Psychiatrist for Mobile Crisis Team (South Lebanon)

The main role of psychiatrist is to diagnose and provide psychiatric services to adolescent and adult beneficiaries with mental health problems. The psychiatrist will collaborate with a multi-disciplinary mobile team to intervene during emergency mental health crisis through a 24/7 mobile unit.    

MAJOR DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Collaborate with a multi-disciplinary mobile team to provide holistic care during emergency mental health crisis through a 24/7 mobile unit
• Assess the situation of the person in crisis and provide appropriate care/support to persons in mental health emergencies while avoiding unnecessary law enforcement involvement, ED use and hospitalization
• Conduct initial assessment through psycho-diagnostic interviews, MSE and other tools to formulate a diagnosis and treatment plan.
• Prescribe and/or oversee the administration of appropriate medications (when needed as per assessment) during mental health emergency dispatches
• Provide beneficiaries with psychiatric treatment and follow up on psychiatric care.
• Follow up on psychological progress of the beneficiary and implement concrete treatment plans in collaboration with beneficiaries to reach set goals and achieve recovery.
• Act as liaison between persons in mental health emergencies, nurses, hospitals, and other third parties as necessary
• Refer beneficiaries to specialized services when required.
• Document and report services provided as per protocol

QUALIFICATIONS

1.  Critical Skills:

• Medical degree required (MD).
• 1-3 years of clinical experience post MD in Psychiatry.
• Registered at the Lebanese Order of Physician.
• Fluency in English and Arabic, French is a plus.

2.  Professional Skills:

• Ability to provide empathic, evidence-based, brief, psychological first aid to a culturally diverse population.
• Mastery of the psychiatric assessment and usage of ISC10/ICD11 terminology.
• Mastery of Pharmacology and willingness to base prescriptions on the recommended MOPH National guide and list of psychotropics and neurological medications.
• Ability to conduct thorough mental health clinical assessments
• Ability to recognize mental health priority conditions as per the mhGAP.
• Ability to conceptualize cases from an integrative perspective.
• Ability to intervene and de-escalate mental health emergencies and suicidal crisis.
• Ability to design a treatment plan and refer patients to other professionals when needed.

3.  Skilled in or Willing to Build their Capacity and Knowledge In:

• Biopsychological model in mental health.
• Ability to provide psychoeducation to beneficiaries on behavioral tools such as relaxation, stress management techniques and behavioral activation.
• Ability to provide empathic, evidence-based, brief, psychological first aid to a culturally diverse population.
• Ability to intervene and de-escalate mental health emergencies
• Skilled in mental health complex emergencies (IASC guidelines, Psychological First Aid, mhGAP…)
• Skilled in community-based and human rights-based approach in mental health.
• Evidence based approach in mental health (i.e., IPT, CBT, TFCBT, EMDR)
• Knowledge about the predictable stresses of humanitarian aid work, the policies and practices needed to mitigate

4.  Behavioral Skills

• Demonstrates ability to work in a multidisciplinary team.
• Demonstrates excellent organization and time management skills.
• Demonstrates excellent communication, problem solving, interpersonal and conflict resolution skills.
• Demonstrates ability to adhere to ethical considerations and principles with regard to working with vulnerable populations.
• Demonstrates a high level of professionalism while providing services to beneficiaries or working with internal support staff.