Hiring Office: UNFPA Turkmenistan CO

Title: Specialist on psychological counselling

The functions of a Specialist on psychological counselling include the following:

Preparatory work: Participation in induction training and advanced training courses organized by the UNFPA and NRCST.

Service Delivery:

Call service:

• Answer calls and assist subscribers in identifying their needs;
• Provide general information upon user requests;
• If necessary, assess the risk to which users are exposed, if any;
• Offer psychological support, and upon receipt of consent, provide basic psychological assistance and refer for specialist consultation;
• Provide information on options for contacting relevant services and specialists;
• If necessary, sign up the survivors for consultations with specialists in psychological counseling or social work.

In-person psychological counseling:

• Conduct interviews, identify and conduct an initial assessment of the situation and determine the needs of the user and her/his family;
• Conduct a psychological assessment;
• Determine further actions of psychological support;
• Conduct a detailed assessment of the user’s situation, her/his vulnerability and the risk situation in which she and/or her/his children find themselves;
• Participate and help in developing an individual intervention plan;
• Offer long-term psychological counseling to manage family conflict situations;
• Provide long-term individual or group counseling programs to address the trauma associated with difficult life situations and empower users to live independently;
• Provide support in making an informed decision, paying particular attention to physical and psychological safety;
• Work in collaboration with social work specialists. Carry out regular monitoring and evaluation of progress in collaboration with social work specialists;
• Provide follow-up actions as necessary, including referral and coordination with other relevant stakeholders and service providers.

Continuous professional development and reporting:

• Be informed about the goals, objectives and work of UNFPA, IFRCC and NRCST, interact with UNFPA and NRCST staff as a full member of the team;
• Participate in trainings and other events to improve professional skills in psychological support, maintaining call services and social services;
• Fill out the necessary documentation (assessment forms, individual plan, etc.);
• Ensure the confidentiality of all work with clients and compliance with ethical standards;
• Store all documents (reports, files, etc.) in a safe place;
• Provide monthly reports based on agreed data collection methodology.

Duration and working schedule: 9 months from June 20, 2024 to March 20, 2025

Place where services are to be delivered: At the place of residence in the cities of Ashgabat, Mary, Turkmenabat, Dashoguz, Balkanabat are to be delivered: and Tejen, Regional Department of the National Red Crescent Society

Required expertise, qualifications and competencies, including language requirements:

• Education: Bachelor's degree in psychology, social work, sociology, medical or pedagogical education, law, economics and other humanities and/or a certificate of completion of specialized courses in counseling in the field of psychology and social work.
• Experience: Three years of work in areas requiring communication with people and/or providing psychological assistance;
• Including at least 2 years of experience providing services to vulnerable groups, including women, older people and adolescents in difficult life situations;
• Excellent knowledge of Turkmen and Russian languages;
• Knowledge of computer programs

To get additional information and apply for the position, please follow the link.