PSYCHOLOGIST – Belgium Project

CONTEXT 

MSF's mission in Belgium aims to address, through a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach, the health needs and key social determinants of the most vulnerable segments of the population, including migrants in transit and undocumented migrants, while proactively engaging in assessing main difficulties and promoting institutional change. 

The Belgian mission is structured around 4 axes of intervention:

• Outreach: multidisciplinary package of care including primary health care, mental and psychosocial support, health promotion, intercultural mediation and referral to specialized medical care if necessary, in parkings/squats/centres along the migration routes in Belgium.

• Detention: access to a second medical opinion consultation, through a medical volunteer group, for migrants in the administrative detention centres in Belgium.

• Emergency response

• Advocacy & communications’ interventions on the policy of non-reception

MAIN PURPOSE

Providing psychological support to patients according to MSF principles, standards and procedures in order to improve the patients’ mental health.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Carrying out evaluation of mental health needs of patients and establishing a diagnosis and a plan of treatment. Informing the patient and his/her relatives about the possible consequences of the illness and the drug treatment to follow and referring patients to other health professionals whenever necessary, in order to provide the most appropriate treatment and improve the patient's condition

• Implementing the Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) protocol, identifying possible victims of SGBV and referring them to the medical team so that they receive the necessary treatment. 

• Providing psychological support and psychotherapy sessions (individual, family, group) to patients according to MSF protocols in order to improve their mental health conditions 

• Assisting and training staff members and resourceful people whenever necessary in order to enhance the scope of MH activities. Working in close collaboration with translators in order to ensure appropriate terminology and behaviour during sessions 

• Collecting statistical and monitoring data about mental health activities 

• Informing the supervisor and the medical team about any issues or problems that may arise related to patients’ treatment in order to provide the best possible solution from a medical perspective 

• Ensuring that all patient information is kept confidential.  

• Providing psychological support to patients according to MSF protocols in order to improve their mental health condition through group sessions

• Carrying individual mental health assessment in order to refer patients to other mental health professionals whenever necessary

• Collaborate closely with the medicals and health promotors, promoting a multidisciplinary approach of the complex situations. 

• Work in close collaboration with the Health Promotion Officers in order to use appropriate terminology and behavior during sessions. 

• Collaborate to explorative visits to centers, camps, squats, streets in order to assess the mental health needs not covered by the authorities or other actors and propose a plan of action if relevant.

• Participate in medical assessment visits in detention centers with volunteer medical doctors. 

• Assist and train MSF staff members about mental health topics. Develop and facilitate training modules. 

• Develop specific mental health tools or guidelines to adjust the activities to a specific target population.

• Attend external meetings related to mental health and write minutes to share with colleagues.

• Regularly update the mental health actors mapping.

• Provide trainings to external actors. Develop and facilitate training modules.

• Write daily feedback of activities to share with the team and the weekly update.

• Encode weekly the activities in the data system

REQUIREMENTS

Education

• Essential: Master’s degree in clinical psychology

• Registration with the Commission of Psychologists (Belgium) with a visa as Clinical Psychologist in Belgium

Experience

• Essential: 1-year experience minimum as a Psychologist

• Essential: experience with the psychosocial network in Brussels for referrals

• Strong asset: experience with patients in need of psychiatric treatment, living in precarious conditions and from various cultural backgrounds

• Desirable previous experience with MSF or others NGO’s

• Experience in migration context is an asset

Languages

• Essential: English and French

• Arabic, Dutch and/or another language is an asset

Knowledge

• Computer literacy (word, excel and internet)

Competencies

• Results and Quality Orientation L2

• Teamwork and Cooperation L2

• Behavioral Flexibility L2

• Commitment to MSF Principles L2

• Stress Management L3

CONDITIONS

• Expected starting date: As soon as Possible

• Location: Brussels (Belgium) 

• Contract type: Fixed-term Contract – Full-time 

• Contract duration: until 31st of December 2025 (extendable)

• Salary according to MSF-OCB HQ grid

• Meal Vouchers - Hospital Insurance (DKV) – Pension Plan – 100% reimbursement for public transportation costs

• Adhere to the MSF principles and to our managerial values: Respect, Transparency, Integrity, Accountability, Trust and Empowerment

• Adhere to the MSF Behavioral Commitments

Deadline for applications: 14th of March 2025

How to apply?

➢ Submit your application via the 'Apply here' button 

➢ Thank you in advance for having your CV and motivation letter in English ready to upload (preferably in PDF format).

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

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