Peer Advocate

Peer Advocate

Job Type: Full-Time, for a duration of 18 months (March 2025 to August 2026)

Department: Research & Surveillance

Location: The Peer Advocate positions are available in the following districts: Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Makwanpur, Chitwan, Dhanusha, Parsa, and Sarlahi.

Job Summary/Description

The Peer Advocate will play a pivotal role in supporting the implementation of project activities designed to address violence and psychological distress within the targeted communities. The PA will assist survivors in improving their circumstances, mitigating psychological trauma, and developing personalized safety plans, including referrals to appropriate support services. Peer advocate will report directly to the Research Coordinator and will work under the indirect supervision of the Program Manager. Key responsibilities include adhering to project protocols, providing counseling, collecting data, maintaining accurate and confidential records, and preparing regular reports. The PA will also liaise with the PERC central team to report progress, resolve issues, and manage logistical and operational needs, including the timely disbursement of payments to project participants. Additionally, the PA will organize resources, offer participant incentives, collaborate with mental health service providers, conduct monthly group support meetings, and fulfill other duties as assigned. The PA will be stationed at one of the designated duty stations and will support PERC central team in the following tasks.

Major Roles and Responsibilities

Technical Responsibilities

•  Participate in training to gain a comprehensive understanding of the project’s requirements and content, equipping Peer Advocate (PA) with the necessary skills to perform their duties effectively.
•  Provide services to eligible target population or communities who have experienced intimate partner violence, domestic violence, or psychological distress, through weekly sessions and group meetings.
• Conduct follow-up meetings with target population or communities.
• Support participants in improving their circumstances by employing social support strategies to reduce the psychological impact of trauma and mitigate the effects of a stressful, coercive, and threatening environment.
• Develop personalized safety plans for target population, including referrals to additional support services as needed.
• Collaborate closely with Field Researchers and other team members to ensure a cohesive support system for target population.
• Ensure compliance with project protocols, guidelines, and ethical standards.
• Collect data using the standard forms and formats, and complete session forms in line with project guidelines. The PA will also enter collected data and related information using a tablet.
• Maintain accurate and confidential records of all services, forms, and target population interactions.
• Conduct monthly group support meetings with project or target population.
• Take responsibility for the safety and proper functioning of the tablets, regularly updating and troubleshooting them, and communicating any issues to the PERC central office.

Communication and Coordination

•  Regularly communicate with the supervisor, coordinator and PERC central team regarding the progress of activities and sessions and prepare monthly progress reports for the project.
• Coordinate with Field Researchers and the PERC central team to address any issues or challenges that arise, ensuring they are resolved promptly.
• Provide regular reports to both direct and indirect supervisors, highlighting progress, challenges, and target population feedback to facilitate continuous project improvement.
• Coordinate and collaborate with other organizations and mental health professionals (such as psychiatrists and psychologists) to enhance the referral system as needed in coordination with the PERC central research team.

Administrative Responsibilities

•  Ensure that all logistical and operational needs are met, including the management and maintenance of office supplies and equipment.
•  Organize and manage resources required for project services and other activities in coordination with Field Researchers and the PERC central office.
• Accurately document all services, and follow-up visits, ensuring that records are securely maintained.
•  Assist Field Researcher in the disbursement of incentives to target population attending services, ensuring that these are accurately recorded and securely stored, and delivered to the PERC central office as needed.
• Support the setup and maintenance of the project site office, creating a functional and welcoming environment for target population.
•  Work closely with Field Researchers to manage financial documentation when required.

Other responsibilities

• If necessary, the Peer Advocate may be relocated to a different project site or district to support project activities, other than the location where they were initially hired to perform their duties.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by direct and indirect supervisors.

Essential Skills and Requirements

•  Must be an openly disclosed individual of the LGBTIQA+ community.
• Minimum educational qualification: completion of the Secondary Education Examination (SEE)/School Leaving Certificate (SLC) or higher. In exceptional cases, applicants who have studied 10th grade and are highly motivated to contribute to the LGBTIQA+ community may also apply and will be considered eligible.
•  Excellent verbal, interpersonal, and communication skills in Nepali and/or local languages.
•  Strong motivation to contribute to positive change within the LGBTIQA+ community.
• Ability to manage office operations efficiently.
•  Capacity to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with care.

Additional Skills/Requirements

•  Strong understanding of the unique challenges related to violence and mental health within the LGBTIQA+ community.
•  Highly motivated and committed to work for 18-month project duration.
•  Preference will be given to local candidates from the project area.
•  Fluency in local languages (such as Bhojpuri or Maithili) will be an advantage.
•  Being Patient when listening to the target population issues and problems.
•  Experience in data collection using a tablet is desirable.
•  Knowledge of human and legal rights related to LGBTIQ individuals and same-gender sexuality will be considered an advantage.

Applicants must clearly specify the district they are applying for in their cover letter. Applications that do not include this information may not be considered.

Please note that no phone calls will be entertained by the PERC office regarding this vacancy.

Application Deadline : February 2, 2025