ROLE SUMMARY
The Child Psychologist will be responsible for providing mental health services and counseling, case management, consultative services to the Foundation’s clients and their non-offending family members. She will be responsible for providing diagnostic assessments, therapy, counseling, clinical services and support services for a diverse caseload including children and young people who have experienced sexual abuse, are or in a depressed state, and or communication challenges. She must be deeply familiar with child focused and trauma informed community resources and be able to harness them to support survivors when required.
The child psychologist will be responsible for coordinating mental health services for the Foundation, and work with the Foundation’s Multi-Disciplinary team in providing professional service response to survivors of child sexual abuse. This position requires on-call responsibility, a high degree of flexibility in responding to emergency needs of survivors and non-offending families with good organizational and documentation skills to ensure that all services are provided in accordance with the professional ethics of The Counseling Association of Nigeria (CASSON).
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- The Child Psychologist will conduct individual therapy with clients and provide psychological assessment to clients.
- Provide assistance to the Lead Child Psychotherapist and other team members in ensuring all treatment plans are being run effectively and as intended.
- Keep and maintain confidentiality of records relating to clients and clients’ treatment
- Gather information about clients’ mental health needs and resources that could be used in conjunction with therapy
- Utilize a harm reduction technique when working with clients who have suffered abuse.
- Assist in providing hands on training and counseling for parent/guardians and non-offending family members.
- Assist in preparing court progress report of cases and other documentations e.g. clients’ progress report and schedule of dates for counseling session.
- Monitoring the mental health of children at the Shelter; updating the lead child psychotherapist on children that are about to leave the Shelter so that the lead therapist can have counseling sessions with their parents.
- Assess clients’ mental condition based on review of client information, interviews, observation, and tests.
- Assist in developing and implementing treatment plans based on assessment of client’s needs, clinical experience and knowledge.
- Facilitate sessions with individuals, groups, or families and conducting initial assessment of families.
- Providing counseling face to face, over the telephone, or online.
- Building a relationship of trust and respect with clients. Listening to clients’ concerns, empathizing with them, and helping them to see things more clearly or in a different way.
- Assist in referring clients to specialists, monitoring progress during treatment, and creating a comfortable environment for clients to be treated in.
- Build strong rapport with clients and make accurate assessments of their problems whether mental/emotional.
- Improve long term outcomes for children and families by providing services that are effective during therapy, improving care taking and coping skills
- Assist in helping clients to deal with crisis, illness or injuries
- Monitors progress toward treatment goals by evaluating and adjusting services provided.
- Maintain the foundation’s credibility by assisting in establishing working relationships with sponsoring, advisory, and related service agencies.
- Participate in community outreach activities Assist the case management team with keeping files for each client and enter data and progress notes into the appropriate electronic databases.
- Participate in the Foundation’s fundraising activities when necessary.
- Assist in providing assessment, emergency intervention, mental health and case management services to any caseload as needed.
- Promote the foundation by ensuring an understanding of program services available for clients; adhering to a professional code of conduct.
- Carry out and lead quarterly training sessions for CHL Counselors as well as new CHL Counselors on Counseling skills, effective response and interventions.
- Collaborate with the CYF team to initiate and implement interventions that will contribute to improved services rendered by the organization.
- Keep the overreaching aim of the organization by ensuring the organization maintains its strategic vision.
- Carry out other duties required by the management of the organization.
- Provide contents for the Foundation’s social media platform on the mental health of survivors and non-offending families.