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Job Title:  Project Officer (2 Job Opportunities)

Organisation: Mental Health Uganda (MHU)

Duty Station: Jinja, Uganda

Reports to: Project Manager, MHU

About US:

Mental Health Uganda (MHU) is an indigenous, non-governmental, membership-based organisation of people with a lived experience of mental health problems. MHU will implement a project to address mental health stigma and discrimination in Jinja City starting in November 2022. The project will use one of the approaches of lived experience leadership where people with personal experience of mental health problems ‘Champions’ will lead the change through ‘Social Contact’ events. These events will involve conversations in which someone with experience of mental health problems talks about their personal experience with someone who has not experienced mental health problems.

MHU will empower people with lived experience of mental health problems with the knowledge and confidence to challenge mental health stigma and discrimination. The empowered people will take the lead in the planning, and delivery of social contact events with technical support from Project Officers. MHU is now recruiting suitably qualified and competent Ugandans to fill these positions of Project Officers:

Job Summary: The Project Officer will be responsible for the overall local implementation of project activities related to mental health anti-stigma work in Jinja and will therefore carry the operational responsibilities towards project results. S/he will support and supervise the mental health ‘Champions’ based in communities. This will involve working with and through these volunteer Champions who will lead ‘Social Contact’ events. In these events people with personal experiences of mental health problems share those experiences with members of the public with the underlying aim of challenging stigmatising attitudes and behaviours.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Project Implementation

• Support the identification and recruitment of local people, between 18-35 years, with personal experience of mental health problems who feel ready to be trained and supported to deliver local anti-stigma campaigning activity
• Facilitate training of Champions in the Social Contact approach, with the support of the project team
• Provide day-to-day logistical support to the Champions, such as helping with communications, organizing meetings and enabling access to meeting rooms, printing facilities, organizing transport, storage, parking, assisting tailoring materials for local use, etc
• Coordinate planning for social contact events within the communities in which Champions live
• Provide day-to-day mentoring support and supervise both the quality of work and well-being of Champions especially by attending ‘Social Contact’ events in the communities
• Facilitate the provision of accurate information to all individuals, presenting all possible alternatives within the spectrum of care and allow beneficiaries to make informed choices
• Ensure project services are offered in a professional and ethical manner, with utmost respect for the beneficiaries
• Ensure the functionality of the district referral system by both the Champions and Mentor Champions so that all individuals who need specialized care and support can access it
• Manage relations between the project and District Local Governments and maintain seful linkages and dialogue with all other relevant stakeholders to ensure collaboration, synergy, sharing of experiences and that the district delivers a coordinated response for mental health

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Organize and manage review and reflection as well as advocacy meetings foreseen at the district level
• Participate in organizing and facilitating project reviews with project key stakeholders
• Coordinate district based sharing and learning, and document the best practices and success stories
• Undertake surveillance and update MHU and other relevant actors on emerging issues around mental health in the district.

Reporting, Resource Management and Documentation

• Prepare and submit timely monthly work plans and reports
• Support preparation and dissemination of information related to mental health issues, relevant to the project components

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Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• The applicant should hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Development Studies, Gender and Development Studies (GAD), Social Work and Social Administration, Social Sciences, Community Psychology and or any other related studies
• At least three years of relevant working experience in a Non-Government Organization. A post graduate counselling and guidance qualification will be an added advantage.
• Previous or relevant experience of project management including delivering projects on time and to budget
• Experience of organizing and delivering community engagement and events
• Experience of working in partnerships, with demonstrable skills of collaborative working, and relationship management and the ability to identify and rapidly resolve barriers, difficulties and conflicts
• Ability to create and maintain a supportive environment at trainings and events and have knowledge and experience of recognizing and responding to personal well-being issues
• Good empathy, perception and listening skills
• Ability to make effective use of available resources and materials
• Excellent problem solving skills and ability to identify and address problems Experience of report writing, especially communicating program results
• Experience of multi-tasking, prioritizing competing work and working within deadlines
• Knowledge and understanding of mental health issues and mental health policy in Uganda Direct or indirect experience of mental health problems and openness to being a visible ambassador for people with mental health issues, using personal experiences as appropriate to do so
• Experience of working at community level with people who have experienced mental health problems, to challenge stigma and discrimination
• Experience of program monitoring and evaluation
• Good level of English and ability to communicate in the local language Good IT Skills with familiarity with key Microsoft Office Programs.

How to Apply:

All Interested individuals should send a motivation letter and CV all merged as one PDF document/file (of maximum 6 pages), via email to mhu@mentalhealthuganda.org subject line is the job title i.e. “Project Officer”. Do not send academic documents – heavy files containing academic documents or submitted as images and or late applications will not be considered. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. The Letter must also include the details of 2 suitable referees who can comment on the candidate’s ability. Women and Persons with disabilities are highly encouraged to apply including those with a lived experience of mental health problems.

Note: MHU promotes zero tolerance for discrimination/harassment based on gender, sexual orientation, sexual identity, religious beliefs, etc. All staff and volunteers shall adhere to strict guidelines in order to facilitate “silent” inclusion. Members will also adhere to MHU’s safeguarding provisions – a set of procedures and practices designed to ensure that no harm comes to project beneficiaries as a result of contact with MHU’s programs, operations or individuals.

Deadline:  Friday 4th November 2022 at 4:00pm  

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