About Fenix
Fenix’s vision is that every person who has been forced to flee has real and dignified access to the right to asylum. Our mission consists of three interconnected Programs, aimed at positively impacting the cases of people who seek safety, other actors providing support to asylum seekers, and the Greek and European asylum systems at large. All our work is underpinned by our holistic philosophy, providing tools for empowerment with an integrated, trauma-informed and person-centred approach that considers the general well-being, needs, skills and hopes of individuals in their search for safety.
About the role
Many people who arrive to Lesvos have faced difficult journeys and situations and unfortunately the Mental Health and Psychosocial resources and services available for people are scarce. Multiple reports since 2015 highlight the shortcomings of the support available and the increase in people displaying Mental Health symptoms. In an attempt to fill this gap Fenix hopes to grow its MHPSS program on Lesvos, in the form of group sessions for people within the camp with a focus towards empowerment and self-management. There are pre-written plans that can be followed for three separate groups, but there is also the scope to devise your own sessions, with the oversight and agreement of the Lesvos Coordinator, based on your specialism.
- Follow internationally recognized best practices for evidence based psychological interventions and the management of clients with mental health concerns, as well as guiding principles for gender-based violence and child protection.
- Facilitate groups sessions in a variety of locations including camp and various community centres around Mytilene
- Arrange the logistics of the sessions
- Update prewritten group session plans based on expertise and current best practice
- Devise new groups plans based on individual expertise
- Be responsible for outreach in the camp to gain participants
- Be responsible for monitoring attendance
- If it is decided to create new sessions or workshops to meet people's needs, the IMO will support the creation and present new content.
- Be aware of other MHPSS actors and services in the camp in order to support people to self-refer if needed
- Where needed, be involved with advocacy and communication tasks such as gathering data, writing or reviewing reports and contributing towards social medical and other communication channels.
- All field based roles within Fenix will support, where required, to conduct Human Rights Monitoring in order for Fenix to be able to share up to date information about the context
- Supporting with general operational tasks of the Fenix Lesvos Office
What we are looking for
- An independent and adaptable person who can work in a rapidly changing and unstable environment
- Someone with excellent communication skills
- Fluency in English is essential. Additional competence in Arabic, Farsi/Dari, French, Somali or Greek is an asset
- Bachelor and/or Master degrees in Psychology or a relevant social science. Being licensed to practice psychology is an asset
- Experience with working with people who seek asylum and of working in a camp context is an asset
- Strong professional ethics
- Knowledge of different culturally relevant therapeutic techniques
- Positive and professional attitude
- Ability to work under pressure and to coordinate multiple tasks while maintaining attention to detail
- Experience with working with cultural mediators is an asset
- Able to self-sponsor their stay
- Candidate must have the right to stay in the EU for three months or longer
- Candidate with a valid driving licence is a benefit
We are committed to ensuring a diverse and inclusive workplace, and encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply.
What we offer
- Being part of a team of professionals committed to the promotion of access to rights
- Supervision and learning from our team of experts
- Training and development opportunities
- Access to mental health resources
- Fenix is able to submit the required documentation for people who join our team as part of an internship scheme with universities, bar associations or Erasmus sponsorship
Safeguarding Commitment
Fenix is committed to conducting our work with a high level of professionalism and ethical standards. We are committed to preventing any type of unwanted behavior at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct. Protecting the communities we work with and our staff from any deliberate or accidental harm is our highest priority. Fenix expects all staff, including volunteers, to share this commitment by following our Code of Conduct and Policies and attending our internal training.
We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us. For this reason, this post is subject to a range of vetting checks including satisfactory references and a criminal records disclosure. Staff might also be requested to complete a self declaration on PSEA.
3+ months, full-time
3 months, full-time
Start date: Immediately
Start date: Jan 08, 2024
Please submit your CV and motivation letter through the application procedure on our website, and select ‘MHPSS Officer’. We will be reviewing applications after the closing date.
In line with our safeguarding commitment, all offers are conditional on positive reference and background checks.
