Staff Counsellor

The Staff Counsellor will be responsible for providing psychological support to FAO employees and their dependents, with a focus on mental health and wellbeing.

• Develop and implement the FAO Mental Health Strategy to ensure full coverage of employees and dependents with needed mental health services.
• Coordinate the design, development, delivery, and evaluation of staff counselling services.
• Lead a team of counsellors and coordinate all aspects of delivery of psychosocial support to headquarters and Decentralized Offices.
• Support and advise regional counsellors in complex cases or critical incidents as needed.
• Oversee the counselling unit activities, managing the performance of counsellors under supervision.
• Provide culturally sensitive psychological support to all FAO employees, either in person or via teleconference, and referrals to outside mental health care services as appropriate.
• Develop a proactive and reactive support programme for FAO Level 3 emergency countries and crisis areas, and provide active psychosocial support during emergencies and/or after critical incidents to ensure continued staff well-being.
• Deliver workshops, trainings, and information sessions on a wide range of topics, such as stress management, team building, problem-solving, conflict resolution, etc., to employees from diverse cultural backgrounds.
• Design, review, and implement a Peer Support programme for Decentralized Offices, contribute to the design of corporate policies and guidelines, and design information booklets/materials to increase awareness of important themes and promote staff welfare.
• Advise managers, the Human Resources Division (CSH), the Security Services (CSOS), and other institutional partners on assisting employees with stress health issues that may affect work functioning and performance, giving guidance and support to employees and the Organization during organizational changes and critical incidents.
• Based on identification of risks in the workplace, provide preventative, educational, and information programmes and group presentations on topics including psychosocial health problems, workplace wellbeing, crisis preparedness and response, and other health promotion topics.
• Within the UN framework of the duty of care in high-risk environments, contribute to the development of policies and procedural guidelines to improve the psychosocial welfare of staff and managers being deployed to hardship duty stations, including pre/post-deployment briefings and resilience training.
• Prepare comprehensive reports, plans missions within the allowed budget of CSLH, and organize trainings and other staff counselling activities to ensure the provision of cohesive counselling services.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with other UN agencies to provide cost-effective coordinated support.
• Maintain up-to-date, accurate records of client contacts in the Health Services' system (Cority).
• Participate in inter-agency activities, working groups, or conferences of the UN counselling network, as necessary.
• Oversee the design and implementation of the concept of Staff Wellbeing Committees in FAO Decentralized Offices in cooperation with FAO Country Teams.

• Advanced university degree in psychology, psychiatry, or counselling, or equivalent, with a license/registration to practice in the home country.
• Five years of relevant experience in the field of psychology and staff counselling.
• Working knowledge (proficient - level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate - level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish).

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions, is desirable.
• Additional training or certification in staff support and traumatic/critical incident stress, as well as a broad range of related fields, such as alcohol/substance abuse, family counselling, facilitation skills, stress management, mindfulness, conflict resolution, and mediation.
• Extent and relevance of experience in development and implementation of policies and procedures in the UN system is considered a strong asset.
• Working knowledge (proficient - level C) of another FAO official language (preferably French or Spanish) is considered a strong asset.
• Demonstrated ability to write clear and concise reports and documents in English.

FAO staff are expected to adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All, and Integrity and Transparency.

Extension of fixed-term appointments is based on certification of performance and availability of funds. FAO reserves the right not to make an appointment. Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.

A competitive compensation and benefits package is offered. For information on UN salaries, allowances, and benefits, click on the following link: https://www.un.org/works/

Other benefits, subject to eligibility, include:

• Dependency allowances
• Rental subsidy
• Education grant for children
• Home leave travel
• 30 working days of annual leave per year
• Pension fund entitlements under the UN Joint Staff Pension Fund
• International health insurance; optional life insurance
• Disability protection

FAO encourages a positive workplace culture to increase inclusivity and diversity within its workforce. FAO applies measures in which all staff members contribute equally and in full to the work and development of the Organization. This includes:

• Elements of family-friendly policies
• Flexible working arrangements
• Standards of conduct