Team Rubicon International (TRI) is seeking volunteer Mental Health Professionals to support communities around the world prepare, respond and recover from disasters and humanitarian crisis.
Applicants should excel in the assessment and stabilization of patients who are experiencing trauma-related mental health issues. As a TRI Emergency Medical Team member, you will be called upon to provide direct care to impacted communities immediately following rapid onset disasters, to help decompress overwhelmed medical facilities during infectious disease outbreaks, and to build disaster response capacity with host nation medical staff in non-disaster settings.
You must be a leader and a follower. You will be expected to represent TR with a diverse group of stakeholders including impacted community members, WHO, USAID, fellow NGOs, local governments, and existing/potential donors. You will be expected to develop a commanding knowledge of TR operations and WHO-verified EMT Type 1 Mobile capability.
As a TR International Medical/Mental Health Provider, you will be expected to work in challenging, austere, and sometimes insecure environments. You must be physically capable and mentally resilient to navigate moderate to long distances on foot, work without access to electricity, and at times procure potable water. Inherent to this position is the willingness to deploy on a deliberately planned operation or in response to a rapid onset disaster in potentially austere or hazardous environments.
The International TR Medical team is a highly selective opportunity for those willing to take a bold step into the unknown to serve vulnerable communities across the globe.
MEDICAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL DUTIES
- Provide direct patient care as part of TR EMT-1 Mobile medical unit, including stabilization of patients experiencing trauma-related mental health symptoms.
- Ensure accurate and timely daily reporting to TR International Field Leadership and TR Medical Leadership.
- Support planning of Rapid Onset Response and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Programming.
- Represent TR to foreign/host governments, international organizations (e.g. WHO, UNOCHA), US Government Agencies, existing or potential donors, and media outlets.
- Be accountable for all TR equipment.
- Provide operational feedback that assists in development of standards, policies, and processes for response, recovery, and DRR programming.
- Ensure Duty of Care to the deploying team, including monitoring and adapting to changes in security situations, team heath, welfare, and morale.
- Ensure compliance of all activities in accordance with TR policies, including safeguarding, and other relevant US government and other donor rules and regulations as required.
- Be prepared to work with or under the leadership of local medical staff during disaster response and DRR programs.
- Effectively and ethically execute the protocols of Team Rubicon International and enhance our ability to respond rapidly to disasters, infectious disease outbreaks, and humanitarian crises.
EXPERIENCE AND BACKGROUND
- Mental health professionals must hold a Masters (or higher) degree in Social Work or Counselling or an MD with a completed residency in Psychiatry.
- Must have active licensure as an independent practice clinical social worker, mental health professional, psychologist, registered nurse, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or MD.
- Have intermediate or advanced somatic or mind-body training.
- Have Psychological First Aid training and experience.
- Demonstrated experience in the past 5 years providing care in austere/challenging environments or within complex emergency settings with the US Military, TR, other humanitarian aid organizations, or international entities preferred.
- Those with demonstrated experience with emergency medicine or domestic disaster response will be considered.
TRI VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS
- Be able to commit to a minimum 2-week international deployment obligation.
- Able to engage in planning, debrief, and support meetings for mobilization and operations.
- Must have a US or Canadian passport with six months validity.
- Meet WHO vaccination requirements, including COVID-19.
- Cleared background check.
- Ability to live in an environment with no electricity or running water, and without requirement of life enhancing devices (CPAP, etc.).
- Physically capable of operating in demanding environments.
JOB TYPE:
- Volunteer
DESIRED COMPETENCIES
- Adaptable: Ability to handle rapidly changing circumstances and parameters.
- Humble: Ability to move seamlessly from leader to follower–check your ego at the door.
- Resilient: Ability to tolerate stress, receive and respond to criticism, and function in a physically demanding environment.
- Flexible: Ability to provide care in a variety of environments, including ambulatory operations, mobile clinics, and resource-limited environments.
- Honest: Must be trusted to work in remote and often minimally supervised environments. Must be aware of one’s abilities and personal limits. Professional responsibility and accountability are paramount.
- Selfless: Team over self. Social and interpersonal skills that support rapport building with TR members, partner organizations, and institutional donors are vital.
- Knowledgeable: Must understand disasters, assessment of disaster situations, emergency care in immediate post-disaster setting, and should have the ability to assimilate and interpret important information during disasters. Must also possess the ability to quickly understand local medical/mental health service needs during disasters including the support for special populations such as families of pregnant women, postpartum mothers, people with mental and/or physical disabilities, children, etc.
- Have international travel experience in multi-leg trips through foreign airports, preferred.
- Experience living, providing medical care abroad in a humanitarian setting desired.
- Fluency in Spanish, French, Portuguese, or Arabic highly desired.
CULTURAL PRINCIPLES
- Mission First, Greyshirt Always: Anyone joining TR must understand that our mission to provide disaster response comes first
- Step into the Arena: TR needs leaders who aren’t afraid to dare to be great
- Everyone Has A Role Know It: Ability to successfully navigate a fast-paced, high-growth environment and solve problems in the face of ambiguity
- GSD: We are entrepreneurial, resourceful and determined no matter how chaotic the situation
- Change Your Socks: We take care of ourselves and each other so we are best equipped to serve those in greatest need
- Adults Only: Every team member is an adult until proven otherwise
- Your Mother’s A Donor: Every leader must be committed to fiduciary responsibility, transparency and financial stewardship
