Psychosocial Counsellor Intern

Job Title: Mental Health Intern

This role provides an opportunity to work with a team dedicated to delivering mental health services to individuals, groups, and communities affected by torture and war trauma.

About the Role:

• 
  
• Provide specialized mental health services to individuals, groups, and communities to assist them in recovering from the effects of torture and war trauma.
  
• Assist in providing comprehensive psycho-social support to survivors of war trauma and torture, including initial screening and intake assessment, individual and group treatment plans, case management, home visits, and follow-up assessments.
  
• Coordinate efforts with Community Workers to ensure case management goals are achieved.
  
• Carry out individual or family counseling sessions with clients affected by war trauma or torture, under the supervision of a Trainer.
  
• Facilitate group counseling processes, including selection of group members, planning the group process, and group facilitation, under supervision.
  
• Provide interpretation between clients and other CVT staff members when needed.
  
• Ensure all required documentation is completed in a timely and professional manner.
  
• Ensure confidentiality and ethical practices are observed at all times.
  
• Develop community awareness, understanding, and engagement with mental health issues.
  
• Assist in planning and implementing community mental health awareness and education campaigns.
  
• Sensitize, problem solve, dialogue, and mediate with the wider population to raise understanding and develop coping strategies.
  
• Coordinate efforts with Community Workers to ensure community awareness goals are achieved.
  
• Make CVT services known and accessible to people whose psycho-social functioning has been impaired by their experiences of torture and war trauma.
  
• Identify individuals whose psycho-social functioning may have been affected by war-related experiences and encourage them to approach CVT for support.
  
• Develop referral systems and encourage collaboration between local groups and leaders, NGOs, and government ministries.
  
• Attend interagency meetings to improve service delivery and access opportunities for CVT's work.
  
• Ensure reporting and documentation of these processes are completed and minutes of meetings are filed.
  

Training and Supervision:

• 
  
• Attend regular support, debriefing, case conferences, and supervision coaching meetings to ensure information and skill-sharing.
  
• Implement Trainer recommendations and training in day-to-day clinical work.
  
• Provide feedback to the Trainer on training and supervision.
  
• Request support from the Trainer or Counseling Supervisor as needed.
  

Professional Requirements:

• 
  
• Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology, Counseling, or related field.
  
• At least 1-2 years of experience in the same or similar position.
  
• Understanding of and experience implementing culturally appropriate mental health interventions.
  
• Willingness to work with minority groups.
  
• Demonstrated flexibility to adapt to changing requirements and needs.
  
• Working knowledge of English and Swahili.
  
• Ability to be an empathic counselor.
  
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with ability to maintain neutrality, impartiality, and confidentiality.
  
• Attention to detail and time management.
  
• Interest in or commitment to human rights.
  

Internship Period: 3 months with possibility of extension for another 3 months, subject to performance.

About CVT: CVT (Center for Victims of Torture) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to healing the wounds of torture and providing effective solutions for individuals, families, communities, and societies affected by torture and war trauma.