MSF Harmanli Project: Intercultural Mediator

Position:                      Intercultural Mediator  

Project:                        MSF EU Migration

Location:                     Harmanli, Bulgaria

Starting Date:              Immediately

Duration:                     Contract until December (with 2-month probation)

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international independent medical and humanitarian action-driven organization that offers assistance to populations in distress, to victims of natural or man-made disasters and to victims of armed conflict, without discrimination and irrespective of race, religion, creed or political affiliation. The MSF movement is built around 5 Operational Centers (OC) supported by 23 sections and offices worldwide. MSF provides medical and humanitarian assistance to the refugee and migrant populations fleeing conflict in their home countries.

At Médecins sans Frontières (MSF), we are committed to an inclusive culture that encourages and supports the diverse voices of our employees. Our diversity fuels our innovation and connects us closer to our beneficiaries and the communities in which we work.   We welcome applications from individuals of all genders, ages, sexual orientations, nationalities, ethnicities, religions, beliefs, and ability status and all other diversity characteristics.

MSF was present in Bulgaria in 2014, during a six months intervention to respond to the migratory emergency; massive arrival of migrants from the Middle East.

This year, a new project has been set up in Harmanli, South-East Bulgaria, providing primary health care inside the Reception and Registration Centre with a medical team composed by a medical doctor, a nurse, a psychologist and a translator/cultural mediator.

Main Purpose

Supporting the communication and interaction between beneficiaries (migrants and refugees) and care providers in the host country, through addressing consequences of language barriers, socio-cultural differences and discrimination, following MSF protocols and procedures, to improve access to quality health care and other relevant services and providing MSF with an understanding of patients socio-cultural determinants.

Ensure accurate, respectful, fluent and confidential communication between medical staff and target population.

Accountabilities

•       Inform medical staff about important cultural nuances to consider during a meeting, medical consultation or interview with beneficiaries.

•       Participate in staff trainings and meetings as an interpreter.

•       Provide face to face interpreting, as well as during telephone and radio calls or other telecom devices, when necessary.

•       Adapt communication to any circumstances, using appropriate language registry as well as diplomatic and courtesy manners.

•       Translate MSF internal / external documents into language spoken by the target population

•       Look after all equipment provided, i.e. dictionaries or other books that belong to MSF

•       Ensure confidentiality and medical secrecy.

Context-Specific Accountabilities

MSF clinics will be located inside and outside the reception and registration centre in Harmanli.

Inside the camp MSF will be present when SAR MD is not available (SAR MD available 3 time per week in the afternoon for few hours). Inside the camp people have access to free medical care, while the people living outside the camp are not all able to access a GP.

Inside the camp large group of unaccompanied minors (UAM) is present. Special attention to this group is needed as they are extremely vulnerable.

       Facilitating the relation between patients and the care providers involved in medical consultations, mental health, and social worker sessions, through:   

•        Providing quality and culturally sensitive interpretation between the care providers and the patient (trialogue) in his/her mother tongue (source language / target language), Supporting intercultural awareness, sensitiveness and clear communication between the parties

•        Assisting care providers and patients in addressing negative consequences of socio-cultural differences, to support the therapeutic/social intervention through sharing with the care providers relevant aspects of the cultural background of the patient, acting as a cultural broker; Identifying and reporting barriers impairing fairness and equality in access to services.

•       Create a trust environment between the beneficiaries and medical doctor or with the psychologist during consultation, and listen with empathy the patient

•       While working with the psychologist, ensure the patient understand the therapeutic message and the psychological support offered using the most appropriate vocabulary to avoid stigma and facilitate the copy mechanisms

•       Share with the psychologist, before or after the consultation, important aspect of the cultural background of the beneficiaries to be considered in order to improve MSF quality services

•        Accompanying and following up beneficiaries to referrals (health and social care facilities) as needed.

•        Participating in case management meetings medical meetings on ad hoc basis

•       Together with relevant project team members, providing information to beneficiaries on the use of the health care system and other support services (shelter, food, transport, legal support) provided by MSF and other actors, with the aim to facilitate empowerment and autonomy of beneficiaries in “navigating” the hosts societies

•       Contributing to context understanding and data collection on medical/humanitarian issues, with a specific attention to vulnerabilities, to provide reliable information for operational decision-making through:

•        Ensuring quality linguistic and intercultural interpretation during the collection of testimonies for advocacy/ communication purposes.

•        Supporting administration of assessments/ surveys when needed

•        Reporting all important information expressed by the beneficiaries and the communities, ensuring confidentiality at all times

•        Supporting media reviews and content creation for communication. **When requested supporting other MSF activities (HP activities, crowd control, etc.)

•       Guaranteeing confidentiality, impartiality, and neutrality. Declaring conflict of interest. **Relevant internal MSF training will be provided according to the project e.g. MSF principles, ethics and code of conduct; interpreting technique; intercultural communication and mediation in medical and mental health setting possibly with focus on ill treatment and sexual violence.

Qualifications

·       Essential secondary education, university degree desirable, health knowledge advisable.

·       Essential Arabic (refugee population language), English (Mission language).

Competencies

·       Results and Quality Orientation

·       Teamwork and Cooperation

·       Behavioural Flexibility

·       Commitment to MSF principles

·       Stress Management

Post Conditions  

·       Annual gross salary: According to MSF Salary Policy.

·       Reimbursement of transport expenses and relocation package (for full time contracts) will be considered.

·       Health Insurance.

To apply

Please send your CV and a motivation letter in English quoting reference code “Intercultural Mediator Harmanli” in the subject line of the e-mail at MSF-Harmanli-FinHRManager@msf.org

Closing date: 13/08/2023

All applications will be treated in strictest confidentiality.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted