PROGRAM DESCRIPTION (BACKGROUND)

International Medical Corps is a global humanitarian nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through healthcare training, disaster relief and recovery programs.

Established in 1984 by volunteer doctors and nurses, International Medical Corps is a private, voluntary, nonpolitical, nonsectarian organization. Its mission is to improve the quality of life through health interventions and related activities that build local capacity in areas worldwide. By offering training and healthcare to local populations and medical assistance to people at high risk, and with the flexibility to respond rapidly to emergency situations, International Medical Corps rehabilitates devastated healthcare systems and helps bring them back to self-reliance.

When catastrophe hits, International Medical Corps is often one of the first humanitarian aid organizations on the scene providing rapid and effective aid that saves lives, reduces suffering, and promotes self-reliance.

International Medical Corps provides safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable and patient centered care; offers needs-based response according to the context and type of sudden onset disaster (SOD) and/or outbreak in the affected US region, state, or territory; ensures it is accessible to all sections of the population affected by the disaster or emergency, particularly the most vulnerable; and treats patients in a medically ethical manner. 

International Medical Corps is accountable to patients and communities, local health system actors and service providers, governmental entities, and its organization and donors. International Medical Corps commits to a coordinated response under the national, state, and local emergency management authorities.

Selected personnel are on standby to deploy to a crisis within 48 hours. Personnel may deploy to new areas of operation or lend support to International Medical Corps teams already on the ground. International Medical Corps maintains a roster of volunteers and staff who have completed pre-deployment paperwork, orientation and training. The roster is updated on a regular basis. Through this expression of interest, applicants maintain professional profiles with International Medical Corps, so that information is complete and readily available for an emergency response deployment.

This position will support International Medical Corps’ emergency response delivering services to disaster-affected populations in US states and territories only.

**NOTE** Candidates applying to this position are indicating that they are interested in being considered for International Medical Corps’ standby roster for emergency response. Roster members will be contacted only when there is an emergency-response need for which the responder is qualified. This position will not be compensated unless responders are deployed to an emergency response.

SUMMARY: The Volunteer, Social Worker (domestic) will be responsible for providing social work services with a mobile medical unit, medical field unit, and/or shelter setting. They will work as a key member of the MHPSS team which will include MH Clinician(s) and MHPSS Coordinator.  

MAIN TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide trauma-informed social work services for disaster-affected populations according to nationally accepted standards.
• Support the identification and mapping of local services and resources in the community to inform referrals.
• Assist clients in obtaining appropriate resources.
• When deployed in a shelter-setting, engage shelter residents in trauma-informed activities, and provide health education and hygiene promotion to support their recovery.
• Collaborate closely with MH Clinician(s) on appropriate activities within the shelter-setting.
• Ensure patients are accurately registered and recorded for reporting and case management.
• Ensure proper data management through completion of appropriate patient cards, registers, tally sheets, and reports; contribute to daily reporting as directed by the MHPSS Coordinator and Team Lead.
• Monitor trends in cases and service provision and report to supervisor as needed
• Collaborate closely with MH Clinician(s) on resource needs and accessibility
• Adhere to administrative directives regarding work schedules, record keeping, and patient communications
• Provide all services free of charge
• MHPSS staff will be assigned additional duties as needed in the response

General 
•    Deployed personnel are expected to assist with the setup, maintenance and demobilization of the clinical spaces, office spaces and base camp as required.

Policy Adherence
•    Actively promote PSEA (prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse) standards within International Medical Corps and among beneficiaries served by International Medical Corps. 
•    Adhere to the Code of Conduct

Perform other duties as assigned. The duties and responsibilities listed in this document are representative of the nature and level of work assigned and not necessarily all inclusive.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Typically, a Master of Social Work. Valid license to practice preferable.  
• 2+ years of relevant and progressive experience in social work, mental health counseling, or clinical psychology; experience working in an emergency department or in disaster and/or humanitarian settings strongly preferred.
• Intermediate or advanced-level training in somatic-based trauma therapy strongly preferred.
• Experience with diverse populations, low-resource settings, and potentially volatile environments
•  Experience conducting rapid MHPSS community assessments in post-disaster settings is preferable
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to handle multiple tasks in a dynamic, high-pressure environment.
• Excellent communications skills, both oral and written.
• Excellent self-motivation skills.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and excellent decision-making skills.
• Extremely flexible and have demonstrated abilities to cope with stressful situations.
• Able to work effectively with various personalities, populations, and cultures.
• Able to deploy to emergencies on short notice.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required; fluency in Spanish is desirable.
   

ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL OR LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

In addition to the responsibilities referenced above, candidates may be asked to temporarily live and work in austere conditions at the start of an emergency response in the US. Lifting moderately heavy objects from the ground, carrying a backpack for extended periods of time, and walking or hiking in remote locations may be necessary to perform these functions.

International Medical Corps is a first responder to climate-related and man-made disasters and has a mandate of working in remote locations. The organization has a comprehensive security management policy and plan in place and is committed to doing everything possible within its remit to ensure safety and security. Notwithstanding, the mandate and programming choices of International Medical Corps require staff members who have a high degree of resilience, extremely decisive qualities and the ability to move fast.