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Job Title: Nutrition Counselor FSR # 643

Location: Zaatari Camp

BACKGROUND

International Medical Corps is a global, humanitarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training and relief and development programs. Established in 1984 by volunteer doctors and nurses, International Medical Corps is a private, voluntary, nonpolitical, nonsectarian organization. Its mission is to improve the quality of life through health interventions and related activities that build local capacity in underserved communities worldwide. By offering training and health care to local populations and medical assistance to people at highest risk, and with the flexibility to respond rapidly to emergency situations, International Medical Corps rehabilitates devastated health care systems and helps bring them back to self-reliance.

Job Summary:

The Nutrition Counselor will be responsible for the implementation of Nutrition-focused Social and Behavioral Change Communication (nutrition-specific SBCC) activities targeted to Pregnant and breastfeeding women (PBW), and caregivers of infants and young children (0-2 years), and their key influential members within Zaatari camp, through awareness, support, and follow-up communication messages.

She will promote and support breastfeeding and optimal maternal, infant and young child nutrition practices, with focus on early initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months, timely introduction of complementary feeding, and continued breastfeeding till two years of age and minimize the risks of artificial feeding in the camps context in accordance with agency policy and/or the Operational Guidance on MIYCN in any required work location.

The nutrition counselor will report to the nutrition officer to accomplish the following tasks:

MAIN TASKS AND RESPONSABILITIES

• Conduct shelter visits to screen PBW and children to identify targeted beneficiaries for the MIYCN support group activities based on identified selection criteria that ensures the intervention prioritizes most vulnerable groups.
• Arrange for interactive MIYCN support group sessions activities: time, shelter address, supplies, materials, supporting aids, handouts, and invitations, in coordination and with gaining consent from the hosting caregiver/caregivers.
• Conduct interactive support group sessions and one-to-one counselling sessions to mothers and caregivers of children 0-2 years on key MIYCN to improve maternal, infant and young child nutrition and feeding practices at their shelters (shelter visits)
• Ensure a comfortable, calm, environment for counseling sessions and MIYCN support group sessions and maintain good relationships with the beneficiaries
• Maintain proper communication with caregivers.
• Ensure appropriate and consistent education messaging to mothers and other carers at all programming contact points and in the community.
• Follow-up with mothers and caregivers after the support group or individual sessions, and assess improvements on knowledge, attitudes, and practices, of key dietary behaviors and feeding practices.
• Conduct interactive support group sessions to mothers and caregivers and influential family members on maternal, infant and young child feeding behaviors and practices to support in improving maternal, infant and young child nutrition.
• Provide tailored one-on-one counseling sessions to caregivers of children 0-2 years, in line with needs discovered in initial screenings and assessments, offering practical advice and education on key nutritional issues.
• Identify children and PBW at higher risk of poor nutrition and new or inexperience mothers for more intensive counselling support.
• To support medical nutrition therapy to children and PBW of chronic conditions whenever needed
• Support in Assessing infants for infant danger signs, growth, and feeding; especially infants nutritionally at risk, to be closely followed up and ensure timely referral at any time a sign of risk is identified,
• Ensure all mothers/caregivers are aware of the importance of the early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months.
• Educate the mothers/caregivers on the quality, consistency, quantity, and frequency of meals to promote adequate weight gain during child development and meet their children’s daily nutritional requirements.
• Educate caregivers on food safety and hygiene.
• Educate caregivers on responsive feeding practices.
• Conduct effective focus groups discussions when required and ensure good documentation and reporting of qualitative data.
• Discourage unhealthy eating habits: consumption of tea, coffee, instant noodles. Etc.
• Coordinate the concept testing and pre-testing of all communication materials that are developed.
• Provide pregnant women with preparatory counseling for breastfeeding and colostrum feeding, to prevent pre-lacteal feeds and bottle feeding;
• Educate the mothers on correct maternal nutrition during pregnancy and lactation;
• Screen PBW and children for malnutrition and anemia and refer identified cases for IMAM program and health services.
• Ensure systematic screening for acute malnutrition among pregnant and breastfeeding women, and children 6-59 months.
• Ensure that all malnourished PBW and children are referred appropriately for nutrition support to (SFP/OTP)
• Link with referral routes in the camp to facilitate PBW referral to receive ANC and PNC services
• Through liaison with the nutrition volunteers, provide effective follow up of all defaulter cases – particularly:

- Ensure the prompt tracing of mothers and caregivers who are absent from the sessions.

- Train the volunteer on and ensure good data collection practices.

• Ensure all distribution records are reflected timely and accurately on PIMS and review them in a timely manner.

