National Stress Cоunsellor

The current security level in Ukraine is highly volatile due to the ongoing war and as a result, the psychosocial well-being of UN personnel is impacted severely. The daily threats to the safety and security of UN personnel have made UN personnel highly vulnerable to critical incident stress resulting in physical and psychological trauma and related illness. National staff and families are most at risk due to the nature of the armed conflict. The UN Security Management Team in collaboration with the UN stress counsellor, medical and security professionals in the headquarters and in country are required to adopt appropriate psychosocial strategies and interventions to assist UN personnel and their eligible family members. 

Due to the above reasons and in line with the UN Duty of Care Framework, it is essential to establish an in-house national stress counsellor for psychosocial support services, particularly for national UN personnel including eligible dependents. The main role of the national stress counsellor will be to assist the international stress counsellor in UNDSS in building a sustainable stress management program that benefits UN personnel operating in country with the main goal of strengthening and building resiliency skills among personnel in dealing with ongoing critical incident stress through the provision of professional counselling services, well-being checks and referrals to specialized mental health services in the country to mitigate and prevent long term consequences of trauma such as PTSD, Depression, Anxiety Disorders, Explosive Anger and Substance Abuse among UN personnel. 
 

• Develop and implement a stress management plan for the UN offices in the country.
• Advise the UN SMT/Country Team Management on culturally applicable and gender and diversity inclusive stress mitigating strategies and activities.

Assessment & Monitoring:

• Perform psychosocial needs assessments and focus groups, and monitor the determinants of stress in UN personnel.
• Identify, address, and follow up on critical incident stress cases among UN personnel in the country.
• Conduct field visits to the regions for psychosocial needs assessment, counseling, and well-being visits.

Counseling & Support:

• Provide individual and group counseling sessions related to critical incidents.
• Provide referral advice to UN personnel.

Training & Awareness:

• Organize training sessions on stress and stress-related issues and coping mechanisms.

Liaison & Networking:

• Liaise with local experts and institutions in the country for referral as well as with UN line managers, medical doctors, and local physicians to build a network of professionals ready to support and intervene in case of needs

Reporting & Follow-up:

• Provide reports to the Chief Security Advisor and UNDSS CISMU on all activities at least monthly or as required.
• Provide regular reports to the international stress counsellor on all activities, maintaining due confidentiality.
• Other activities as requested.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Under the supervision the International Stress Counsellor the National Stress Counsellor will be based in Kyiv, Ukraine and travel when cleared by UNDSS to provide psychosocial support services for staff and eligible dependents located across the country.

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements 
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible 
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination 

• Knowledge Generation:               
  • Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need
• Effective decision making:         
  • Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one’s authority, area of expertise and resources
• Communication:             
  • Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and chose communication methods depending on audience. 
  • Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels
• UN Policy ethics – knowledge:  
  • Knowledge and understanding of the UN Staff Regulations and Rules and other policies relating to ethics and integrity
• Psychosocial support to personnel:
  • Ability and certified qualification to provide psychological counselling services to teams and individual personnel
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• Fluency in English and Ukrainian is required.