Mental Health Worker

Door Step School (DSS) was established in Mumbai, India in 1989 with the aim of

addressing literacy amongst the marginalized sections of society. The school

provides education and support to the often-forgotten children of pavement

dwellers, slum dwellers and construction site families. The school has since

expanded to cover both Mumbai and Pune and has successfully reaches out to over

1,50,000 children annually. Many of these children are not enrolled in school and

have limited access to books and a place to study. Additionally, many children

(particularly girls) drop out of school to work or care for younger children. With

neither support nor resources at home some children also suffer from very low

learning levels.

Since inception Door Step School has been striving to provide multiple educational

services, as per the needs of the children through Balwadis (kindergarten), School

Enrolment services, Study classes for children, literacy classes for out of school

children, computer literacy classes and libraries for all. Door Step School runs a

mobile school for street children and for those who work and live in congested

areas where there is no space to run a class on a regular basis. While conducting all

these programmes, Door Step School is flexible in terms of timings, location of

classes and there is no limit on minimum number of children to start a new class.

In 1999, Door Step School (Door Step School) decided to intervene and collaborate

with MCGM to support them in imparting quality education to the children. Such

intervention was considered essential in view of the problems of non-enrolment,

wastage and stagnation observed over the years of working in the urban slum

communities. It was aimed at facilitating the learning process as well as making the

school a place conducive for learning. Door Step School achieves its goal by running

various educational programmes like Reading Promotion activities, Libraries,

Remedial Class(Study Class), Mental health project, Pre-School(Balwadi) amongst

others in the Municipal schools.

Special Responsibilities:

- As a Mental Health Worker your main responsibilities will be to screen and

identify children with developmental disabilities/emotional and behavioral

problems and offer appropriate intervention, individually or in groups. To do

this effectively you will need to intervene at different levels, i.e. teachers,

students and the parent community.
- Children diagnosed with a disability will require to be referred for

occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech therapy as needed.
- You will have to prepare and create different modules, activities as per the

program’s need.
- You will have to do the planning of sessions.
- You will also be monitoring and training volunteers placed within the

community setting with the aim of facilitating skill and content based learning

for specific students.
- You will be directly accountable to the Program Manager and Director and

your assignments can be decided in consultation with them.
- You will have to represent the organization at different platforms and other.
- Document the status and progress of the programme.
- Monthly status and performance reports, six monthly and annual analytical

reports and updates.
- Gather data and submit monthly narratives on the activities, sessions and

progress made.
- Assess the current needs of the community and document them to

incorporate in further planning
- Document all proceedings and minutes of meetings, trainings.
- Prepare monthly/quarterly/half yearly annual narrative reports on programs
- Prepare other occasional reports and papers that may be required for various

organizational purposes
- Ensure monthly meetings are convened on time (prepare agenda, minutes

and circulate documents as required)
- Undertake correspondence and communications with staff and others as may

be necessary
- Manage the volunteers, interns and visitors.

**Requirements**:
Educational Qualifications and Experience
- Post Graduate in Counselling, any additional courses
- At least 2 to 4 years’ experience in the Mental Health Counselling, education

sector. Community/School level experience would be an added advantage

Skills, Attitudes and Abilities:

- Fluent in English, Hindi and Marathi
- Excellent inter-personal and communication skills
- Effectively problem solve and multi-tasker.
- Ability to build rapport and develop positive relationships
- Able to work well within a team and be an effective leader who can create a

warm and encouraging team dynamic
- Produces high-quality, meticulous and detailed written work
- Is able to create, manage and work within budgets.
- Effectively communicates and represents Door Step School to the public
- Ability to meet the deadlines, work under pressure in resource constrained

environment.
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- The position reported above is based in Mum