Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters and exclusion from healthcare. We work in over 60 countries, offering assistance to people based on need, irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation.
The Humanitarian HUB in Brussels of MSF Operational Centre Brussels is looking for a
PSYCHOLOGIST
INTRODUCTION
Since September 2017 a stable number of +/- 800 irregular migrants group stay around in the Maximilian Park in Brussels. Most are waiting to cross to the UK. Although we are dealing with a moving population, the demographics of the people in Brussels stay more or less the same. Most of the people come from Sudan, Eritrea and Ethiopia.
Since September 2018 we see a rise of new persons arriving in Brussels. Many of them have been brought to Brussels by police after being arrested at different locations throughout the country (mainly at parkings and along highways). After their passage at immigration office where police takes them, most of them end up in the Maximilian park across the street from former immigration office.
They're left without any assistance of the Belgian authorities. These people are in need of shelter, food, medical and psychosocial care and access to objective information about asylum procedures and their rights.
Several Belgian NGO's and civil society actors have put their efforts together and are providing a series of humanitarian services in a common project, the Humanitarian Hub, with the objective of responding in an comprehensive manner to the needs of these people. The hub offers medical care, mental health care, family tracing services, clothes distribution, social and legal assistance, and phone charging and phone call possibilities. Médecins Sans Frontières is providing mental health care as first in this set-up and participates actively in the management of the project.
Political Environment
The Belgian government wants to avoid at all cost a Belgian version of the Calais makeshift camps in France. They have therefore put in place restrictive policies of deterrence with a
criminalizing discourse of the “transmigrants” to the Belgian public
regular police harassment towards the people sleeping in the park
regular detention of migrants in the park or along the highway parking lots
Officially the Belgian government wants to tackle the smuggling networks.
A climate of fear and mistrust is created by the government in order to justify repressive tactics and gain in popularity with elections at the doorstep.
Project Presentation
MSF is one of the partners in the humanitarian HUB (building where services are grouped and coordinated) managed as a consortium between different organizations to pass from ad hoc service delivery to coverage of needs for this specific migrant population.
Activities are provided by partners in the HUB as follow:
Primary health care: Médecins du Monde
Mental health: MSF (1st line consultation)
Non Food (clothes, hygiene products,…): Plateforme Citoyenne
Family link maintenance/research: Red Cross
Social services: Plateforme Citoyenne
MENA: SOS Jeune
MSF also has a structure (the MSF clinic) where specialized metal health care is provided. In this structure, MSF aims to provide patients’ psychological follow up, psychiatric consultations, medication prescription and adherence support and social consultations.*
The MSF team consists of 1 Field Coordinator, 1 Mental Health Activity Manager, 3 psychologists, 4 psychiatrists (volunteer), 4 Cultural mediators (or translators), 1 social worker, 1 psychiatrist nurse and 1 resource manager. In order to re-inforce the team, MSF is looking for a psychologist, until end of December 2019, with possibility to extend.
*Above mentioned services could be subject to change
MISSION
Providing first and second line psychological support to patients according to MSF principles, standards and procedures in order to improve the patients’ mental health.
MAIN ACTIVITIES
- Carrying out evaluation of mental health needs of patients and establishing a diagnosis and a plan of treatment. Informing the patient about the possible consequences of mental health issues.
- Referring patients to other mental health professionals or other services whenever necessary, in order to provide the most appropriate treatment and improve the patient's condition.
- Identify, support and refer adequately survivors of Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) so that they receive the adapted care.
- Closely collaborate with medical, social and legal services in HuB, promoting a multidisciplinary approach, in order to obtain the best possible result according the patient‘s needs.
- Providing psychological support to patients according to MSF protocols in order to improve their mental health condition.
- Assisting and training staff members and resourceful people whenever necessary in order to enhance the scope of MH activities.
- Working in close collaboration with translators in order to ensure appropriate terminology and behavior during sessions.
- Collecting statistical and monitoring data about mental health activities.
- Informing the supervisor and the medical team about any issues or problems that may arise related to patients’ treatment in order to provide the best possible solution from a medical perspective.
- Ensuring that all patient information is kept confidential.
MSF is a civil society initiative that brings together individuals committed to the assistance of other human beings in crisis. As such MSF is by choice an association.
Each individual working with MSF does it out of conviction and is ready to uphold the values and principles of MSF.
CONDITIONS
- Part-Time (80%) until 31 December 2019, extendable
- Expected starting date: 12th September 2019
- Location: Brussels, Belgium (HUB and MSF Clinic) Port de Bruxelles
HOW TO APPLY ?
CV and motivation letter with “psychologist” in the subject line to be send to:Msfocb-brussels-log@brussels.msf.org before 28/08/2019.
We thank all those who apply. Please note that due to the volume of applications, only candidates selected for the interviews will be contacted further.
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