Volunteer/Job Opportunities
POSITION TITLE: Director of Counseling Training
DESCRIPTION: Psychological trauma expert to provide clinical training, clinical supervision, needs assessments, and program evaluation and development at the Mae Tao Clinic Counseling Center.
BACKGROUND: Since 1999, Burma Border Projects has provided an increasing number of vital humanitarian services to the Burmese individuals and families forced to live in or seek services in Thailand. One of Burma Border Projects primary goals is to address the mental health and psychosocial consequences of trauma resulting from displacement and other human rights abuses.
Burma Border Projects works collaboratively with local organizations that support and provide assistance to Burmese refugees, migrants and internally and externally displaced individuals and families. In providing culturally responsive education and training, BBP instructs indigenous trainers, medics, community and religious leaders and teachers how to provide counseling services, conduct mental health assessments and manage crises. Since 2008, BBP has had a full-time Director of Counseling Training position at the Mae Tao Clinic, in Mae Sot, Thailand.
THE WORK SITE: Mae Tao Clinic (MTC), founded and directed by Dr. Cynthia Maung and located along the Thai-Burma border in Mae Sot, Thailand, has been providing free health care to Burmese individuals and families, primarily ethnic minorities, since 1989. With an initial emphasis on providing emergency medical care to individuals crossing the border following the 1988 pro-democracy protests, MTC has grown to provide comprehensive health care services, including some of the first mental health counseling services for Burmese in the region. In 1999, Burma Border Projects, was founded to begin addressing mental health needs at Mae Tao Clinic, and in 2006, the MTC Counseling Center (CC) was established as a clinic department to address the broad psychosocial needs of both MTC staff and patients. Nearly half of the patients seen at the Counseling Center are diagnosed with psychological stress and nearly half present with either family problems or loss. The difficulties faced by the Counseling Center patients are broad, ranging from financial stress to severe PTSD and psychosis, and the challenges of the Counseling Center staff are great, ranging from severely limited resources to vicarious trauma. All of Counseling Center staff are from Burma, and they receive their mental health and counseling training at Mae Tao Clinic.
TIME-FRAME: This is a 12-month (minimum) position beginning in early-mid April 2010. There may be some flexibility in the start-date and a longer-term commitment is preferred.
COMPENSATION: Airfare, Thai visa, living stipend, and reimbursement for work-related materials and travel will be provided. The individual will be responsible for room/board, in-country transportation, immunizations, and health/travel insurance.
RESPONSIBILITIES include, but are not limited to:
Working closely with and providing psychological and supervisory support to the MTC Counseling Center staff
Collaborating with Dr. Cynthia Maung, founder of Mae Tao Clinic
Collaborating with MTC staff and other volunteers in culturally competent ways
Collaborating with other agencies and programs doing mental health work along the Thai-Burma border in order to enhance and standardize mental health services both at MTC and in the larger Burmese community
Providing training, supervision and capacity-building in ways that respond to the current needs of the staff and community
Conducting needs assessments and program evaluation and development
Collecting and reviewing monthly Counseling Center data
Submitting monthly reports to the Burma Border Projects Executive Director
DESIRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:
Alliance with the mission and goals of Burma Border Projects
Professional experience in the fields of social work, psychology or psychiatry
Knowledge of and experience in training on prevention and treatment of psychological trauma and other mental illnesses
Experience in conducting needs assessments, program evaluation and program development
Experience in working with refugees or other displaced individuals, families and communities
Knowledge about human rights issues in Burma preferred
Knowledge about prescribing and managing psychotropic medication preferred
Language: Some knowledge of Burmese or Karen preferred but not required
If you are interested, please submit your resume and a statement of interest to Michael Forhan, Burma Border Projects Executive Director, to Michael@burma-projects.org. Please write MTC Director of Counseling Training Position in the subject line.
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