Mental Health Counselor

Career Opportunity at

Kopila Valley Sewa Samaj: “A world where every child is educated, safe and loved”

Kopila Valley Sewa Samaj (KVSS), is a non-profitable NGO registered in Surkhet, Nepal. We run a growing organization that provides support for children and families in our community. Our mission is to change the world by empowering Nepal’s children. Through Kopila Valley School, we strive to support our student’s journey to become happy, skilled, confident and self-sufficient adults while serving as a model for quality, green education at an international level. Our programs include a residential children’s home, women’s empowerment center, sustainability, family development & of course our beloved school. We provide our students free education, health treatment and medicine, counseling, organic food, school uniform, educational materials & transportation. With our innovative Futures program, we strive to provide our children with career guidance, scholarships and the skills required to enter the world as global citizens and ambassadors for change. We do this with our funding partner BlinkNow Foundation and in close ties with the local community.

**Position Summary - Mental Health Counselor (**Clinical Counselor)

Kopila Valley Sewa Samaj (KVSS) supported by BlinkNow Foundation is looking for a qualified & enthusiastic person to provide counseling support to children and families suffering from different domestic problems. He/She will support to the children and their family with physical, emotional and mental health issues to improve their sense of well‐being. This role requires a desire to learn, and & offers exciting growth opportunities. This is a full-time position with opportunity to work & strong candidates will play a long term role at KVSS.

Work Location: Birendranagar -4, Surkhet

Application Deadline: 30 April 2022

Reporting to: Program Manager- Health & Wellness Program

Number: 1 Position

Contract: Full time, Long term position

Benefits: Competitive Salary benefit with, Festival allowance, SSF, On-site meals

Nationality: Nepali citizens only

Must Haves

Education and Experience: Masters Degree in Clinical Counseling with two years of relevant experience; or Bachelor's degree with more than 4 years of experience in clinical counseling.

Language: Fluent in English and Nepali

Skills and Abilities:

a. Good on using Microsoft Office tools and email.

b. Ability to manage case, counseling, passionate with and cares for the children and vulnerable population;

c. Initiator, and can work collaboratively and independently with the least supervision required.

d. Eager to learn, trustworthy, ability to maintain confidentiality.

Core Responsibilities

1. Ensure the well-being, mental health and physical growth of Kopila Valley School students and their family members (or community members) when necessary.
2. Help Kopila teachers and students' families understand children's mental growth, psychological and behavioral changes.
3. Create and manage case files including referrals made to other services and agencies.
4. Manage crises as and when they arise utilizing support of the health and wellness team at Kopila, government agencies and other partner organizations when necessary.

Detailed Responsibilities

1. Ensure the well-being, mental health and physical growth of Kopila Valley School students and their family members (or community members) when necessary.
   1. Develop and implement case management action plans for complex situations and for students who have chronic mental health issues, are disabled, victims of domestic or other violent crimes, or are vulnerable children.
   2. Provide individual or group guidance and psychosocial counseling sessions at the school and their living places as needed.
   3. Perform home visits whenever required, and run different groups and clubs inside school for improving student behavior.
   4. Operate school counseling center by providing drop-in and scheduled individual and group counseling sessions to our students on a daily basis;
2. Help Kopila teachers and students' families understand children's mental growth, psychological and behavioral changes.
   1. Work with classroom teachers and Health and wellness Manager to make sure students are getting any individualized support when necessary.
   2. Liaise with parents to improve their connection to the school and their children’s education, and provide counseling services to families where necessary
3. Create and manage case files including referrals made to other services and agencies.
   1. Manage referrals with accurate and required details considering future needs of each student and their families in a given format; create action plans for interventions, track and report progress. Keep cases confidential at all times unless safety issues arise.
   2. Attempt to maximize academic functioning of children as well as improving the family’s mental well-being by advising family, providing counseling, making referrals to other services, and case management interventions.
4. Manage crises as and when they arise utilizing support of the health and wellness team at Kopila, government agencies and other partner organizations when necessary.
   1. Utilize key relationships with government agencies and other partner organizations when necessary.
   2. Report to the Supervisor on all activities and cases as required.
   3. Contribute to the creation of key policies as required.
   4. Develop network and strengthen relationships with other organizations providing similar services in Surkhet and Nepal, which support, encourage, and enhance mental health facilities in the organization.
   5. Escalate emergency cases effectively within the health and wellness team

Other Responsibilities

• Stay updated with current happenings in legal and administrative procedures of the social sector and update the team for any changes.
• Provide detailed monthly reports, including a list of all counseling and coordination activities, an overview of critical cases, and challenges encountered in day-to-day work.
• Participate in various internal and external meeting, monitoring sessions, case conferencing  and training refreshers.
• Build and maintain physical and electronic case files for each student, updating regularly and where necessary.

The above list of responsibilities is not comprehensive, and the Mental Health Counselor may be required to take on additional responsibilities, as determined by his/her Supervisor.

Additional Requirement:

• Working experience in rural/urban poor areas with deprived population and/or dysfunctional families would be an added advantage
• Applicants working in the field of Mental Health in healthcare sector/hospital are highly encouraged to apply.
• Two wheeler driving skill with a valid driving license is preferred.
• Experience of work in the community with children and family would be an added advantage

Key Characteristics

• You believe that we can change the world, in the blink of an eye
• You believe in making decisions that put children first
• You are self-motivated, organized, and approachable
• You enjoy creating systems, keeping records, and increasing efficiency
• You are always looking for new ways for our team to work smarter instead of harder
• You have a strong work ethic and a willingness to pick up new skills.
• You are comfortable multi-tasking
• You are positive, patient, and a clear communicator who is comfortable working with both Kopila Valley staff in Nepal and the BlinkNow staff in the United States
• You are an empathetic person, with a knack for putting out fires before they start and soothing conflicts brewing beneath the surface
• You require little supervision and are flexible. You understand that you will be wearing many hats in this role, many of which are not explicitly included in this job description.

Interested in joining?

If you think this career opportunity will amplify your career growth, we encourage you to apply for this position with your updated CV, application letter and other required information before 30 April 2022. Only shortlisted candidates will be called for further screening process. No telephone inquiries will be entertained. Please apply

If you have any queries/information, please send us at apply@kopilavalley.org, (please do not send us your application and CV in this email).