Technical Officer

The Technical Officer leads and supports Member States in developing and implementing evidence-informed policies and strategies related to mental health and substance use disorders. The role involves providing technical advice, fostering partnerships, and supporting regional initiatives to promote mental health and prevent substance use disorders across the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

Responsibilities

• Support Member States in developing and implementing evidence-informed policies, legislations, national strategies and action plans, surveillance and monitoring systems, related to mental health conditions and substance use disorders.
• Provide technical support and advice to civil society organizations and other entities on issues related to public health problems associated with mental health conditions and substance use disorders, including suicide prevention.
• Support member states to strengthen coordination, international collaboration, implementation mechanisms, and communication for effective implementation of the WHO EMRO Flagship initiative on accelerating public health action on substance use.
• Support countries in the implementation of the regional action plan on mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) in emergencies 2024-2030.
• Draft and assist with the preparation of project proposals to regional/national and global donors to enhance health system response to mental health and substance use disorders.
• Foster collaboration and partnerships with other EMRO programmes and initiatives to enhance implementation of mental health and brain health-related action plans and substance use flagship initiative.
• Support Member States' activities related to implementation of the global action plan on the public health response to dementia, the suicide prevention initiative, and anti-stigma programmes.
• Support Member States to establish or strengthen MNS monitoring and surveillance systems.
• Prepare and revise technical documents, briefing notes, meeting reports, information products and content of the EMRO website related to work under the incumbent's responsibility.

Requirements

• Masters degree in psychiatry, or Clinical Psychology from a recognized institution.
• Doctorate, certification in the area of mental health and substance use disorder/addiction medicine (desirable).
• At least 7 years of relevant experience with international exposure in the development and implementation of policies, strategies and action plans in the area of prevention and treatment of mental health conditions and substance abuse across developmental and humanitarian settings.
• Working experience in developing countries as well as UN bodies and NGOs working in the field of mental health conditions and substance use (desirable).
• Expert knowledge of international policy frameworks for reducing public health problems related to mental health conditions and substance use disorders.
• Expert knowledge of psychosocial and epidemiological aspects of mental health, alcohol and substance use and relevant policy responses.
• Ability to provide expert advice and technical assistance to countries on the development and implementation of policies and programmes in the prevention and treatment of mental health conditions and substance use disorders.
• Ability to plan and conduct capacity building activities in the area of mental health, alcohol and substance use.
• Ability to assess, evaluate and incorporate new evidence, information and experiences into development of technical advice and information products.
• Ability to participate effectively in teamwork and meet expectations and deadlines to work effectively in the field and under constraints.
• Skills in proposal and report writing.
• Skills in data interpretation and analysis.
• Effective communication including presentation skills.
• Expert knowledge of English.
• Intermediate knowledge of Arabic or French (desirable).

Skills

• Mental Health Policy
• Substance Use Disorder Prevention
• Addiction Medicine
• Psychosocial Assessments
• Epidemiological Analysis
• Technical Assistance
• Capacity Building
• Policy Implementation
• Proposal Writing
• Report Writing
• Data Interpretation
• Data Analysis
• Presentation Skills
• International Policy Frameworks
• Mental Health Programs
• Public Health Strategies
• Evidence-based Policymaking
• Technical Advice
• English Language

Languages

English, Arabic, French