Summary
Date Posted: Tuesday, April 11 2023, Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:
Introduction:
SOS Uganda is a child-focused, social development, non-governmental organisation with a strong reputation for fulfilling children’s right to quality care and protection, education and health. Since the beginning of its work in 1991, SOS Uganda has reached over 60,000 children, youth and adults directly and indirectly to become empowered and self-reliant and contribute significantly to their families and communities.

Mental Health Uganda (MHU) is an indigenous, non-governmental, membership-based disabled people’s organisation; an organisation of people with a lived experience of mental health problems. MHU was established in 1997 and formally registered as a national NGO in 2001. MHU is based in all regions of the country and works for equal access to services and opportunities for people with mental health issues. MHU is the biggest organisation of people living with mental illness in Africa with over 25,000 members.

The 2 partners will implement a 3-year project from January 2023, primarily targeting young people between the ages of 13 to 19 in 8 selected secondary schools (4 from Gulu district and 4 from Wakiso district). The project seeks to among other things: normalize mental health problems and reduce stigma and discrimination, and facilitate access to psychosocial support in the targeted schools.

Context:
Youth active participation and empowerment is a key proponent of the project, ensuring that youth lead the development and implementation of project activities. Accordingly, 8 students (Mental Health ‘Champions’) will be selected in each school to lead all activities in the schools, responding to mental health needs of their peers.

In the communities the project will seek to reach the general public through conversations guided by ‘Mentor Champions’. Further, knowing that some of the triggers of mental health problems for some students, come from their homes, the ‘Mentor Champions’ will reach out to parents and or guardians of such students, on the recommendation of the concerned student, to engage them so as to fix the problems from the source.

The Mentor Champion:
A Mentor Champion is a person with a lived experience of a mental health problem. Mentor Champions use their experience to talk to those without this experience in conversations that seek to normalize mental health (‘Social Contact’). What is key is that during these conversations, the Mentor Champion has to disclose on their lived experience (only to the level they are comfortable sharing). By doing so, they normalize having a mental health problem thereby inspiring those silently battling mental health problems or at risk, to ‘Speak Up’ and those without problems to ‘Be More Kind’. The Mentor Champions for this project will be selected from the MHU District Associations, other organizations involved in mental health work and their affiliates. Two (02) Mentor Champions will be attached to each school to support the 8 Champions in that particular school (in total, Gulu district will have 8 Mentor Champions and 32 Champions and so will Wakiso district). They will also lead engagements with the communities they live in. To enable them perform their roles, the Mentor Champions will be trained to comprehend facts and myths on mental health, human rights around mental health, peer support, Psychological First Aid (PFA), detection/identification of cases, referral, among other things.

Functions of the Mentor Champions:
Working under the supervision of the Project Officer in each project location and school management structures, the Mentor Champions will:
• Coach ‘Champions’ in schools into conducting conversations on mental health
• Support Champions in providing referrals to students in need of professional mental health care
• Link the project to parents and or guardians of students suffering from mental health problems upon the students’ recommendation
• Ensure that there is a good working relationship between the project team and the participating schools
• Conduct ‘Social Contact’ with members of the general public
• Refer members of the public to places and institutions that offer professional mental health care (these will be mapped under the project)
• Participate in awareness work on mental health both in schools and communities as required
• Collect data, basic information from their activities and report accordingly
• Participate in events and evaluations organized by the project.
• Other activities related to the project as may be requested from time to time.

Profile of the Mentor Champion:
• Have a lived experience of a mental health problem but having achieved reasonable stability with their condition; and ready to disclose their story
• Adult Ugandans between 18 – 35 years
• Trainable (able to read and write in English and or any other commonly used language in the project location); preferably having completed o-level education (Senior Four)
• Residing within or in close proximity with the project location (Gulu or Wakiso district) or even the selected schools.
• Have a friendly personality and able to build networks
• Willing to work only with volunteer incentives (spirit of voluntarism).

Please note that the selected schools in Gulu are;
1. Layibi College
2. Gulu SS
3. Ocer Campion Jesuit College
4. Vanguard Primary School

Job Experience:No Requirements

Work Hours: 8

Level of Education: High School

Job application procedure
Interested individuals should send an application letter indicating how they fit into this role/position above and a brief testimony (whole application should not exceed 2 pages), not later than 4:00pm on Tuesday 11th April 2023 via email to mhu@mentalhealthuganda.org - subject line is “Mentor Champion”. Do not send academic documents – heavy files containing academic documents or submitted as images and or late applications will not be considered. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. The Letter must also include the contacts of 1 suitable referee who can comment on the candidate’s ability. Women are highly encouraged to apply. Applications can also be hand delivered to the Human Resource Office, SOS Gulu.

Note:
MHU and SOS promote zero tolerance for discrimination/harassment based on gender, sexual orientation, sexual identity, religious beliefs, etc. All staff and volunteers shall adhere to strict guidelines in order to facilitate “silent” inclusion. Staff and volunteers also adhere to safeguarding provisions – a set of procedures and practices designed to ensure that no harm comes to project beneficiaries as a result of contact with MHU’s programs, operations or individuals.
PS: Previous applicants do not need to re- apply

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