Background
Maternal mental health is a general public health concern due to its associations with significant negative outcomes for both mother and child. The current crisis situation in Lebanon is bound to aggravate the negative experiences of pregnant women and new mothers as risk factors for mental health are increasing, and protective factors are decreasing for all the population, including for pregnant women and new mothers, putting them at increased risk of mental health conditions. In fact, 43% of Lebanese pregnant women showed high levels of anxiety during and after COVID19 lockdowns compared to only 14% before the pandemic (Ghazal et al., 2021). With the support of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and in close collaboration with the National Mental Health Program (NMHP) at the Ministry of Public Health in Lebanon, Maternal Mental health (MH) guidelines was developed in line with the national mental health strategy for Lebanon which aims: “to ensure the development of a sustainable mental health system that guarantees the provision of and universal accessibility to high quality mental health curative and preventive services through a cost-effective, evidence-based and multidisciplinary approach, with an emphasis on community involvement, continuum of care, human rights, and cultural relevance” (Ministry of Public Health, 2015, p. 27).
The guide is a reference for identifying, assessing, and managing mental health conditions in women planning pregnancy, pregnant, or in postpartum. It is useful for healthcare professionals dealing with women ante-natal and up to one year post-natal.
Objectives
The objectives of this assignment are two fold as per below:
- Development of a job aid for targeted health care professionals based on the national maternal mental health guidelines
- Development of training packages on maternal mental health for OBGYN, pediatricians, midwives, nurses and social workers
Tasks
Under the guidance of the NMHP and UNFPA, the consultant will perform the below tasks:
- Development of a job aid containing practical tips and readily made expressions/sentences based on the guidelines to be used by health providers to help them better communicate during the assessment and the management of the person of concern and her family.
- Development of training packages for OBGYN, pediatricians, midwives, nurses and social workers based on the national maternal mental health guidelines. The training packages tailored to each target group should include learning objectives, delivery method, training tips and communication messages, case studies, role play, pre-post test etc… Training package to be also provided as PPT to make the guidelines more practice based
- The Job aid and training packages will be revised and finalized as per UNFPA and the NMHP feedback
Time Frame for the consultancy
This consultancy extends between October 4 and November 29 2021
Qualifications
The consultant must offer the following demonstrated expertise, and qualifications:
- A university degree in Degree in psychiatry or psychology (PhD will be added advantage)
- Minimum 7 years of experience in development of educational material
- Experience and knowledge in the field of health/SRH namely maternal health is preferable
- Have relevant experience in working with government and/or international organizations on consultancy assignments
- Analytical and conceptualization skills
- Good communication skills
- Excellent Arabic and English spoken and written skills
- Demonstrated ability to deliver quality results with strict deadlines
Individual consultant that meets the required qualifications set forth in the TORs may apply on line by sending a cover letter expressing interest, curriculum vitae and price schedule form (Annex VII). All documents must be sent to the following email: bids_lbn@unfpa.org by no later than September 27 2021 COB
