Social Worker - Project Palermo "Survivors of torture" - #48865

Background

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) was founded in 1971 in Paris by a group of journalists and doctors.

We provide medical assistance to people affected by conflicts, epidemics, natural disasters, or exclusion from healthcare. Our teams consist of tens of thousands of healthcare professionals, logistics staff, and administrative personnel, all united by our Charter and guided by medical ethics and the principles of impartiality, independence, and neutrality. We are a non-profit, self-governed organization based on an associative structure.

MSF has identified migrant and refugee survivors of torture and ill-treatment (SoT) among the most vulnerable and neglected people. For this reason, since 2020, MSF has developed in the Palermo metropolitan area a program specifically aimed at this target population through a multidisciplinary model of care (medical, psychological, and socio-legal support). From October 2023 two memorandum of understanding have been signed with the Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Policlinico (AOUP) "Paolo Giaccone" and the University of Palermo with the aim of strengthening the SoT program in both clinical and research components.

Responsibilities

Reports to (Hierarchical) Social Work Supervisor

Reports to (Functional) Social Work Supervisor

Main purpose

Carry out activities to address individuals’ social needs, including support, orientation, and protection. Provide patient- and survivor-centered care through a trauma-informed approach that ensures dignity, safety, and confidentiality.

Facilitate appropriate referrals and effective linkage to relevant support services, ensuring continuity of care. Contribute to strengthening community-based social interventions in line with MSF principles and guidelines.

Accountabilities

• Conduct social assessments of patients/survivor’s situation to identify vulnerabilities and social critical needs including legal, protection, shelter/housing, financial/vocational, food security, and access to other critical services beyond the project scope
• Support the provision of comprehensive care to service users, by actively coordinating with the other members of the MSF multidisciplinary team (i.e. Medical Doctor, Psychologists, Intercultural Mediators and external partners)
• Provide direct social support interventions to patients/survivors, facilitate safe referrals to assessed external services/actors to address social critical needs identified during assessment (assistance and protection), and ensure follow up.
• Under the supervision of the line manager, contribute to the mapping and regular updating of formal and informal support services (incl. existing community resources). Contribute to assessing quality and safety of existing support services, as well as the identification of gaps.
• Flag any changes to vulnerabilities or patterns identified during social assessments to SW Supervisor and PC as well as concerns over the quality or gaps of support services supporting potential advocacy efforts.
• Participate in the development and adaptation of tools and other material needed for the job
• Collect and record data, statistics and files in a timely manner and according to the data protection policy, MSF ethical guidelines and legal standards.
• Under the supervision of the line manager, ensure close collaboration with Medical teams, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), Cultural Mediation, Humanitarian Affairs & Advocacy teams to foster a multidisciplinary approach.
  
  
  

MSF Section/Context Specific Accountabilities

The additional accountabilities below are organized according to the SW “pillars/levels” (individual, facility and community). To be adapted according to the project’s strategy that can emphasize one or two pillars, or the three.

• Case management address social critical needs of service users including protection and assistance
• According to eligibility criteria, receives individuals and assess their situation performing assessments of cases in order to identify vulnerabilities and social critical needs
• Perform risk assessment for individuals
• Develop an intervention plan together with the person of concern
• According to the project’s intervention criteria and with the person’s consent, provide individuals with direct assistance or referrals according to pre-established safe referral pathways
• In collaboration with the line manager, create and maintain safe supportive networks with institutional and community-based partners for referrals
• In collaboration with the line manager, contributes to the definition and the internal dissemination of criteria for detection of individuals with social critical needs
• Ensure follow up of the cases and conclude with case closure
• Initiate and/or take active part to multidisciplinary discussions with the relevant medical and mental health care providers
• Enhance two-way communication and patient agency ensure the active participation of patients in the decision regarding their health and social situation
• Manage complex or sensitive cases in close collaboration with the manager and other relevant staff members involved and contribute to the definition of the best approach in order to address the individuals’ needs while considering risk and protective factors
• Social support (as part of multidisciplinary efforts)
• Contribute to the creation of a safe (trauma-informed), dignified and confidential environment of care within the MSF facility, fostering the promotion of patient’s information, rights and participation, accessibility to feedback and complaints mechanism, in line with Safeguarding efforts of each Operative Centre
• Actively promote and contribute to overall patient wellbeing while receiving care
• Assess and address patient’s care-taking needs
• Collect comments and feedback from service users, patients and caregivers and address them or escalate them to the relevant manager
• Community-based support
• Contribute to the multidisciplinary patient’s engagement activities and monitoring of specific vulnerabilities, social and critical needs in our target population, with an emphasis on protection concerns.
• Contribute to the project’s understanding of risk and protective factors in our target population.
  
  
  

Profile And Qualifications

Education

• Degree in social work or a similar area
  
  
  

Experience

• Minimum 3 years’ experience in similar position, preferably in medical and/or social settings (Essential)
• Extensive knowledge and experience of migration context and legal framework in Italy and in EU (Essential)
• Experience with MSF or other NGOs (Desirable)
• Knowledge of Italian National Health System (Desirable)
• Knowledge of the local context (Desirable)
• Data analysis skills (Desirable)
  
  
  

Languages

• Italian language C1 (Essential)
• English language B1(Desirable)
  
  
  

Competencies

• Knowledge of basic Windows tools (essential)
• Teamwork and cooperation
• Behavioral flexibility
• Results & quality orientation
• Stress Management
• Cross-cultural awareness
• Commitment to MSF principles
  
  
  

Conditions

Contract Fixed-term 12 months contract, Full-time, Level 3 of Italian CCNL. Candidates must have a valid work permit to work in Italy

RAL 26.047,56 - 31.257 €, according to the MSF experience of the selected candidate.

Duty Station MSF office and other health facilities in Palermo

Benefits

• Health coverage is provided through the Italian National Health Service (SSN), complemented by supplementary private health insurance (Sanimpresa) for contracts lasting 90 days or longer. This coverage includes medical expenses, illness and hospitalization, permanent disability, and death benefits.
• Staff members are entitled to a meal voucher worth €5 for each working day on which they have worked at least 4 hours, for the entire duration of the contract.
• Accommodation MSF may provide accommodation in the form of shared housing (collective accommodation). Employees are required to contribute to the accommodation costs, with the amount varying according to the duty station.
• MSF covers the cost of one round-trip ticket at the beginning and end of the contract
  
  
  

Deadline for application 28/06/2026

Desired starting date July

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

MSF Italy is an inclusive employer that fosters diversity and engages systematically to ensure that equal employment opportunities are provided without regard to age, race, creed, religion, sex, disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national or ethnic origin or any other legally recognized status entitled to protection under applicable laws.