PSYCHIATRIST (MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST)

**Position name:** PSYCHIATRIST (MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST)

**Duration:** 06 months with possibility of renewal

**Tentative Starting Date:** 1 July 2026

**Duty Station:** Hassaka /Amuda with frequent travels to Raqqa and Aleppo

**Closing date of the vacancy:** 26 June 2026

**Context Presentation:**

Un Ponte Per (UPP) is an Italian NGO established in 1991.

Since 2015, UPP has been one of the leading INGOs in **Syria** response. Providing humanitarian aid and capacity building of local actors in **Health** and **Protection** as well as environmental health, including waste management. UPP has been able to develop a comprehensive system of **health** services delivered across the most underserved areas, including mobile units, hospitals, primary health care centres, and an ambulance network. For further information please refer to our website: www.unponteper.it/en/

**Overall Scope**

Un Ponte Per (UPP) aims to integrate Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) within its primary healthcare interventions to strengthen community‑based mental health services in line with WHO’s mhGAP Intervention Guide (mhGAP‑IG). Through psychiatric technical leadership, UPP aims to build sustainable capacity within supported Primary Health Care Centres (PHCCs) across three supported governorates in Syria, ensuring early detection, assessment, management, referral, and follow up of priority mental health conditions.

**Role and Responsibilities**

The Psychiatrist is responsible for providing specialized psychiatric and technical leadership for the implementation establishing of mhGAP service delivery within UPP‑supported PHCCs. The role focuses on training, clinical mentorship, supportive supervision and quality assurance, while supporting the integration of mental health services within primary healthcare systems; supporting UPP health teams to develop supervision capacity. The position also contributes to strengthening referral pathways, psychotropic medication management, and coordination across health, protection, program teams, and external MHPSS stakeholders.

1. **Capacity Building & Training**

- Lead the design, planning, and delivery of **mhGAP‑IG training** for medical doctors and PHCC staff across targeted governorates
- Conduct refresher trainings, case‑based learning sessions, and on‑the‑job coaching.
- Train UPP Health Department staff to build **internal supportive supervision capacity** for mhGAP implementation.
- Adapt training materials to local context and ensure alignment with WHO and MoH/DoH guidelines.
- Assess training needs and develop tailored capacity‑building plans for each PHCC.
- Support the development of long-term capacity building plans for PHCC staff and UPP personnel to ensure sustainable mhGAP implementation beyond the duration of the project.

1. **Supportive Supervision & Clinical Mentorship**

- Conduct regular **supportive supervision visits** to PHCCs to observe clinical practice, review cases, and provide structured feedback.
- Provide technical guidance and mentorship on the management of severe mental disorders, including psychosis, severe depression, bipolar disorder, epilepsy, substance use disorders, and suicide risk, Mentor PHCC doctors in the assessment, diagnosis, and management of priority mental health conditions using mhGAP IG.
- Support PHCC teams in establishing safe, confidential, and ethical MHPSS practices.
- Strengthen referral pathways between PHCCs, specialized mental health services, and protection actors.
- Document supervision findings and provide recommendations for quality improvement.

1. **Coordination & Collaboration**

- Work closely with the **MHPSS Specialist** in the Protection Department to strengthen referral pathways between community-based psychosocial support services and clinical mental health care, ensuring a continuum of care for individuals with mental health needs.
- Coordinate with the **DoH**, WHO, and other MHPSS stakeholders to align training and supervision with national strategies.
- Participate in relevant **MHPSS Working Groups**, technical meetings, and coordination forums.
- Collaborate with Project Managers and Officers to ensure MHPSS activities are implemented according to workplans and donor requirements.
- Provide technical input to program design, proposals, and reporting.
- Support the development and regular updating of service mapping and referral pathways for mental health and psychosocial support services across areas of intervention.
- Represent UPP in relevant Health, MHPSS, and technical coordination forums at national and sub-national level, as delegated by the Health Coordinator.
- Maintain technical liaison with WHO, health authorities, and specialized mental health actors to promote alignment with national and international standards and best practices.

1. **Technical Guidance, clinical advisory and Quality Assurance**

- Ensure mhGAP implementation adheres to WHO standards