Vacancy
Intervention Director (previously advertised as Intervention Supervisor),
PRIDE project, Sangath, Goa, India
About Sangath (www.sangath.com)
Sangath is a leading health research NGO based in the state of Goa, India, with a focus on
child development, adolescent health and mental health. It was ranked as one of the top
public health research institutions in the country in a recent survey[1]. Sangath’s mental
health program expertise lies in developing and evaluating mental health interventions to
be delivered through existing public systems, in particular through empowerment of nonspecialist health workers with appropriate skills and support. Sangath is committed to
undertake policy and programme relevant research that will advance public mental health
goals in India. The organization was awarded the prestigious MacArthur Foundation
International Prize for Creative & Effective Institutions in 2008. Sangath is recognized as a
Scientific Research Organization by the Department of Science and Technology,
Government of India.
About PRIDE: PremIum for aDolescEnts
Mental disorders are the leading cause of the burden of disease in adolescents both globally
and specifically in India, with up to a third of the total burden of disease being attributed to
these conditions. The most common mental disorders in adolescents are depressive, anxiety
and conduct disorders which account for over 75% of the burden of mental disorders in this
age group. More than 50% of the burden of adult mental disorders has its onset in
adolescence. While there is a robust body of evidence pointing to the effectiveness of
psychological treatments for adolescent mental disorders there is little implementation of
this evidence in the global context. Notable barriers impeding the effective coverage of
evidence based psychological treatments are the lack of skilled human resources and the
generalizability of interventions developed in ‘western’ cultural contexts. Over the past five
years, Sangath has collaborated with the LSHTM to implement the PREMIUM program,
which has constructed a systematic methodology for the development of psychological
treatments which address both these challenges. This methodology will be applied to
develop a trans-diagnostic intervention targeting emotional and behavioural disorders in
adolescents and to evaluate its effectiveness in reducing symptom severity and improving
recovery rates.
PRIDE is a 5-year programme funded by the Wellcome Trust (UK) through a Principal
Research Fellowship grant to Professor Vikram Patel of the London School of Hygiene and
Tropical Medicine.
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About this post
Sangath is seeking to hire an Intervention Director for its PRIDE project. The project will be
implemented in Goa and New Delhi, in partnership with the LSHTM and the Public Health
Foundation of India. The post-holder will work closely with the Programme Director and
have overall responsibility for the clinical component of the programme (please note: this
is the same position previously advertised as intervention supervisor). The post is based
in Goa and is for a starting appointment for one year, extendable by a further four years,
starting from 1st October 2015 or as soon as possible after this date.
Job Responsibilities
•
To design a trans-diagnostic psychological treatment that can be delivered using
information technology.
•
To design of treatment manuals, training and competency protocols.
•
Gain experience in the implementation of the treatment through clinical care of
adolescents with emotional and behavioural disorders
•
Train and supervise supervisors and counsellors in the delivery of the intervention.
Requirements
Essential
•
Clinical qualification in mental health (MSc/MPhil Clinical or Counselling Psychology
or Clinical Social Work or Psychiatry)
•
Experience in psychological therapy
•
Commitment of a minimum of three years
•
Willingness to be based in Goa for this period
Desirable
•
Fluency in Hindi, Konkani or Marathi
•
Experience in mental health research
•
Experience of working in schools or with adolescents
• Experience of training and supervising lay counsellors
If you are interested in this post, and feel you meet the essential requirements, send your
detailed CV and completely filled self-assessment form (attached below) to
rosy.desouza@sangath.in
Deadline for submission now extended to 15th October 2015.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited for a face to face interview on 10th November, 2015.
For more information about the post, please contact Dr. Benedict Weobong on
Benedict.weobong@lshtm.ac.uk
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APPLICATION FOR INTERVENTION DIRECTOR POST, PRIDE PROJECT, SANGATH
Self-assessment form
Name
Address
Telephone (mobile)
Telephone
(landline)
Email id
Current post/job
and organization
Start date of current
post
Current salary
(optional)
Expected salary
Earliest start date
possible
Languages fluent
(specify spoken and
written)
Degrees with dates
of award and
University
Experience in
psychological
therapy (clinical
and/or research)
Experience in
training and
supervision in
adolescent mental
health programmes
Other experience in
mental health
programmes
Commitment to
work with Sangath
in Goa
References (please
name 2 referees
3
with their contact
details)
Please describe why
you think you are
ideally qualified for
this post (100
words)
1.
RCUKI: Public Health and Wellbeing: Mapping Institutions, Researchers and Funders in India.
In. Edited by Almatas I. UK: Research Councils UK India and UK Science and Innovation Network;
2015.
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