Counsellor/ Psychologist

**URJA Trust is a Mumbai based grassroots non-profit NGO working with homeless young women (and in certain cases their children), between the ages of 18-30 years, who have been forced to leave their houses, or have chosen to leave their houses due to a variety of reasons including a desire to improve their circumstances and lead a life of their own choice, to escape poverty, violence (mental, physical, emotional, sexual), dysfunctional families, discrimination faced by them or their community.**

Purpose of this Position:
The role of the Mental Health Counsellor is to support and facilitate rehabilitation of the homeless young women and trans and non-binary individuals (referred as participants) associated with URJA and support other activities with respect to community and systems engagement from a mental health lens.

Location: Dadar/Chembur Mumbai

Time Commitment: Full time

Key Job Area:
1 ) **Direct interventions with participants**
- Conduct therapeutic interventions and assessments to facilitate mental health support to homeless youth
- Conduct individual and group counselling sessions with stakeholders associated with homeless youth through hospital and home visits if the need is identified.
- Facilitate necessary referrals of homeless youth post the mental health assessment. Collaborate with the health team to facilitate and oversee psychiatric treatment to the homeless youth
- Collaborate with shelter team to facilitate the safe space to the homeless youth by participating in the planning of the space and in-house activities
- Collaborate with other mental health professionals to explore different therapeutic approaches to design trauma-informed mental health interventions.
- Collaborate with case workers and other relevant staff to discuss and support rehabilitation plans created for the homeless youth.

2) **Development of Mental Health program**
- Oversee the design of Urja’s mental health program including program plans and tools.
- Maintain resource directory for mental health support homeless youth and maintain communication with the resources
- Facilitate the capacity building of the team on mental health to improve their capacity in working with homeless youth with mental health issues
- Represent Urja on various mental health related meetings and platforms

3) **Reporting & documentation**
- Document all individual and group sessions and maintain records of the participants’ details and the issues faced by them
- Prepare and submit monthly planning and reports of the mental health program and related activities to the organization's management.
- Maintain documentation of the mental health interventions for the purpose of research and advocacy.

**Qualifications for the role**:

- A Master’s Degree in Psychology with a specialisation in counselling/Social work and/or a Diploma in Counselling Psychology
- 3 years of experience in the field of counselling. Preferable if the person has had previous experience individual counselling with youth and survivor of trauma
- A person sensitive to social and gender issues
- Experience of facilitating activities on self-awareness, self-work
- Strong communication skills in English, Hindi, Marathi
- Women over 25 years of age are preferred

**Skills for the role**:

- Strong listening and observation skills
- Maintaining confidentiality
- Time management and leadership skills
- Self-motivated, self-starter

**Job Types**: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: From ₹35,000.00 per month

Schedule:

- Day shift

Supplemental Pay:

- Performance bonus

**Experience**:

- counselling: 2 years (preferred)

Expected Start Date: 26/12/2023