Panoramica:
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.
Responsabilità:
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.
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.
1. Case management: address social critical needs of service users including protection and assistance
2. 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
3. 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.
Qualifiche:
Profile and qualifications
Education
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Degree in social work or a similar area
Competencies
Knowledge of basic Windows tools (essential)
Cross-cultural awareness
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