Reporting and Advocacy:

• Maintain daily records of children, caregivers, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and key influencers attending MIYCN support group sessions and/ or counselling sessions to be reflected on the system to MEAL on daily basis.
• Ensure systematic disaggregated age/gender data for children and PBW’s (pregnant, lactating) are recorded correctly and timely reported using standard program reporting tool.
• Submit comprehensive periodic, and ad hoc relevant statistical reports and data required by the nutrition officer, senior nutrition officer and MEAL in a timely manner.
• Submit weekly and monthly reporting of activities to the nutrition officer, senior nutrition officer and MEAL in a timely manner, and support in compiling the data from the nutrition counselors and volunteers and submitting the monthly report.
• Compile and filter daily sheets from nutrition volunteers and report on weekly basis to the nutrition officer and MEAL
• Report to the nutrition officer and report on the progress of project activities on a regular manner.
• Play an active role in advocacy to promote proper MIYCN Practices, antenatal and post-natal checkups, importance of institutional deliveries, vaccination, and growth monitoring.
• Support in the documentation of project case studies, lessons learnt, beneficiary stories, advocacy campaigns and project reporting.

Referral and Coordination:

• Maintain strong coordination with the nutrition team working in the nutrition clinics and in the field, and the medical staff to support medical nutrition therapy for chronic conditions if needed.
• Refer children and/or PBWs for intensive nutritional/medical care as required.
• Ensure caregivers are aware of available services and advocate prioritization for caregivers, where necessary, in appropriate services and support
• Refer all pregnant women to the next antenatal care services if not already informed.
• Refer cases for community follow – ups to community nutrition volunteers in coordination with the nutrition focal point at the nutrition clinics.
• Refer to other services in the camp (Health, Nutrition, Reproductive health, Mental Health, Disabilities, Protection and WASH);
• Coordinate with all health practitioners, nutrition officers and trainers, nutrition counselors, nutrition volunteers in relevant clinic/location to ensure that all pregnant and lactating mothers are referred to IMAM/MIYCN services.
• Receive cases referred from the nutrition colleagues, reproductive health, community health and other actors in the camp and manage cases appropriately.

Additional Tasks:

• Participate in other MIYCN program duties as requested
• Other duties as assigned. The duties and responsibilities listed are representative of the nature and level of work assigned and are not necessarily all inclusive

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

• Excellent verbal, listening and written communication skills.
• Strong background and technical experience in MIYCN – Maternal, infant, and young child nutrition.
• Competent counselling skills
• Delivering and managing quality service
• Maintains high level of integrity and trust.
• Excellent time management skills
• Effective teamwork and collaboration
• Driven by values and moral motivation

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree of human nutrition and dietetics/ clinical nutrition.
• At least one year of experience in clinical nutrition, or MIYCN counselling.
• Knowledge of and proven experience in optimal MIYCN practices, able to support pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, and a willingness to learn
• Proven capacity of teamwork
• Proven capacity of conducting shelter visits, individual sessions and MIYCN support group sessions, at caregivers’ shelters of 100% of the SBCC project intervention.
• Excellent communication skills and a willingness to be respectful, kind, sensitive and empathize with all beneficiaries and their caregivers.
• Capacity to keep accurate records of activities and report in a timely manner.
• Ability to make a work plan and direct work independently to achieve the target.
• Highly organized and has excellent time-management skills.
• Good computing skills in Kobo/ONA, Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
• Able to work independently as well as part of a team.
• Able to integrate into a multi-cultural team and cooperate with co-workers

Desirable:

• Knowledge and proven experience in nutrition-specific social and behavior change communication (nutrition-specific SBCC)
• Experienced nutritionist with proven experience in carrying out SBCC and close engagement and communication with communities.
• Proven experience in nutrition counseling of pregnant and breastfeeding women on maternal nutrition, infant and young child nutrition.
• IBCLC certification holder.
• Experience working in humanitarian emergency settings

Child Safeguarding
International Medical Corps is committed to child safeguarding and expects all employees to strictly adhere to the values and principles of the International Medical Corps Child Safeguarding Policy.

Code of Conduct
It is our shared responsibility and obligation to prevent matters involving Sexual Exploitation & Abuse, trafficking in Persons, Child Safeguarding and any suggested violation to our Code of Conduct, which may involve Conflicts of Interest, Fraud, Corruption or Harassment.  If you see, hear or are made aware of any suggested activities then you have an obligation to report.
 

Compliance & Ethics
Promotes and encourages a culture of compliance and ethics throughout International Medical Corps. As applicable to the position, maintains a clear understanding of International Medical Corps’ and donor compliance and ethics standards and adheres to those standards.  Conducts work with the highest level of integrity. Communicates these values to staff and to partners and requires them to adhere to these values.
 

Equal Opportunities
International Medical Corps is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or status as a veteran.
This job description is subject to periodic review and adjustment in order to achieve International Medical Corps goals in Jordan, and any changes to the job description will be discussed and agreed
“I hereby certify that all the information provided through the application and CV are accurate and the supportive documents are available upon request, any false information provided will cause cancelation of the application and applicant will be subject to legal action”.

Our screening process will be on a rolling basis, once a candidate is selected the announcement will be closed.