1. Background

Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) is a nonprofit, non-partisan, non-religious medical relief organization, with a mission to provide lifesaving healthcare services and to revitalize health systems for underprivileged Syrian refugees, internally displaced persons, and vulnerable host community members in zones of conflict and displacement. This is done by implementing an integrated model of essential services that emphasizes priority needs, including the delivery of medical education, training, and financial support to physicians and other healthcare workers in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, and Iraq. Along with the provision of healthcare services and medical training, SAMS Foundation also implements mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) programs, as well as protection against gender-based violence (GBV).

With support from a donor, SAMS is exploring opportunities to provide advanced quality learning initiatives for a range of mental health cadres in northern Syria. To do this SAMS will partner with universities in the region to provide accredited master’s degrees and professional diplomas in Clinical Psychology, Psychiatric Nursing, and Psychosocial Support to eligible candidates. The goal of this initiative is to provide local, long-term solutions for reducing barriers to MHPSS services while also providing individuals with improved access to professional education, employment and career advancement in a context where these opportunities have been disrupted.

2. Purpose and specifications:

Needs Assessment: SAMS will conduct a scoping study in order to gauge the feasibility of implementing the proposed academic programs in northern Syria. Among other things, this study will inform the upgrading of teaching and training in psychology and the behavioral sciences; address equivalence of qualifications and portability of skills inside Syria; and identify points of complementarity with other programs and areas for partnership that will enhance sustainability and coverage of education programs. The Psychiatric Nursing Specialist’s role in this assessment is to: (a) Review relevant training programs throughout Syria - both academic and non-academic; (b) Evaluate the curricula that are currently being used; (c) Work with the lead consultant to identify local standards, regulations, and required qualifications in Psychiatric Nursing; and (d) Produce a strategic guidelines document for that outline suggestions and future directions for education and practice. The study questions are as follows:

What are the existing standards, expectations, and practices for Psychiatric Nursing?

1. What are the job descriptions, roles, and responsibilities?
2. What knowledge, skills, and qualifications are required?
3. What mentoring and supervision practices are currently in place?
4. What are the career pathways?
5. How is practice regulated and by whom?
6. Are there existing protocols for dealing with mental health patients?
7. What is their workload? What task shifting practices are utilized?

What are the current Nursing programs across Syria?

1. What degree or training programs already exist, and what is their quality (including non-academic, undergraduate, and postgraduate programs)?
2. How widely accepted are the credentials from these training programs?
3. What contents, entry requirements, and training methods do they use?
4. How well do the current offerings meet the needs of trainees and practitioners?
5. What are the governance models, human resources, capacity gaps, and needed structural reforms at local higher-education institutes?

Review of Program Curriculum. SAMS will partner with regional universities to develop a culturally and contextually relevant curriculum in Psychiatric Nursing that will be delivered in Arabic. During this phase, the Specialist will work with the university coordinator and instructors to review the curriculum and suggest adaptations as needed.

Midline/Endline Evaluations: After the scoping study is complete, and the academic programs have been launched, the Specialist will also contribute to midline and endline evaluations in order to determine the quality of instruction and adherence to the curricula. During these phases, the Specialist will meet with the students who are enrolled in the Psychiatric Nursing program(s) in order to assess their opinions, experiences, and progress, as well as meeting with program instructors to discuss any challenges with the course material or supervision process. After the midline evaluation in particular, the Specialist will suggest any adaptations that could strengthen the quality of the program, as needed.

3. Suggested Timeframe and Deliverables

4. Supervision

​​The Specialist is expected to work closely with the lead consultant for the needs assessment, SAMS MHPSS Specialist, and relevant Programs and Operations staff, who will oversee implementation of the evaluation from the beginning through to completion. All deliverables will be submitted to the MHPSS Specialist.  

5. Payment Policy

The payment will be delivered in three phases:

• First payment after submission of the Psychiatric Nursing guidelines (50%)
• Second payment after midline evaluation (25%)
• Third payment after endline evaluation (25%)

6. Required Qualifications

Knowledge, skills, and experience:

• Advanced background in Psychiatric or Mental Health Nursing
• Extensive knowledge of the MHPSS sector and education system in Syria
• Experience: 8-10 years working in Psychiatric Nursing 
• Fluent in English and Arabic

Competencies:

• Highly organized; able to plan, implement and monitor work with attention to detail
• Tolerance for operating in an environment characterized by uncertainty and ambiguity
• Ability to take initiative within clearly defined parameters
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Adherence to agreed-upon deadlines and SAMS protection policies

7. Application Materials

Interested applicants should submit the following in PDF format to this email careers@sams-usa.net

• CV/Resume
• Writing Sample
• Budget, including the applicant’s daily rate