National Professional Officer (Mental Health)

Overview
Support mental health initiatives and policies in Sri Lanka

You have:

Bachelor degree in Medicine or public health
At least two (2) years of professional work experience in the field of mental health, and/or psychiatry
Master’s degree in public health or medical science
Experience of working with the Ministry of Health and/or province level
Expert knowledge of English
Expert knowledge of local language
Good problem-solving, analytical and negotiation skills
Knowledge of WHO programmes and practices
Contract
This is a NO-B contract. This kind of contract is known as National Professional Officers. It is normally only for nationals. It’s a staff contract. It usually requires 2 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary
The salary for this job should be more than 1,728 USD.

Salary for a NO-B contract in Colombo
The salary of a NO-B depends on the duty station. The minimum salary there is 581,720 LKR (~1,728 USD) Please note that depending on the location, a higher post adjustment might still result in a lower purchasing power.
Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

More about NO-B contracts.

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Details
OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME
WHO is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends. Related to mental health, WHO Sri Lanka office aims to improve quality of life people in Sri Lanka by supporting the government in prevention and control of priority mental health, substance use and neurological disorders, preventing suicides, and promoting mental health, advocating for integrated mental health and social care services in PHC and community-based settings, preparing and responding to mental health and psychosocial issues during health emergencies and promoting the rights of people with psychosocial, intellectual and cognitive disabilities.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
Under the direct supervision of Medical Officer (NCD) and the overall guidance of the WHO Representative and in close collaboration and coordination with the Ministry of Health and partners, the incumbent will:

1. Facilitate policy support as needed for enabling planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the essential components of the National Mental Health policy and plan;

2. Support scaling up services for mental, neurological and substance use (MNS) disorders via implementation of WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP);

3. Provide technical tools, SOPs etc. to ensure provision of comprehensive, integrated mental health and social care services in primary care and community-based settings;

4. Support implementation of strategies for mental health promotion and prevention especially in schools and workplaces and promote programs targeted at vulnerable groups, including children, elderly and people affected by conflicts and disasters (e.g. psycho-social interventions after disasters and during emergencies);

5. Provide technical assistance to strengthen information systems and research to improve data on burden of mental and neurological disorders;

6. Provide technical assistance to the country in developing mental health related tools and guidelines including LIVE LIFE: an implementation guide for suicide prevention;

7. Support the country to update the mental health law taking into consideration regional and international human rights instruments;

8. Provide support to improve mental health literacy, address stigma and discrimination and promote the rights, opportunities and care of individuals with mental disorders;

9. Encourage using WHO Quality Rights toolkit to evaluate quality of mental health services;

10. Increase awareness of disability issues, and promote the inclusion of disability as a component in national and sub-national health programmes;

11. Facilitate collection and dissemination of disability-related data and information;

12. Support the country to conduct the WHO/WB Model Disability Survey and/or WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHO DAS 2.0);

13. Represent WHO country office in the UN Disability Inclusion Inter-Agency Coordination mechanism at the country level, and contribute to reporting via the UNCT Accountability Scorecard on Disability Inclusion tool;

14. Support proposal writing and donor reporting for Mental Health, Psycho-Social Support and Disability programs;

15. Perform any other duties as assigned by the supervisor(s).

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Education
Essential: Bachelor degree in Medicine or public health Desirable: Master’s degree in public health or medical science

Experience
Essential: At least two (2) years of professional work experience in the field of mental health, and/or psychiatry Desirable: Experience of working with the MoH and/or province level; Experience in developing mental health guidelines, training modules and other tools; Experience in conducting of WHO disability assessment Schedule (WHODAS.2)

Skills
Essential: Sound understanding of principles of public health, to be able to provide quality technical inputs, and good problem-solving, analytical and negotiation skills

Desirable: Knowledge of WHO programmes and practices an asset

WHO Competencies
Teamwork
Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
Communication
Ensuring the effective use of resources
Building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond
Use of Language Skills
Essential: Expert knowledge of English. Expert knowledge of local language.

REMUNERATION
Remuneration comprises an annual base salary starting at LKR 6,980,640 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable) and 30 days of annual leave.