MSP has positions open for qualified and experienced counsellors.
These positions provide counselling services to women, youth and children.
A counselling / psychology degree or diploma including registration and 5 years’ work experience in counselling is essential.
Counselling experience with youth or children is required.
Experience working with telephone helplines is useful. An understanding of human rights, gender equality, and VAWG is useful.
Experience working with international development agencies, NGO\\’s or experience in family law, international law or humanitarian law is useful. Seeking a counsellor with Hindi & English language skills for Suva.
MSP is seeking a counselor to support the Child Help Line and the clinic.
COUNSELING is a confidential process designed to help clients address their concerns, to come to a greater understanding of themselves and to assist them to learn effective personal and interpersonal coping strategies.
It involves a relationship between the client and you as the counsellor. MSP requires the services of a qualified Counsellor, with the desire and willingness to help others to accomplish their individual goals.
Counselling involves sharing sensitive, personal, and private information that may at times be distressing.
The MSP Counsellor is required to dedicate their service to assisting MSP clients and those in need, prioritizing the rights of women and children and ensuring their protection and safety
ROLE FUNCTIONS:
The main role of a MSP Counsellor is to provide CONFIDENTIAL counselling support for MSP clients
including Child Helpline callers. MSP is currently funded by the Government of Fiji (Ministry of Women,
Children and Poverty Alleviation, the Australian Government and UN Women. MSP is also supported
from time to time by the European Union and other international foundations. Staff are required to
follow MSP policies and reporting procedures and to respect the requirements of the donors.
Purpose of Position:
As the Child Help Line Counsellor for MSP you will be required to provide counselling support to MSP
clients. The Child Helpline program was established to provide support to child and girl survivors of
sexual assault and to assist their parents and guardians to provide the necessary nurture to assist in
their recovery.
The Counsellor will provide professional level counselling services to Child Helpline clients, walk in
clients, referred clients, MSP’s clinical clients, (including family planning clients), general medical
clients (from time to time if needed). MSP also has a special program focus on survivors of sexual
assault and provides post rape care services and referrals. You may be required to counsel survivors of
sexual assault and gender based violence. In addition, as a CHL Counsellor, you will primarily be
counselling small children and youth. MSP Counsellors also create and support networks of care and
support, developing peer communities to care for children and youth at risk.
The Counsellor will keep tidy and complete client records including numbered system to maintain
client confidentially and ensure files are locked. The Counsellor will also upload date to the online
database purposely created to track statistics for the Government and MSP on the Child Helpline.
The Counsellor may also assist the Senior Counsellor in project activities where counselling is a key
component and participate in monitoring and evaluation of child helpline activities.
The Counsellor will be familiar with MSP project goals and objects and strive to meet the expectations
of MSP, donors and also the target population being served. The successful candidate will support and
advocate for the principles and mandates of MSP, including child protection, gender equality, and
access to reproductive health care.
Maintaining Client Confidentiality
Please note, that all interactions, including scheduling of or attendance at appointments, content of
counselling sessions, progress in counselling, and client records are confidential. No record of
counselling should be contained in any academic, educational, or job placement file. All files must be
numbered and secured.
Clients may request in writing that the counselling staff release specific information about their files,
to persons they designate. This request must be authorized by the Executive Director or, in their
absence the Senior Manager formally assigned “Acting duties” prior to the release of this data or
confidential documents. Our clients come first and MSP will take legal advice prior to the release of
any client records. With the exception of medical results undertaken with consent of the client, as part
of the post rape process under formal MOU with the Fiji Police Force, Sexual Assault Unit.
Major Responsibilities:
Operations
Provide professional level counselling and support for MSP programs and clients including:
- · Information giving
- · Safety Advise,
- · Telephone counselling
- · Face to Face counselling
- · Counsel and refer clients to appropriate referral agencies: (Police, MWCPA, Safe house, or Safe Person etc.)
- · Counsel and respond appropriately to clients facing:
- · Verbal Abuse
- · Physical Abuse or Threat
- · Sexual Abuse
- · Neglect
- · Emotional Abuse
- · Transgender Issues
- · Disability
- · Other
Support the MSP medical officers and assist clients with consultations for:
- · Family planning
- · Medical examinations (information on procedures, products and support)
- · Maternal care (pre and post natal)
- · Medical forensics – rape kit support
- · Medical post rape care
- · Safe Abortion /Post miscarriage care
- · Trans-gender care or support
- · Ongoing Therapy and Focus Groups and social work
Counsel and refer clients to pre-approved external partners for ongoing support for:
- Adoption/foster care
- Emergency Accommodation or crisis shelter
- Other Reproductive health service required such as scanning or cancer treatments
- Counsel and support cancer patients and positive patients
- Counsel HIV positive or STI positive clients and patients – ongoing PEP or ARTs’
- Counsel and refer clients for “continuum of care” providers (e.g. MOH)
- Counsel and refer clients for permanent methods of contraception
- Counsel and refer clients for other needs including family and marriage counselling
- Counsel adolescents and others with abuse or depression issues
- Counsel children and parents
- Link with social workers and activities
- Counsel and provide appropriate information to clients and management, and refer to
MWCPA for further intervention and then follow up and close the case. - Seek feedback from all referral partners involved on completion on live status or completion
of a case (as guided by your manager).
DATE PREPARED: December 2015
REPORTS TO: MSP Program Manager
LOCATION: Suva, Fiji
POSITION SUPPORTS: Child Helpline Fiji
PURPOSE: Provision of professional telephone counselling; and Direct counselling for clients of MSP OSS and the Child Help Line.
SALARY: Dependent upon on academic qualifications and years of relevant experience
REPORTS TO: Senior Counsellor or Clinic Operations Manager
