The Psychological Therapist (Children) will be based in Psychosocial Services (PSS) which is a team made up of psychosocial experts with extensive experience working with clients who have been subjected to forced migration, asylum/refugees, exile, trauma and torture.

Function of Post

The Psychological Therapist will be responsible for providing direct clinical services to children aged 1-18, including unaccompanied minors, who are refugees, forced migrants and survivors of torture and/or trauma. In addition, the post holder will write Medico-Legal reports, holistic assessments and be involved in the provision and development of training, consultations and clinical supervision.

The children and families that we work with display high levels of trauma-based behaviours, including intergenerational trauma, survivor’s guilt, bereavement, stress, dissociation and, in some children, aggressive behaviours.

The services will be offered on a short term basis 3 monthly, with scope to see some clients for longer periods should the need arise.

Main Responsibilities

· To provide tailored psychological support and counselling to children from 1-18 years on a short term basis.

· To work within PSS to ascertain the needs of the individual clients and families.

· To create, with the input of PSS, tailored therapeutic plans for the short term treatment of individual children.

· To provide assessments and psychotherapy/counselling medico-legal reports in accordance with the Istanbul Protocol.

Job description

Responsibilities

· To manage an appropriate caseload with an overview to ongoing care and undertaking risk assessments where necessary.

· To maintain appropriate records of assessments and any clinical/casework undertaken, and collect and collate statistics.

· Provide Clinical Supervision and support to volunteer psychologists.

· To undertake regular reviews of therapeutic work with clients, including the completion of the clinical outcome tool.

· To develop and deliver training when required and facilitate workshops/talks on behalf of Justice Centre.

· To contribute to the development of the service and networking opportunities.

· To participate in the recruitment and training of volunteer psychologists.

· To practice ethically in accordance with professional boundaries and regulatory frameworks of relevant professional bodies, as well as the Justice Centre Code of Conduct.

· To attend team meetings, PSS Catch-up meetings and other meetings as required.

· To engage actively in a multi-disciplinary team and contribute from own professional perspective.

· To build effective relationships with referrers and other key partner organisations.

· To contribute to the submission of timely donor reports and meet with donors.

· To undertake any other duties that is reasonable within the context of the role as assigned by the Head of Psychosocial Services and or the Executive Director.

Person specification

Essential:

· Qualified psychological therapist, with at least 5 years’ experience in working with children,

· Membership of, and accreditation to, relevant professional bodies, either in Hong Kong or internationally

· Experience in providing clinical supervision

· Knowledge of the impact of torture/trauma, and asylum/refugee issues on adults, children and families

· Knowledge of, and experience in, at least one of a range of evidence based approaches to trauma therapy including trauma-based CBT, child-based CBT, Narrative Exposure Therapy, EMDR, play therapy, sand play therapy, art therapy, music therapy etc

· Experience of working with interpreters or clients who do not speak English as a first language

· Therapeutic skills in working with clients experiencing a range of psychological and trauma-based issues, including: PTSD, bereavement, loss, guilt, shame, depression, pain, displacement, intergenerational trauma etc.

· Counselling skills: Empathetic listening, understanding of boundaries, building and maintain a trusting relationship

· Case load management, record keeping, and file management

· Report writing sufficient to be able to write counselling/therapy medico-legal reports and clinical letters, in accordance with the Istanbul Protocol

· Commitment to Human Rights, humanitarianism, equality and diversity

· Multicultural sensitivity and ability to work with people from different cultural backgrounds and across varying language barriers;

· Fluency in verbal and written English;

· Legal right, or ability to receive the legal right, to work in Hong Kong. We will sponsor a work visa.

Desirable

· Knowledge of a range of psychotherapeutic approaches and theories, and how these can be applied to work with trauma/torture survivors

· Experience of working with refugees, and trauma/torture survivors

· Experience of working therapeutically with refugees, survivors of torture/trauma and organised violence

· Fluency in another language such as French, Arabic, Somali, Urdu, Sinhala, or Bangla are a considerable asset.

· Experience working with vulnerable people in a professional setting

· Qualification in Clinical supervision

· Experience working within a multi-disciplinary team with colleagues from a range of professional backgrounds, including lawyers and fundraisers

Part-time will be considered and we are willing to sponsor a work visa for the right candidate.

http://www.justicecentre.org.hk/