Job purpose:

Ensures the psycho-emotional well-being of the University’s students and employees through the provision of counseling and therapeutic services, crisis psychological support, the organization of educational activities on psychological health, as well as preventive measures aimed at conducting clinical work related to the identification, analysis, and monitoring of students in crisis, and facilitating interaction with relevant stakeholders in order to improve psychological support and foster a positive psycho-emotional climate within the educational environment.

Responsibilities (tasks, key areas of responsibility and functions):

1. Providing psychological support power through consultations:

1) Providing individual counseling sessions for students, entering data and consultation outcomes into the appropriate software/database;

2) Conducting group counseling sessions for students;

3) Providing emergency counseling according to the duty schedule and delivering crisis psychological support;

4) Conducting initial assessment consultations as part of duty and conducting triage.

5) Conducting psychodiagnostics using modern methods and tools, relevant tests and entering the results into the relevant software/database;

6) Maintaining records of consultations provided and analyzing the dynamics of requests.

2. Educational and preventive activities:

1) Creation of information materials (articles, booklets, memos) on psychological issues for students and employees;

2) Development of programs for trainings and seminars aimed at improving the psychological health of students and employees and their implementation in accordance with approved schedules;

3) Organization and implementation of educational events such as master classes, seminars and trainings on issues of students’ psychological health and preventive programs to reduce anxiety, stress resistance, emotional burnout, etc.;

4) Conducting meetings, discussion clubs, information sessions on topics of psychology and improving the psychological literacy of students;

5) Conducting educational events for fellow psychologists based on the results of completed training programs as part of advanced training, as well as the exchange of relevant knowledge, new methods and best practices in the field of psychological counseling.

3. Participation in the organization and provision of crisis psychological assistance to students:

1) Development, organization and implementation of trainings for students and employees on actions in crisis situations and methods of providing first psychological aid. Development and implementation of exercises and simulation trainings on crisis response;

2) Development of memos and methodological recommendations for students and employees on issues of psychological safety and an algorithm for actions in crisis situations;

3) Providing emergency psychological assistance to students and employees in crisis situations, if necessary;

4) Providing post-crisis support to students who have experienced difficult life situations (losses, injuries, violence, etc.);

5) Participation in the interdisciplinary commission on issues of students requiring active observation and analysis of their cases. Maintaining a database of crisis cases for analysis and improvement of response algorithms. Maintaining reports and analyzing the dynamics of requests. Providing information to management regarding students in crisis with anamnesis, number of consultations, reason for request, recommendations;

6) Interaction with a psychiatrist of the outpatient service and/or medical assistance, the city mental health center for the purpose of monitoring and controlling the condition of students requiring active supervision;

7) Interaction with structural divisions and administrative and external structures to coordinate work in crisis situations.

4. Development of professional competencies:

1) Regular professional development through participation in seminars, conferences, training programs, workshops, intensive courses and master classes;

2) Sharing professional experience with colleagues, participating in expert meetings, round tables and discussion clubs. Participation in professional associations and communities, promoting the development of the University’s psychological service;

3) Undergoing professional supervision and intervision to improve the quality of consultative and diagnostic work;

4) Participation in research in the field of psychology aimed at studying the psycho-emotional state of students and employees of the University;

5) Development, adaptation and implementation of new psychological methods and approaches to improve the psychological well-being of students and employees in the educational environment;

6) Mastering and applying modern digital technologies in psychological counseling and psychodiagnostics (online counseling, use of specialized software, working with artificial intelligence in psychology).

5. Administrative and analytical work:

1) Timely and correct filling of online tables, databases and software for reflecting data in the dashboard and control by the Department's management over the number and status of events carried out;

2) Compilation, analysis and provision of statistical data, reports and analytical reports to the management and structural divisions of the University;

3) Development and maintenance of documentation, regulations and methodological materials, internal regulatory documents on psychological assistance related to the activities of the psychological service;

4) Participation in budget planning and allocation;

5) Monitoring compliance with privacy and personal data protection standards when maintaining documentation and working with databases;

6) Participation in the development of strategies for the development of the University’s psychological service, analysis of the needs of students and staff for psychological support;

7) Monitoring the effectiveness of psychological assistance provided, analyzing trends and developing proposals for improving work.

