Psychiatrist-Beqaa

Origin of the request

Médecins du Monde (MdM) is an international humanitarian organization that provides medical care to the most vulnerable populations affected by war, natural disasters, disease, famine, poverty and exclusion, those who do not have access to health care and those who the world is gradually forgetting. 

MdM has been working in Lebanon for more than 30 years from the response to the civil war in the 1980s to the Syrian crisis that emerged in 2011 and during the recent political turmoil and instability in Lebanon (October 2019 uprising, COVID19 pandemic and Beirut Port explosion). MdM mainly works in the sector of Health (sub-sector Primary Health Care and Mental Health), while ensuring cross cutting subjects in Gender Based Violence and Sexual and Reproductive Health.

Since 2012, in cooperation with civil society organizations as well as national and local authorities, MDM’s intervention aimed at increasing access to quality primary healthcare and strengthening the national primary healthcare system. Moreover, MDM has been actively engaged in providing access to Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) services and reducing the impact of the Syrian crisis on the mental and physical health of the Syrian refugees and vulnerable Lebanese. MDM is working at integrating mental health in the primary healthcare system and contributing to the development of community-based mental healthcare services, opening and running community mental health and substance user centers (CMH-SUC).  At PHCC level, MdM train PHCC staff on MHgap training and dedicated to provide monthly supervision to trainees to answer questions and support the integration of mental health in their practices.

MDM is operating a Community Mental Health and Substance use center in the Bekaa in which specialized MHPSS services are provided by a multidisciplinary team. The MHPSS team consists of Psychologist, Case managers, Nurses and a Psychiatrist.

Location: Bekaa, Lebanon.

Duration of the collaboration: From January 2024 to December 2024

Timeline: 16 hours per week from Monday to Thursday for providing psychiatric care and 3 hours per month for MHGAP consultation sessions

DESCRIPTION of the ASSIGNMENT

Provision of psychiatric care to service users with Mental Health and/or Substance Use related conditions in the Community Mental Health and Substance use Center.

• Conduct a comprehensive in-depth psychiatric assessment and establish a diagnosis and an appropriate treatment plan for the service users referred by the case managers/psychotherapists, taking in consideration the relevant inputs of the other team’s professionals.
• If not screened by a GP, collect information regarding service users’ medical history, assess the service user’s general physical condition and refer them when needed for further medical evaluation.
• Provide psychiatric treatment to service users based on the treatment plan.
• Provide pharmacological treatment in line with the Guide for the Rational Prescription of Medications for Priority Mental and Neurological Conditions for Specialists in the Public Health System of the MoPH and WHO.
• Enroll, provide clinical management and follow-up to service users in the OAT program.
• Provide psycho-education to the service users and/or their family or trusted other when appropriate, following a service user centered care approach, to allow for informed decision making concerning the treatment.
• Monitor response to treatment, manage severe side-effects and modify the treatment accordingly, in coordination with the nurse.
• Provide suicide risk management and safety planning for service users at risk of suicidality.
• Decide on and facilitate the hospitalization of the patient, when it is needed.
• Review and evaluate treatment progress and outcomes with psychotherapists and case managers.
• Discharge patient from the program and/or refer them to available mhGAP trained GP for continuity of care when stabilization is done.

Participation and co-leading to meetings and training activities

• Participate and co-lead technical meeting and case discussion meeting with the multidisciplinary team of the CMH-SUC, for ensuring the proper follow up of the patient.
• Attend regular meeting, working sessions and training organized by the projects’ partners and the NMHP/MoPH in line with the national Mental Health strategy.
• Provide training sessions to the CMHC team on specific topics based on the needs.  
• Actively contributes to building inclusive Mental health and substance use services in close coordination with the PHCC staff, MdM, Skoun and NMHP/MoPH.

Data and Reporting

• Complete and update the needed health information on Dharma, PHENICS and/or any other software related to service user information on a daily basis.
• Provide a monthly report to MdM’s MHPSS Coordinator and regularly meet with the MH Coordinator technical team upon need.
• Maintain clear and updated patients’ information documentation 

Provision of monthly MHgap supervision sessions to MHgap trainees in up to 6 PHCCs located in the Beqaa, to ensure transfer of skills, competencies and knowledge from training to practice.

• Hold face-to-face (or remote if necessary) 1.5 hour monthly sessions with PHCC staff trained on mhGAP, namely General practitioners, Nurses and Social workers, with attendance from MdM staff, to two different groups of PHCC staff, one group gathered in Douris and one group gathered in Zahle.
• Facilitate a case discussion amongst new or follow-up cases managed at PHCC level.
• The consultation session may entail support, guidance and discussion around the basis of the mhGAP modules and, challenging cases, in addition, to building capacities to assess, manage and refer.
• Encourage and support the adequate delivery of MH assessment and interventions and identify areas for further skills development.
• Use various facilitation methods to facilitate the acquisition of: soft psychosocial skills, clinical skills and improve clinical knowledge.
• Prepare a report regarding these sessions to include set of information on cases discussed, and to highlight progress of trainees in terms of assessment, management, referral, coordination, and communication, and concerns and needs
• Suggest additional training or support for effective mental health integration in the PHCC.
• Support MdM in identifying the level of integration of each PHCC.

Profile:

• Licensed Psychiatrist.
• Holds an OAT prescription accreditation
• Work experience in service provision in multidisciplinary teams
• Work experience in humanitarian setting/ community settings
• Knowledge of the mhGAP training
• Very good knowledge of written and spoken Arabic and English.
• Experience with NGO will be an asset.
• Good computer skills (Microsoft Office)
• Good analytical skills
• Good communication and teamwork skills

SELECTION PROCESS:

A competitive selection process will take place taking into consideration the entire offers including CV, technical and financial aspects.

1. Technical proposal to submit including:

• CV and Cover Letter (Including Certificate and License)
• An appreciation of the terms of reference
• The technical approach
• The provisional working plan (working days during the week and the working hours)
• References of previous employees

1. Financial proposal including:

• The total financial quotation (including MOF tax 7,5% consultancy tax) incorporating the budget allocation (transportation, accommodation, and other fees).
• Terms of payment and payment modality.
• Proposal validity.

Any and all relevant information or deemed of value to MdM.