Psychologist (International Humanitarian Register)

Psychologist (international humanitarian register)

Must speak Arabic and / or French in addition to English

Australian Red Cross is seeking skilled Psychologists to join our International Delegate (aid worker) Register. From the Delegate Register, Psychologists can be deployed internationally by the Red Cross to provide professional assistance to individuals and communities impacted by humanitarian disasters or conflicts.  Deployments are typically twelve months and are salaried.

Please note that recruitment to the Delegate Register does not guarantee employment with Red Cross. It does however place the individual on standby to deploy, and enables suitable preparation and training for deployment, should the need arise.   

If you are interested in working internationally with Red Cross as a psychologist, we encourage you to read the below role profile which provides additional information on the requirements of this position, to consider your suitability. Please note that we are only able to consider applications from candidates who are citizens or permanent residents of Australia. 

Australian Red Cross’ International Delegate Register 

The Red Cross and Red Crescent (RCRC) Movement is the largest humanitarian network in the world. It comprises the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (Federation) and 192 National Societies. The RCRC mandate is to protect and support populations experiencing conflicts, disasters and other vulnerabilities. 

ARC maintains an active register of highly screened and trained humanitarian workers (referred to as delegates within the Red Cross) who are deployed to international crises when local capacity is overwhelmed or where additional specialist resources are required. Deployments take place through fixed-term contracts, with delegates seconded into the operations of the ICRC or Federation. 

In all activities, Australian Red Cross’ delegates, staff, volunteers and members are guided by the Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.  

Humanity • Neutrality • Impartiality • Independence • Voluntary Service • Unity • Universality.  

To read more on these principles, visit https://www.redcross.org.au/about/fundamental-principles/ 

Psychologist: position summary and requirements

Candidates recruited to join the delegate register as Psychologists will be responsible for assessing, implementing and managing Mental Health Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) programmes to support individuals and communities impacted by disasters or armed conflicts and other situations of violence, as well as the staff and volunteers operating with Red Cross in impacted countries.  

 Essential Requirements 

• Citizen or permanent resident of Australia. 
• Fluent spoken and written English. 

• Level B2 (CEFR standard) in either French or Arabic (please note that we will test this during recruitment)

• Extensive professional experience (3 years or greater) as a psychologist aligned with the technical and behavioural competencies (outlined below). 

• Previous international humanitarian in low-income countries (non-government organisations, international organisations or charity).  

• Ability to deploy for a minimum of 12 months.

Essential Qualifications and Professional Registrations 

• Degree in Psychology and Master’ Degree in Clinical Psychology or equivalent.  

• Current general registration with the Psychology Board of Australia via AHPRA, allowing practice in Australia. 

Additional Essential Requirements

• Digital Literacy, including ability navigate digital devices (laptops, smartphones), analyse web-based information and work effectively with the Microsoft Office suite of applications. 

• Ability to drive a manual car. 

• Personal motivation to provide humanitarian assistance to individuals and communities impacted by disasters or armed conflict. 

• Ability to adapt to and function effectively in challenging living conditions and potentially unstable security environments. 

• Ability to work effectively while under pressure and within multicultural teams. 

• Excellent organisational skills. 

 Technical Competencies  

 Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) 

• Assess mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) needs, risks, vulnerabilities and available resources among populations affected by armed conflict, other situations of violence and / or natural disasters.

• Designs, develops and adapts MHPSS programmes and interventions, community-based supports and protection approach in line with local contexts and operational priorities. 

• Analyses contextual and programme data to contribute to evidence-based decision making and programme adaptations.
• Works within and supports operational frameworks for   

• mental health and psychosocial support intervention 

• child protection 

• sexual and gender-based violence prevention and response 

• violence prevention 

• Facilitates individual and group psychosocial debriefing to support affected persons and support recovery.  

 Learning & Training  

• Provides technical guidance, training and capacity strengthening to relevant stake holders.
• Applies knowledge of adult learning principles to develop and deliver effective MHPS training, including counselling and stress management skills. 

• Develops and delivers Training of Trainer (TOT)initiatives in psychosocial support following IFRC tools and international guidelines  

• Provides professional mentoring and supervision of staff and volunteers  

• Supports frameworks for volunteer management  

  Contextual Sensitivity  

• Awareness of how mental health and psychosocial support is understood by the target population (e.g., understood through the lens of spirituality or local belief and an awareness of stigma and discrimination) 

Behavioural Competencies  

 Cultural Awareness 

• Design solutions and plan operations that consider local cultural factors 

• Respect cultural diversity within the team 

• Adapt programmes and operations in line with socio-political and cultural context, with specific focus on addressing the needs of vulnerable groups 

 Interpersonal communications 

• Deliver accurate, clear and concise messages, orally and in writing, to inform a range of audiences 

• Actively listen to and encourage feedback from peers, communities, volunteers and other stakeholders 

• Convey complex ideas and plans based on inputs from different audiences in an engaging, appropriate and clear manner 

Judgement and Decision-making 

• Make informed, timely, balanced decisions at an individual and team level through consultation, research and consideration 

• Find solutions to problems in a resourceful and creative manner 

• Explain decisions to those who implement or are affected by them 

Motivating others 

• Provide regular formal and informal feedback and recognises contributions of others to maintain team productivity 

• Positively support others to maintain motivation by clearly articulating the purpose of the programme 

Personal Resilience  

• Appropriately cope with stressful situations by remaining constructive and positive under stress and remaining focused on objectives as the operation evolves 

 Candidate Assessment  

All candidates will be assessed based on technical and core competencies specific to this role. Candidates may be further invited to take part in a competency-based interview, assessment centre and psychological assessment. As this profile requires the ability to work in English as well as Arabic or French, we will also undertake language testing as part of the recruitment process. 

Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse & Harassment (PSEAH) & Child Protection 

Australian Red Cross reserves the right to conduct background checks on all candidates, including police, working with children checks, personal reference checks and other checks Australian Red Cross considers necessary. Candidates who do not pass a work with children check, or whose backgrounds checks suggest they may pose a risk to the safety and wellbeing of others will not be considered for this position. 

Australian Red Cross participates in the global Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (MDS), and is committed to preventing sexual misconduct or child abuse by individuals moving between humanitarian organisations across the globe. Australian Red Cross is also a child safe organisation. To uphold this commitment, Australian Red Cross will share sexual misconduct or child abuse concerns or investigations upon request with other participating organisations. Additionally, as part of our recruitment process, Australian Red Cross may contact previous employers to ask about any sexual misconduct or child abuse concerns or investigations. Visit The Misconduct Disclosure Scheme for more information

Operational Constraints 

In line with the principle of neutrality, please note that staff seconded to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) cannot be deployed to any country of origin. Delegates must be in good health and agree to participate in health clearance processes prior to any assignment. 

For more information on Psychologists profile, and working internationally with Australian Red Cross, contact Andree Girardau on agirardau@redcross.org.au