Job at Lebanese Union for People with Physical Disabilities
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LUPD is a national non-governmental organization. LUPD is committed to advocating for a society built on principles of social justice, human rights, equality, and solidarity. LUPD work is based on the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Respect for difference, dignity and autonomy, and respect for person’s capacities / Accessibility / Non-discrimination / Participation and inclusion / Equal opportunities for women, men and everybody.
LUPD was keen on gender in its training programs, outreach, rehabilitation, employment and follow-up projects that we have carried out for the past three decades. The percentage of females exceeds males by a slight difference in total (54% females, 46% males), even though Females with disabilities are more likely to be marginalized by the family, the local environment and society, which required greater efforts by the implementing program teams, in addition to mitigating violence against WGwDs.
The multiple crises in Lebanon have aggravated pre-existing vulnerabilities and a challenging humanitarian situation for the most vulnerable Lebanese, as well as for different refugees in Lebanon, and for migrant workers. Consequently, they disproportionately affect people with disabilities. LUPD’s programs have responded, providing emergency relief and rehabilitation for refugees, promoting inclusive, accessible schools and access to employment, engaging people with disabilities in local decision making and monitoring progress on disability rights across the country.
In partnership with IRC, and funded by ECHO, LUPD launched the project :"Strengthening Protective Environment and joint Advocacy Consortium for Lebanon”.
The project aims to reduce the vulnerabilities of crisis of displacement affected populations in Lebanon, including Syrian refugees, Lebanese and stateless populations, through provision of comprehensive assistance package including protection, emergency response, and advocacy.
Job Overview:
The Psychotherapist is responsible for assessing beneficiaries' psychological needs, developing individualized therapeutic plans, and delivering appropriate psychotherapy interventions to eligible individuals experiencing psychological distress, emotional difficulties, trauma-related symptoms, or other mental health concerns.
The position aims to:
- Improve beneficiaries' psychological well-being and emotional functioning.
- Strengthen coping strategies, emotional regulation, resilience, and interpersonal skills.
- Provide safe, confidential, and accessible therapeutic services to vulnerable populations, including persons with disabilities and individuals facing protection risks.
- Identify cases requiring specialized mental health care, psychiatric consultation, or additional protection interventions and facilitate appropriate referrals.
- Contribute to integrated protection programming through coordination with protection caseworkers and other relevant service providers, while respecting professional boundaries and confidentiality.
- Support the achievement of project objectives and the accurate documentation and reporting of services delivered under the ECHO-funded project.
Key Responsibilities
Psychological Assessment and Treatment Planning
- Conduct comprehensive psychological assessments to identify beneficiaries' presenting concerns, emotional and behavioral difficulties, psychological needs, strengths, and available support systems.
- Assess psychological functioning and levels of distress using appropriate clinical assessment methods and standardized tools, where relevant and professionally indicated.
- Develop individualized treatment plans based on assessment findings, beneficiaries' needs, agreed therapeutic objectives, and professional judgment.
- Establish clear treatment goals and review progress regularly, adapting interventions when necessary.
- Identify cases requiring urgent clinical intervention or specialized psychiatric and mental health services and initiate appropriate referrals.
- Ensure that beneficiaries understand the purpose, scope, expected duration, and limitations of the therapeutic intervention.
Delivery of Psychotherapy Services
- Provide individual psychotherapy sessions to eligible beneficiaries in accordance with their assessed needs and agreed treatment plans.
- Apply evidence-based and clinically appropriate therapeutic approaches within the professional scope of practice and level of competence.
- Support beneficiaries in managing emotional distress, anxiety, depressive symptoms, trauma-related reactions, grief, loss, interpersonal difficulties, and other relevant psychological concerns.
- Strengthen beneficiaries' coping mechanisms, emotional regulation, problem-solving abilities, self-awareness, and adaptive functioning.
- Monitor psychological progress and review treatment objectives throughout the therapeutic process.
- Determine, based on clinical assessment, when to continue, modify, conclude, or refer a beneficiary for additional services.
