mental Health services offered in collaboration with the Health Promotor team Ensuring that all patient information is kept confidential.