Expert Psychotherapist/Trainer

The Center for Victims of Torture is hiring and Expert Psychotherapist/Trainer to build the capacity of national staff counselors and local refugee psychosocial counselors (PSCs) to provide mental health services to torture and conflict trauma survivors. They will also oversee and coordinate delivery of mental health interventions for adult and children survivors in mobile units deployed to the field, in the form of individual and group therapy, and will maintain communication and collaboration with the partner organization in the mobile units and provides capacity building for the organizations in the region on trauma-informed care as appropriate.

 

Organization:

The Center for Victims of Torture works toward a future in which torture ceases to exist and its victims have hope for a new life. We are an international nonprofit dedicated to healing survivors of torture. We offer rehabilitation services to those who have been tortured, train partners around the world who can prevent and treat torture, and advocate for human rights and an end to torture. We are headquartered in Minnesota, and we have US offices in Atlanta and DC, as well as offices in Africa and the Middle East.

 

Responsibilities:

• Psychotherapy Oversight:  Oversee and coordinate mental health assessments and interventions, and serve as a mentor with counselors and in individual and group settings to model assessment and treatment methods that are both culturally relevant and empirically supported.
• Clinical Supervision and Training:  Provide frequent, systematic individual and group clinical supervision, including case discussions, live supervision, and self-care components, to counselors that are deployed in the mobile units. Design and carry out training programs, including didactic training sessions, mentoring, modeling and systematic, close supervision for counselors and psychosocial counselors. Continually assess the development of staff and adapt training and coaching accordingly.  Provide advanced supervision and training in supervision skills to counseling supervisors. Provide staff support services within the boundaries of the role.  Receive clinical supervision from Clinical Advisor on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.
• Capacity building: Builds and maintains strong network relationships with International and Local NGOs, UN agencies and government agencies that provide services to the client group.  Promotes the use of Trauma-Informed care by providing capacity building in the service delivery, including (but not limited) Gender-based violence.  Promotes trauma informed staff care for the partner organizations by providing capacity building and other activities for partner agencies in this area. Area 4
• Staff Management:  Build and maintain a strong and cohesive clinical team. Coordinate workflow, resources and priorities; and facilitate communication across the team, including the partner organization that operate the mobile units. Hire, coach, mentor and develop staff members through ongoing feedback as well as formal performance management systems. Coordinate and facilitate clinical team meetings.
• Coordination with other agencies:  Coordinate the efforts of the Mental Health area of the mobile units that are run by a partner organization, including collaboration in the coordination.  Maintain productive relationships with other partners to provide meaningful and practical capacity building on the areas of trauma-informed care. 
• Program Development:  Work as part of the country team to achieve program objectives.  Manage day-to-day operations of the clinical program to ensure activities run smoothly.  Adjust or develop new program activities in accordance with client population needs.  Participate in regular meetings with lead country staff (Country Director, Zonal Manager and Psychotherapist/Trainers) to share updates and problem-solve challenges. 
• Reporting:  Contribute to the writing, review and submission of regular reports regarding clinical and training activities.
• Program Evaluation:  With country team (Country Director, Zonal Manager and Psychotherapist/Trainers) and in consultation with Headquarters staff, participate in the design and implementation of program evaluation.

 

Qualifications:

Required education, experience, certificates, licenses or registrations

• Graduate degree in psychology, counseling, clinical social work or related field
• 4 years of experience providing individual and group psychotherapy to trauma survivors
• 3 years of experience supervising mental health professionals and paraprofessionals

 

Preferred education, experience, certificates, licenses or registrations

• Certification or licensure as a psychologist or psychotherapist
• 6 or more years of experience providing individual and group psychotherapy
• Extensive experience providing psychotherapy to children, adolescents, families and SGBV survivors.
• 5 years of experience supervising mental health professionals and paraprofessionals
• Experience working in the field of torture treatment
• Experience working in humanitarian settings, including camp-based settings
• Experience working with interpreters

 

Competencies (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities)

• Understanding of and extensive experience implementing culturally appropriate mental health interventions, including individual, group and community-based approaches for people who have suffered torture and trauma in various contexts.     
• Understanding of and experience developing curricula and providing tailored training for mental health counselors on counseling approaches, sensitization on the effects of trauma and war, and designing culturally and contextually appropriate therapeutic interventions.
• Experience training varying levels of mental health workers, including psychologists with graduate degrees and supervision responsibilities and paraprofessionals with no or limited prior exposure to mental health work; and demonstrated ability to provide them with on-the-job coaching, supervision, and support to ensure continuous capacity building and no harm to the clients.
• Demonstrated cultural sensitivity in professional environments, ideally in mental health care.
• Demonstrated experience working in a mental health capacity with both adults and children.  Experience working with survivors of sexual and gender-based violence preferred.
• Experience working in environments with limited resources and infrastructure.  Experience working in East Africa preferred.
• Skilled at carrying out program needs assessments, program development and program evaluation.
• Strong organizational skills and experience initiating systems for the efficient workflow of a team.
• Skilled at working as a member of a team, as well as managing a team and supporting positive dynamics.
• Flexibility and adaptability to work in environments with limited resources and infrastructure and in an isolated environment lacking in amenities.
• Demonstrated flexibility to adapt to changing program requirements, client needs and political climate. 
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office suite (Outlook, Word and Excel)
• Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communications skills
• Ability to travel by car up to 2 hours per day on rough, unpaved roads.
• Fluency in English required. Fluency in Amharic and/or Nuer desirable but not required.
• Interest in or commitment to work against torture

 

To Apply:  Submit resume, cover letter and salary expectations by September 17, 2023 to http://cvt.simplicant.com/

 

CVT is committed to hiring and fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce that leverages the skills and talents of all employees in our organization, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, familial status or any other protected status. We encourage candidates with diverse backgrounds such as these to apply for this position.