- Ensure that the frequency and duration of sessions are determined by clinical need, professional standards, project requirements, and available resources.
- Provide remote sessions only when appropriate, authorized, and consistent with confidentiality, informed consent, risk management, and professional standards.
Disability Inclusion and Accessibility
- Ensure that psychotherapy services are accessible, respectful, and responsive to the needs of persons with disabilities.
- Identify and address barriers that may prevent beneficiaries from accessing or participating meaningfully in therapy, including physical, communication, and environmental barriers.
- Adapt communication methods and therapeutic approaches to beneficiaries' individual capacities, preferences, ages, and circumstances.
- Ensure that reasonable accommodations are arranged when needed, including accessible premises, appropriate communication support, and adapted session arrangements.
- Respect beneficiaries' autonomy, dignity, privacy, informed choices, and right to participate in decisions concerning their treatment.
- Avoid discriminatory practices and challenge stigma associated with disability and mental health.
- Coordinate with the protection team to facilitate access to additional services when accessibility barriers affect beneficiaries' safety or well-being.
Coordination with Protection Case Management
- Receive and review referrals from LUPD's protection team in accordance with established referral procedures and professional confidentiality requirements.
- Coordinate with the designated caseworker regarding service eligibility, referral needs, appointment arrangements, and relevant follow-up.
- Provide case-related feedback to the referring caseworker only to the extent necessary, authorized, and permitted under applicable confidentiality and information-sharing protocols.
- Inform the designated protection focal point when additional protection concerns are identified and facilitate safe referrals, with the beneficiary's informed consent wherever required.
- Participate in multidisciplinary case discussions or case conferences when appropriate, ensuring that information is shared on a need-to-know basis.
- Coordinate referrals to psychiatrists, specialized mental health services, health facilities, and other relevant service providers when clinically indicated.
- Support continuity of care by communicating relevant recommendations and follow-up needs through authorized channels.
- Maintain a clear distinction between psychotherapy and protection case management, ensuring that clinical interventions do not replace or duplicate the responsibilities of caseworkers.
Risk Assessment and Management
- Assess and monitor clinical risks, including risks of self-harm, suicide, harm to others, severe psychological deterioration, and other urgent mental health concerns, as clinically indicated.
- Develop appropriate safety or crisis management plans with beneficiaries when necessary.
- Follow established organizational procedures for responding to emergencies and high-risk situations.
- Facilitate urgent referrals to qualified mental health professionals, psychiatric services, or emergency services when required.
- Inform the designated supervisor or authorized focal point of serious concerns in accordance with safeguarding, confidentiality, and escalation procedures.
- Document risk assessments, clinical decisions, referrals, and follow-up actions accurately and securely.
- Ensure that any limitations to confidentiality are explained to beneficiaries in advance, where possible, and applied in accordance with applicable professional and legal requirements.
Ethical Practice, Confidentiality, and Safeguarding
- Obtain informed consent before commencing therapeutic services and ensure that beneficiaries understand their rights and the limits of confidentiality.
- Maintain strict confidentiality and protect all clinical records and personal information in accordance with LUPD and applicable data protection requirements.
- Maintain appropriate professional boundaries and avoid conflicts of interest or dual relationships that may compromise therapeutic care.
- Uphold the principles of dignity, respect, non-discrimination, informed choice, and do no harm.
- Comply with applicable safeguarding, Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), child safeguarding, and professional conduct requirements.
- Report safeguarding concerns through designated organizational channels and in accordance with applicable procedures.
- Ensure that services involving children and other individuals requiring additional safeguards are delivered in accordance with applicable consent, assent, safeguarding, and referral requirements.
- Never disclose clinical information to unauthorized persons or include identifiable clinical details in general project reports.
Documentation, Monitoring, and Reporting
- Maintain complete, accurate, and confidential clinical records for each beneficiary, including assessments, treatment plans, session notes, progress reviews, referrals, and closure summaries, as applicable.
- Record each session in the approved documentation system and ensure that information is updated in a timely manner.
- Monitor progress against agreed therapeutic objectives and document significant changes in psychological functioning.
