Disaster Response MHPSS Volunteer – Texas and/or Louisiana

Position Title: Disaster Response MHPSS Volunteer

Location: Texas or Louisiana

Assignment Type: Volunteer; joining the Global Roster pre-qualifies you to be able to deploy with us when we support communities and survivors facing disasters.

Application Requirements: Resume and completed application questions

About Americares:

Americares is a health-focused relief and development organization that saves lives and improves health for people affected by poverty or disaster. Each year, Americares reaches 85 countries on average, including the United States, with life-changing health programs, medicine, medical supplies, and emergency aid. Americares is one of the world’s leading nonprofit providers of donated medicine and medical supplies. For more information, visit americares.org.

Americares Values:

We create global community, treating people as they want to be treated.

We respond effectively and responsibly, putting plans into practice.

We embed ethics and equity in our work and workplace.

We are better together; partnership is at our core.

We ask and listen, to create sustainable solutions for a healthier tomorrow.

We commit to quality, growing and improving to ensure individuals and communities thrive.

About the Americares Global Roster:

Americares maintains a Global Roster, which is comprised of experienced professions all over the world who can be available for short-term emergency deployments. Roster members are generally deployed after an initial rapid assessment is conducted by Americares core staff, but on occasion we may ask Roster members to deploy immediately. Acceptance to the Roster does not guarantee deployment but does qualify members to respond with us for a future response if their qualifications would supplement the objectives of the intervention.

Selected candidates will be required to complete a series of short online trainings on general safety and security and other topics or will be required to demonstrate they have completed same or similar trainings. Periodic trainings will be offered to all candidates on relevant topics. After training and onboarding is complete, Roster members are considered eligible to deploy.

Deployments can last anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months depending on the needs of the response. Roster members are not compensated for time spent on trainings or other requirements. Competitive deployment compensation will be offered based on the candidate’s skills and experience if a member is requested to deploy.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Under the supervision of the Medical Lead, the Emergency Response Mental Health and Psycho-social Services Officer position will implement a mental health component to emergency response programming in disaster settings. The Officer will work closely with program team members to assess mental health needs in the community while also meeting the programmatic needs during deployment.

This can include, but is not limited to:

• Quickly determine mental health priorities in the impacted community and ensure proper analysis of field situations
• Coordinate with existing mental health partners and build relationships with new partners to expand outreach efforts
• Determine obstacles for a timely and impactful implementation and adapt as needed to meet program objectives
• Prepare curriculum, deliver training to local counterparts and stakeholders that incorporates capacity building, and conduct post-training evaluation
• Develop mental health program strategies that align with government or local authority goals, local customs, Americares policy, health facility capacities, and established needs
• Manage data collection methodology and regular reporting for implemented mental health initiatives

All Global Roster Members will actively participate in ongoing training (including but not limited to online exercises and on-site/in-person trainings), actively model and contribute to Americares values, work culture and mission, engage in and contribute to team spaces with openness, global competencies, and a growth mindset, and complete other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

These competencies are required for the role:

• Medical degree/training required: Advanced degree in Psychology, Psychiatric Nursing, Social Work or related mental health profession.
• Licensed professional preferred, if applicable.
• At least 3 years of relevant experience within the MHPSS field
• Experience providing mental health and psychosocial support in low-resource, cross-cultural and emergency contexts.
• Extremely organized and flexible; able to work well under pressure and in stressful situations.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and able to work effectively on a multi-cultural team.
• Knowledge of and experience with Psychological First Aid and the IASC Guidelines for MHPSS in Emergencies.
• Experience delivering training and capacity building.

Ability to deploy within 24-72 hours of notice and US work authorization is required for this role.

These competencies would be great to have, but are not required:

• Experience working in an emergency response context.
• Fluency in languages that are spoken in at least one of our core locations (India, Philippines, Tanzania, El Salvador, Puerto Rico, Colombia, etc.), in addition to English.

Additionally, our core competencies as an organization are:

• Ownership and results
• Communication
• Problem solving
• Equity and inclusion
• Teamwork and conflict resolution
• Leadership
• Prioritization
• Management
• Strategy and planning
• Decision making

We know not all applicants will demonstrate all the competencies we’re looking for, and that women and underrepresented groups tend to not apply unless they meet all the requirements. We encourage you to apply even if you do not check all the boxes above, and we look forward to reviewing your application holistically.

What you can expect, if you move forward in the recruitment process:

1. Interview with People and Talent (45 minutes)

2. Technical video interview (1 hour)

3. Reference check and background check

4. Onboarding to the Global Roster, including completion of required training

Americares is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

This job description may not be inclusive of all assigned duties, responsibilities, or aspects of the job described, and may be amended at any time at the sole discretion of Americares. At any point in the recruitment process, we may request additional information to confirm qualifications. Any misrepresentation of qualifications in any stage of the process will prevent the applicant from moving forward in the process.

To request a disability accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact us at talentcenter@americares.org.