Mental Health and Psychosocial Support

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.And we never give up.UNICEF promotes the rights and welfare of all children and adolescents in everything we do.

Together with our allies, we work in 190 countries and territories to transform this commitment into practical actions that benefit all children, especially focusing our efforts on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded, worldwide. The UNICEF Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office is based in in Panama, operating in 36 territories, including 24 country offices.UNICEF works to put the rights and well-being of the most disadvantaged children at the heart of the social, political, and economic agenda, in line with our equity focus, working across our organization and with our partners in government, civil society and the private sector to support shifts in public policy, fuel social engagement, and increase investment for children.For information of the work of our organization in the LAC Region, please visit our website: UNICEF LAC Region. For every child, healthThe Survive & Thrive Outcome of the UNICEF LAC Regional Office Management Plan (ROMP) aims at ensuring that girls, boys and adolescents in LAC benefit from equitable policies and programmes that guarantee their health, wellbeing and full development. This outcome focuses on supporting countries in the implementation of the Secretary General Global Strategy for Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Health (2016-2030) in the region, across its broad agenda of survive, thrive and transform, with an emphasis on reducing health inequities, strengthening health and community systems, promoting multi-sectoral action and building partnership in health, nutrition and HIV, including in fragile and emergency contexts.

**Within this outcome, there are 3 outputs related to**: (1) Maternal, newborn and child health, including the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis B (MNCH/EMTCT), (2) Nutrition, and (3) Adolescent health. Job contextThe MHPSS Specialist reports to the LAC Regional Adolescent Health Specialist who coordinates output 3 Adolescent Health Survive and Thrive and LAC RO ROMP for general guidance and supervision.The MHPSS Specialist, will work in close collaboration with LACRO’s Child Protection and Education Sections. The incumbent will also contribute and coordinate with other relevant LACRO sections as needed, and is responsible for the development, implementation and monitoring of the strategies and activities towards the achievement of the MHPSS related activities and plans in the Adolescent health output, which includes strengthened policies and programmes for equitable access to adolescent health information and services in regular and humanitarian contexts, and more specifically the strengthening UNICEF and inter-agency results, focusing on regional implementation and advocacy efforts on MHPSS including the roll out of the global UNICEF MHPSS Operational Framework.The MHPSS Specialist is responsible for managing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating and reporting of the mental health programme/s and providing technical guidance and operational support to Country Offices in the LAC region throughout the programming process to facilitate the achievement of concrete and sustainable results according to plans, allocation, results based-management approaches and methodology (RBM) and organizational strategic plans and goals, standards of performance and accountability framework. Key functions and accountabilities1.

Programme development and planning2. Programme management, monitoring, and delivery of results3. Advisory services and technical support4. Advocacy, networking, and partnership building5.

Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building To qualify as a champion for every child you will have: An advanced University degree in psychology, mental health or related field is required.Master’s degree in public health, health research, global/international health, health policy and/or management is an assetA minimum of 8 years of professional experience in mental health, psychology, MHPSS and/other related areas, including at the international level, is required.Relevant experience in child protection, human rights and related areas, programme/project development and experience in a UN system agency or organization is an asset.Training delivery, content development, and Knowledge Management experience are desirable assets.Experience in both development and humanitarian contexts is an added advantage. Relevant experience in coordinating and developing regional and country-focused resource mobilization strategies for MHPSS are an asset.Fluency in English and Spanish is requir