Short-term Consultant to develop National Clinical Practical Guidelines in Psychological Interventions for mental health in Viet Nam

 Call for Expressions of Interest and Proposal

VN047 A Short-term Consultant to develop National Clinical Practical Guidelines in Psychological Interventions for mental health in Viet Nam

1. Background

Over 13.5 million people are living with a mental health condition in Viet Nam, including common mental disorders such as anxiety and depression. The suicide rate is 5.87 per 100 000, and the treatment gap is estimated at more than 90%. Pharmacotherapy is the predominant treatment modality available; psychotherapy, rehabilitation services, social support and other non-pharmacological interventions are very limited.

In 2022, the Viet Nam Ministry of Health (MoH) approved a National Action Plan for NCD and Mental Health Disorders 2022-2025. The action plan is aligned with WHO Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2030 and the recently endorsed Regional Framework for the Future of Mental Health in the Western Pacific 2023-2030. Among the key strategies of the framework is to “transform mental health support and care into a community-based ecosystem of health and social services … enabled by an expanded and well-trained mental health workforce delivering the full range of interventions.”

In line with these policy documents, the MoH recently approved Circular No17/2022/TT-BYT issuing regulations on mental health examination and treatment of health facilities. These regulations took effect on 15 February 2023 and expands the scope of mental health services offered in the community to include non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) such as psychological interventions (PIs) These regulations also support the further integration of mental health into primary health care (PHC). To support its implementation, clinical practice guidelines are needed to inform the implementation of PIs in community settings and capacity building activities. The Medical Service Administration (MSA), the focal point of MOH to develop the clinical practice guidelines on PIs asked technical and financial support from WHO to develop the guidelines. The MSA also asked WHO’s support for development of related regulations such as licensing HCWs and scope of practice on PIs for each type of HCWs.

To develop the guidelines, MOH will establish a drafting committee chaired by a leader of MSA. Members of the committee are experts from related Department of MOH and national institutions.  A working group will also be established to support the Drafting Committee in the development of the guidelines. After the draft of the guidelines is available, the MSA will organize some consultation meetings to get comments to finalize the draft and then submit them to MOH for approval.

2.      Planned timelines.

Start date:  01 October 2023

End date:   31 December 2023

3.      Work to be performed.

This consultancy together with international consultant (IC), under the technical guidance from WHO and the Ministry of Health will support the Ministry of Health of Viet Nam for developing National Guideline on PIs for mental health. The recruited consultant(s) together with IC will work with the working group established by the Medical Service Administration - Ministry of Health to provide inputs for consultation meetings chaired by a leader of the MSA. The consultant(s) and IC will also support the MSA to facilitate consultations and then work with the working group to finalize related documents according to comments.

Specific tasks of the consultant(s) as bellows:

• To be a liaison between the international consultant and MOH to develop the clinical guidelines.
• To work with the IC to develop the framework for literature and desk review of relevant publications on PIs for MH problems, measures for need assessments and interview guidelines for different stakeholders, structure, and outline for the technical reports.
• To collect relevant Vietnamese documents about PIs for mental health in Viet Nam
• To identify the related stakeholders and to co-conduct interview with the Vietnamese stakeholders of Viet Nam in one week.
• To provide input for the technical report describing the current status of delivery of PIs for mental health in Viet Nam, drafted by the IC. 
• To work with the international consultant to develop the draft the technical report describing the recommended process for developing clinical practice guidelines and a proposed outline of the guideline document.
• To work with the international consultant draft chapters of the national guidelines on PIs for mental health.
• To support MOH to organize consultation meetings, conferences to finalize the documents.
• To edit the translation of the documents from Vietnamese into English and vice versa.

Deliverable 1: Drafted mission master plan for the project including content, working methods, timeline, which is finalized by the IC, and activity agenda.

Deliverable 2: (2A) Report of (a) review studies/documents in Vietnamese regarding PIs and (b) need assessment for the clinical guidelines for PIs from different stakeholders in Viet Nam. This report will contribute to the technical report developed by the international consultant. (2B) Summary of the data collection; (2C) Written inputs for the technical report describing the current status of delivery of PIs and the need assessment for mental health in Viet Nam, drafted by the IC.

Deliverable 3: Report of the existing clinical practice guidelines at national and provincial level in Vietnamese regarding PIs and other relevant mental health interventions.

Deliverable 4: Agenda and reports for consultation meetings, conferences conducted by MOH and WHO

Deliverable 5: (5A) Written inputs of the National Clinical Practice Guideline on PIs for mental health in Vietnamese according to comments from the Draft Committee; (5B) clinical protocols for selected specific mental health problems.

4.      Specific requirements

To carry out this assignment, a team of consultants is acceptable, with the following qualifications:

Qualifications required:   

Essential: Postgraduate degree in medicine, social science with knowledge of psychiatry, Clinical Psychology

Desirable: Postgraduate training in public health.

Experience required:

Essential: At least 15 years of work experience in public health, psychiatry and psychology.

Desirable: Experience with the UN system or international organizations.

Skills and knowledge:

Facilitator of stakeholders meeting, research and technical writing, and networking.

Language requirements:

Written and spoken fluency in English and Vietnamese is essential.

The Research Assistant

Qualifications required:   

Essential: Graduate degree in Public Health, social science, preferred Psychology, Social Work or other relevant discipline(s)

Experience required:

Essential: At least 3 years of work experience in public health, psychiatry and psychology.

Desirable: Experience with the UN system or international organizations.

Skills and knowledge:  Good communication skills

Language requirements:

Written and spoken fluency in English and Vietnamese is essential.

Deliverables:

Deliverable 1:  Working agenda to support for the IC and LC in all activities.

Deliverable 2:  Relevant documents in Vietnamese and Vietnam collected by the RA.

Deliverable 3:  Notes taken in all the meetings, workshop and conferences.

Deliverable 4:  Checklists for logistic arrangement for meetings, workshop and conference.

Deliverable 5:  All the technical reports and guidelines formatted and layout.

Deliverable 6:  Translations of the documents from Vietnamese into English and vice versa.

5.      Place of assignment: Hanoi

6.      Travel

The consultant will accompany the international consultant to travel for one-two weeks to meet related stakeholders based on the agreed schedules of international consultant.

7.      Medical clearance

The selected Consultant will be expected to provide a medical certificate of fitness for work.

Those who are interested can submit the following documents:

• Most updated CV and/or company profile (for institutional application).
• Technical proposal with detailed budget break-down

Please indicate post title and vacancy notice # and should be addressed to:

Administrative Officer

World Health Organization

UN Building, 304 Kim Ma Street,

Hanoi, Viet Nam

OR

[email protected]

Before/by 21 September 2023.

For further information on this TOR, please contact:

[email protected]