- Maintain accurate records of the number of beneficiaries assessed, sessions delivered, referrals made, and cases concluded, using approved project tools.
- Prepare periodic activity and progress reports for the designated LUPD supervisor in line with project reporting requirements.
- Contribute to donor reporting by providing accurate, aggregated, and appropriately disaggregated service data, as required by the project monitoring framework.
- Ensure that reports reflect verified information and protect beneficiary confidentiality.
- Participate in monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning activities relevant to psychotherapy services.
- Ensure that clinical documentation is securely stored, accessed only by authorized personnel, and retained in accordance with organizational procedures.
Coordination, Supervision, and Professional Development
- Participate in regular team meetings, case coordination discussions, and technical meetings relevant to the position.
- Engage in clinical supervision and technical consultations, as required by professional standards and organizational arrangements.
- Seek supervisory guidance for complex cases, ethical dilemmas, and situations that exceed the practitioner's competence or authority.
- Maintain professional knowledge of relevant psychotherapy approaches, mental health standards, safeguarding requirements, and disability-inclusive practice.
- Contribute to improving the quality, accessibility, and effectiveness of LUPD's mental health and protection interventions.
- Perform other relevant duties within the scope of the position, as assigned by the designated supervisor and consistent with professional qualifications.
Required Qualifications and Experience
Education
- Master's degree in Clinical Psychology or an equivalent recognized qualification that authorizes the provision of psychotherapy within the practitioner's scope of practice.
- Valid Lebanese professional authorization, registration, or licensing required to practice the relevant clinical profession, in accordance with applicable Lebanese regulations.
Professional Experience
- Demonstrated experience providing psychotherapy or specialized psychological interventions.
- Experience conducting clinical assessments, developing treatment plans, and monitoring therapeutic progress.
- Experience working with vulnerable populations affected by humanitarian crises, displacement, poverty, violence, trauma, or other protection concerns.
- Experience working with persons with disabilities and adapting mental health services to meet diverse accessibility needs is highly desirable.
- Experience coordinating with protection case management teams, social workers, health providers, or multidisciplinary teams is an asset.
- Experience with humanitarian organizations or donor-funded projects is an advantage.
Technical Competencies
- Strong knowledge of evidence-based psychotherapy approaches and clinical assessment methods.
- Ability to identify and respond appropriately to psychological distress, trauma-related symptoms, and clinical risk.
- Understanding of referral pathways and the distinction between psychotherapy, psychosocial support, psychiatric care, and protection case management.
- Knowledge of confidentiality, informed consent, safeguarding, PSEA, and professional ethics.
- Ability to maintain accurate clinical records and prepare clear, evidence-based reports.
- Understanding of disability inclusion, gender sensitivity, and culturally appropriate service delivery.
Language and IT Skills
- Fluency in Arabic is essential.
- Working knowledge of English is desirable for technical coordination and reporting, subject to project requirements.
- Basic computer literacy and the ability to use approved digital documentation and reporting systems.
Core Competencies
The Psychotherapist is expected to demonstrate:
- Professional integrity and ethical judgment.
- Empathy, active listening, and a non-judgmental approach.
- Respect for confidentiality and professional boundaries.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- Sound clinical judgment and problem-solving abilities.
- Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with a multidisciplinary team.
- Organization, accuracy, and accountability in documentation and reporting.
- Commitment to safeguarding and the principle of do no harm.
Reporting and Coordination Structure
The Psychotherapist will report administratively to the designated LUPD Project or Protection Manager
The Psychotherapist will work closely with:
- LUPD protection caseworkers and case management supervisors.
- LUPD project and monitoring and evaluation staff.
- Relevant external mental health, psychiatric, health, and protection service providers, when referrals are required.
Clinical supervision and the sharing of clinical information must follow professional standards, agreed supervision arrangements, and applicable confidentiality requirements.
Interested candidates should send their CV and Portfolio to [email protected] with the position name as the email subject. Applications without the specified subject line will not be considered.
We accept and encourage applications from persons with disabilities. All applications will be treated with the utmost confidentiality. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.