6. Clinical work:

1) Preparation of a monthly clinical work report and presentation of a monthly report reflecting the statistics of consultations conducted, types of referrals, number of emergency consultations, as well as descriptions of complex cases, for analysis and improvement of the quality of work;

2) Participation in the interdisciplinary commission and maintaining an updated list of crisis students in need of additional support and intensive support;

3) Interaction with medical organizations and the city mental health center for students in crisis. Regular updating of information on the state of students in crisis situations, monitoring the results of intervention and counseling;

4) If necessary, the psychologist transmits information about crisis cases to other specialists for further intervention (parents, teachers).

Educational requirements (level, profile, licenses, professional certificates, etc.)

1) Higher professional, preferably in higher educational institutions with instruction in English;

2) A degree of at least a master's degree or a specialist in psychology, pedagogy and psychology, psychotherapy is preferable;

3) If you have an education in the CIS countries, you must have a certificate from Institutes accredited by International Associations or International Institutes in the field of psychology or psychotherapy.

4) Priority areas of specialization:

• Psychology;
• Psychotherapy;
• Pedagogy and psychology;
• Psychological counseling

Work experience requirements:

1) Minimum 5 years of experience as a psychologist, psychotherapist in educational institutions, medical institutions, private practice, confirmed by documents (registration certificate);

2) minimum 3 years with a master's degree in the relevant field

Requirements for knowledge, skills, competencies:

Knowledge:

1) Ethical standards and legislation: professional ethics, confidentiality issues, client rights;

2) Theoretical basis of psychology: age, social, clinical, cognitive, educational, crisis psychology;

3) Methods of psychodiagnostics: tests, projective techniques, questionnaires, interviews, observation;

4) Fundamentals of psychotherapy and psychocorrection: methods of working with personal crises, stress, anxiety, emotional disorders;

5) Fundamentals of conflictology: principles of conflict resolution, mediation technologies;

6) Psychological counseling: basic models and techniques for working with clients;

7) Knowledge of the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On the Status of Nazarbayev University, Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools, and Nazarbayev Foundation,” as well as legislative and other regulatory legal acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the field of healthcare and medicine.

Skills:

1) Psychodiagnostics – application of tests, analysis of obtained data, preparation of a psychological report;

2) Consulting – conducting individual and group consultations, forming recommendations;

3) Psychological correction – development of development programs, trainings, and remedial classes;

4) Working with different categories of clients – teenagers, adults, people in crisis;

5) Conflict resolution – negotiation, mediation techniques.

6) Public speaking skills – conducting trainings, lectures, group work;

7) Documentation management – ​​preparation of reports, conclusions, work plans;

8) Teamwork – interaction with colleagues, doctors, teachers, social services;

9) Emotional stability is the ability to maintain professionalism in stressful situations.

Competencies:

1) Empathy and the ability to build trusting relationships;

2) Analytical and critical thinking;

3) Self-regulation and stress resistance;

4) Adaptability and flexibility in choosing work methods;

5) Ability to self-develop and learn;

6) High ethical responsibility;

7) Ability to motivate and support clients

Language knowledge requirements

Fluent proficiency in English, Kazakh, and Russian for effective business correspondence, personnel documentation, analytical materials, and interaction with staff, consultants, and partners

Recruitment and selection process
Recruitment and selection at Nazarbayev University include the following process: preliminary selection based on experience and qualifications, assessments (e.g. technical skills/capabilities, aptitude, personality, work samples, in-basket exercises, and informal interviews), and motivation.

Formal interviews form the final stage of the selection process.
They are typically based on organizational values and behaviors and conducted in English.
You are encouraged to share your views and values  to identify how they fit into  Nazarbayev University core values