GENERAL PURPOSE
The Counseling Officer (CO) will conduct on-ground counseling sessions in rural areas, providing quality mental health support, crisis intervention, and guidance on social distresses, with a focus on mental health and suicide prevention. They will maintain a friendly and non-judgmental approach, ensuring accessible and effective counseling services to community members in their local settings.
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
– Evaluate individuals’ clinical history and mental‑health status during household visits in rural communities.
– Provide education and counseling on psychiatric conditions, chronic‑disease stress, suicidal ideation and social distresses, tailored to local contexts and following standard guidelines.
– Offer practical tips to prevent future mental‑health relapses, ensuring advice is accessible and relevant to rural settings.
– Raise awareness about mental‑health issues and promote preventive measures through community meetings and one‑on‑one visits.
– The role requires fluency in Sindhi, Urdu, and English to communicate effectively with villagers and local stakeholders.
– Refer individuals to appropriate mental‑health care service 1123 teletabeeb or clinics in nearby towns/districts, using a local health directory.
– Stay updated on medical developments and research in mental health to improve counseling and referral advice in rural settings.
– Conduct on‑site mental‑health screenings in rural villages using standard protocols and tools.
– Organize and facilitate stress‑management workshops and other mental‑health sessions in community centers, homes, or local schools—both for villagers and for external groups visiting the area, emphasizing suicide prevention strategies.
– Maintain strict confidentiality of each client medical record, storing data securely in the field log.
– In rural communities, the Counseling Officer provides on‑the‑spot mental health support, shares practical health tips, and offers general wellness info—directly addressing local needs through home visits, community gatherings, and phone calls.
– Keep accurate records of identified mental‑health issues and the advice given, updating the field register daily, and flagging high‑risk cases for immediate attention.
– Identify key topics for internal mental‑health awareness sessions within the community and propose relevant activities, prioritizing suicide prevention.
– Observe floor decorum and punctuality according to protocol while operating from the rural field base.
– Ensure 100 % attendance each month, using the assigned leave quota and obtaining official approval from the Program Manager and administratively from District Manager Operations.
– Build credible relationships with fellow field staff and support their learning and development, focusing on building a network of trusted community resources for mental health and suicide prevention.
– Call‑center experience (e.g., handling mental‑health helpline inquiries) is an added advantage.
AUTHORITIES:
Key Performance Indicators:
– Meet the following performance standards:
– Data‑entry accuracy ≥ 90 %
– Conduct ≥ 2 mental‑health awareness session (internal or external) per month, focusing on suicide prevention
– Floor decorum ≥ 90 %
– Follow‑up on ≥ 30 % of inbound mental‑health calls with outbound calls, prioritizing high‑risk cases
– Deliver ≥ 1 floor session on mental‑health topics each month, including suicide prevention
– Conduct >2 stakeholder session to increase task force (District/Corporate/Health network)
Qualifications (Rural Field Focus): Bachelor/Master in Clinical Psychology. Post Magisterial Diploma in Clinical Psychology is preferable.
Training/Courses: Communication and Counseling Skills, Managing Crises Intervention on phone, Basic Computer Skills is preferable.
Experience: Minimum 2 years of clinical experience, with demonstrated knowledge of psychotherapy and counseling techniques. Working directly in rural communities is preferred.
Age: Min. 24 years
Gender: Male/Female
Location: Karachi
