Staff Counsellor

The Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo officially declared a new outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) affecting the provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, including the health zones of Mongbwalu, Rwampara, Bunia, and additional areas in North Kivu. National authorities, with the support of humanitarian partners, have activated emergency coordination and response mechanisms to contain the outbreak.
The epidemic is unfolding in a highly complex humanitarian context marked by insecurity, armed conflict, population displacement, and limited access to essential services. High population mobility, overcrowded living conditions, and weak WASH infrastructure significantly increase the risk of healthcare-associated and community transmission.
The current outbreak involves a strain of Ebola virus, for which no approved vaccine is currently available. As a result, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) interventions represent one of the most critical pillars of the response, requiring rapid operational scale-up, strong coordination, and robust monitoring systems across all affected provinces.
In this context, UNICEF is supporting the Ministry of Health and the national IPC coordination mechanisms to strengthen the overall response.

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the In-country Staff Counsellor or his designated mandated representative(s), the UN Volunteer Staff Counsellor will be able to provide:

A. Preventive and protective psychosocial support:
• Facilitate the provision of effective psychosocial support to all staff, prioritizing emergency locations with the aim of mitigating stress and increasing protective factors during the ongoing Ebola Virus Disease (EVD ) response.
• Provide a safe and confidential environment where staff members can address professional and personal problems, either individually or in groups (modality: assessment, short-term intervention, referral).
• Provide support and advice to the leadership and managers in offices on healthy work practices and approaches to effectively support staff and encourage resilience. Recommend suitable staff support strategies to managers during and following emergencies and other crises.
• Deliver preventive psychoeducational programmes/training to address systemic issues and recurrent problems within teams and offices; develop and deliver tailored workshops and webinars for staff; raise awareness on common mental health themes and act as an advocate for anti-stigma programming; deliver training aimed at managing changes.
• Provide pre/post-deployment briefings to new staff.
• Develop a creative system to build a network of external mental health providers available to provide services to staff.
• Contribute to promoting and enhancing duty of care and a positive work environment.
• Coordinate the Peer Support Volunteer (PSV) Programme for the country’s office.

B. Provide Critical Incident Stress Management to groups and/or individual staff following critical incidents. A holistic approach to critical incident management is used and may include services such as practical support, psychoeducation, psychological first aid, strategic advice to leadership, family support, and individual or group interventions.
The Staff Counsellor will be responsible for:
• Contacting the affected staff member(s) and offering information about typical stress reactions, support, and referral information.
• Facilitating appropriate traumatic stress interventions following a critical incident or traumatic event.
• Recommending and arranging individual and/or group follow-up support to staff and their dependents.
• Regular follow-up contact and visits to staff in field offices.
• Coordinating with UNDSS counsellors, agency counsellors, and PSVs to ensure the provision of adequate psychosocial support during emergencies.

C. Monitoring and oversight:
• Providing, on a regular basis, data, statistics, and trends on issues related to staff well-being while maintaining confidentiality. Alert the In-country Staff Counsellor and/or Country Office management team on trends that may be of concern in offices requiring targeted support or managerial intervention. Capture lessons learned and best practices for dissemination as appropriate.

D. Other tasks:
• Undertake regular travel to the regions and duty stations under coverage as per the regional wellbeing strategy and demands from the country offices.
• Identify and recommend prevention measures for systemic issues and trends.
• Facilitate interface with the various services and resources of the organization.
• Ensure adherence to the professional standards of the UN Staff Counsellor's Global Services Committee (UNSSCG ) as well as the Code of Ethics for UN Staff Counsellors.