Timeframe: August 2024 - January 2025
Level of Effort: Maximum of 50 days, to be agreed with workplan
Location: Remote, with short term travel to Somalia (5 – 10 days)
- Background
Despite the substantial number of malnourished infants worldwide, infant growth failure has been largely overlooked as an area for action. Younger infants have a higher risk of death than older children, yet malnourished infants under the age of six months (u6m) have long been neglected.
As more partners engage in operations research and learning on best practice for identification and management of small and at-risk infants u6m and their mothers, the MAMI Global Network, of which Save the Children (SC) is on the Steering Committee, has developed the MAMI Care Pathway to guide program implementation in this area of innovation. SC has implemented the MAMI Care Pathway Package in 6 countries and provides external technical advice and leadership for MAMI as part of the Global Nutrition Cluster Technical Alliance.
Despite growing evidence showing a wide range of maternal factors influence vulnerability, risk, and outcomes of infants under 6 months of age, with poor antenatal and postnatal care and maternal malnutrition associated with adverse neonatal and infant outcomes, the global MAMI community has recognized that progress to date has largely focused on care of the infant, with interventions targeting “Mothers in MAMI” requiring more attention.
In particular, health and nutrition health workers are challenged with assessment of and support for maternal mental health difficulties as part of the MAMI Care Pathway Package and feel unprepared to ask about and discuss mental health difficulties. SC wishes to improve the mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) provided to MAMI enrollments through development of appropriate sensitization and training, screening, and tools/methods for supporting maternal mental health concerns.
In Year 1 of the Latter-day Saints Charities MAMI Project, we delivered MHPSS-MAMI training to MAMI frontline health workers in Somaliland. In Year 2, the aim is to continue to build on this improved capacity by creating and piloting a supportive intervention for mothers enrolled in MAMI experiencing distress and/or mild or moderate mental health conditions that can be delivered and sustained by regular health workers in Primary Health Care (PHC).
Consultancy Objectives
With the goal of increasing the quality of mental health support and care offered to mothers enrolled in MAMI, typically via PHC level services, the consultant will be tasked to support in filling a gap in operational preparation and tools for feasible and sustainable responses to maternal mental health needs, targeting health staff without formal training in mental health.
The consultant will undertake tasks to produce agreed deliverables with the guidance and support of a technical advisory group for MAMI-MHPSS.
Deliverables:
- A supportive and sustainable MHPSS intervention for mothers enrolled in MAMI (with infants under 6 months at nutritional risk) that can be delivered with acceptable risk in PHC settings by non-specialist frontline health workers.
- Develop a training package (slide deck + facilitators guide) for health workers for delivering the intervention.
A supportive intervention that can be delivered with acceptable risk in PHC settings
In an initial / first phase, this would be developed and positioned as a simple but structured support group - facilitated by a PHC health worker with additional training and guidance.
Tasks:
- Development of a group-based intervention
- Inclusion of group facilitation in (or as adjunct to) the MAMI - Mental Health & Psychosocial Support training delivered in Year 1 of the project
- Mini-pilot in situ
Phases
Phase 1: Preparation
- Develop group-based intervention in close collaboration with the Somalia Team
- Prepare training package for implementation of the group-based intervention
Phase 2: Training
- Deliver training to health workers, including facilitation of group-based intervention in Somaliland
- Provide support to establish intervention
Phase 3: Mini-pilot
- Support mini-pilot of group intervention with “Mothers in MAMI” in situ
- Evaluate pilot intervention
- Based on findings, make any final adjustments to intervention and/or training package
A small Advisory Group formed of MHPSS TWG members and Nutrition/MAMI Specialists would oversee, advise, and liaise closely with a consultant contracted to lead on the tasks.
Qualifications needed
- Expertise and experience in Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) in development or humanitarian sector (preferably both)
- Experience in Primary Health Care and community-based settings
- Experience in engaging with key stakeholder groups and coordination mechanisms such as Global MHPSS/ Nutrition Clusters, WHO, and relevant global INGOs and national NGOs on MHPSS in humanitarian settings and public health
- Excellent oral and written English skills
- Skills in using online platforms for consultations, e.g., Zoom, MS Teams
- Academic and/or technical background in social sciences, mental health or MHPSS in humanitarian settings is essential
- Master's degree in social sciences, mental health or similar degree is a minimum
- Ability to travel to Somaliland
Qualifications preferred
- Expertise and experience in MAMI
How to apply
Please submit your CV and letter of application to Karin Christianson at kchristianson@savechildren.org detailing how you would approach this assignment (max. 2 pages including experience and # of days needed to complete each task) and your daily rate by August 9, 2024.