Consultant – DIGNITY عودة إلى الفرص

DIGNITY is an independent nongovernmental anti-torture organization founded in 1982 in Denmark.  DIGNITY is present in more than 20 partner countries with forty years of experience in the rehabilitation of survivors of torture and organized violence, in the prevention of torture and in the prevention of urban violence.

In January 2012, DIGNITY opened an office in Tunisia to manage and implement an extensive development programme for Tunisian State stakeholders (Ministry of Justice and Civil Society) through cooperation partnerships comprising 3 axes: prevention of torture; rehabilitation and access to justice; and prevention of urban violence. These partnerships include engagement with civil society on the rehabilitation of torture, monitoring of places of detention, the identification of victims of torture and the documentation of torture, as well as with the Ministry of Justice on strengthening the capacity of the judiciary specifically in the issue of custody. DIGNITY is further more leading a Danish-funded Human Rights and Inclusion Consortium, where tasks related to this role is also undertaken by the Tunisia office.

DIGNITY is currently re-assessing its rehabilitation intervention options in Tunisia and needs an in-depth situation report (SitRep) as well as a mapping on MHPSS, trauma informed care, actors, beneficiaries, stakeholders, task shifting, etc. to see what the most convenient way would be forward. 

DIGNITY is fighting for a world without torture and related violence. We are working towards a world where no one is subjected to torture and other forms of inhuman or degrading treatment, and, simultaneously, where torture practices do not continue to affect survivors and their families. The present DIGNITY strategy (2021-2026) provides the framework for our work to ensure rehabilitation of survivors and their families within the overall aim: “Traumatized survivors of torture and other forms of inhuman treatment or violence have timely and equal access to quality rehabilitation aimed at restoring functioning in family, work, and community life.”

DIGNITY’s International Rehabilitation interventions and activities are guided and informed by several major and leading national and international actors within the field of development, humanitarian work, health and mental health as well as DIGNITYs beneficiaries, target groups and local partners in the south. As such, International Rehabilitation adopts a combined health and human rights-based approach within its interventions covering needs in the most effective and appropriate way possible.

DIGNITY has adopted a trauma informed approach that starts from the inflicted trauma thereby stimulating the demand for the MHPSS survivors of torture need to access through increasing the group of beneficiaries.  This means that DIGNITY needs to focus on improving the access to MHPSS for traumatized survivors in general to strengthen the access to services for survivors of torture and other forms of violence.

Under the Danish Arab Partnership Programme (DAPP) (and other donors such as the Novonordic Foundation) DIGNITY is, inter alia, implementing a rehabilitation and Mental Health and Psycho–Social Support (hereinafter, MHPSS/rehabilitation) programme in the MENA region since 2013 through national and regional trauma–focused interventions (specialized and non-specialized) in specific focus countries such  Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, and Libya as well as non-focus countries, such as Lebanon, Iraqi Kurdistan, Palestine, Sudan, and Yemen...As part of the new DAPP phase which began in July 2022, DIGNITY is aiming to reduce or support the reduction of themhGAP in the MENA region. 

DIGNITY‘s collaboration target group are organizations who provides MHPSS/rehabilitation support for potentially trauma-affected populations and who employs health professionals – such as psychologists, counselors, case managers, psychiatrists, and physiotherapists– from partner and peer organizations, including public health and national institutions (duty bearers) or non-professionals when appropriate like peers (such as survivors).

Since 2012, DIGNITY started introducing and adopting a cost-effective training of trainers manualized approach on MHPSS/rehabilitation interventions including clinical supervision and staff care, aiming at building solid trauma–focused knowledge among health professionals when providing MHPSS/rehabilitation services to trauma affected nationals and displaced persons. 

Under MHPSS/rehabilitation, DIGNITY‘s ultimate beneficiaries (or rights holders) are trauma affected persons, women, men, children, and especially youth, in national settings and displacement affected communities. DIGNITY’sMHPSS/rehabilitation interventions aim at providing services, through its partner organizations, to direct and indirect beneficiaries who are trauma-affected due to acts of violence, war, torture, gender-based violence, etc. 

The MHPSS/rehabilitation programme in the MENA has several contractual partners and associated partners as well as a large pool of local and international professionals and experts participating regularly in the activities of the programme.

The main goal will be to set the ground for a possible DIGNITY intervention by obtaining a better understanding of the current situation in Tunisia pertaining to MHPSS/rehabilitation service provision to victims of trauma (violence, war, torture, GBV, domestic violence, etc.) and human rights defenders (HRD’s) both by national and international stakeholders, including outreach and referral. Further, an improved understanding of what DIGNITY could do to support in the provision of trauma informed care in Tunisia and, if good reasons/ways are identified, what the parameters of the intervention would be. 

The above with the following in mind that DIGNITY’s MHPSS/rehabilitation collaborations in the MENA region, throughout the last years, have mostly focused on training of specialized clinical interventions (including ToT and clinical supervision) aiming at reducing PTSD, anxiety, depression and pain in the MENA region. DIGNITY’s MHPSS/rehabilitation is looking into expanding its services to include south-south training,aim at trauma-informed care (high and focused-non-specialized interventions trainings on the IASC pyramid), on existing C pyramid, on MHPSS interventions, such as PM+ and Self. Also, Staff care and innovative initiatives to relevantly support youth will be taken.