In Jordan, mental wellbeing remains a highly stigmatized and under-resourced topic. The ‘invisibility’ of the topic makes it difficult to quantify the impact it has on health, economic productivity and the quality of life. In Jordan’s garment sector, where migrant workers comprise over 75 per cent of the labour force, understanding the role of mental wellbeing in the workplace, with a specific focus on women migrant workers within the garment factories becomes key.
Barriers to accessing effective mental wellbeing services at the factory level, but also the national level remain more severe among migrant workers. Firstly, the behavioural aspects of migrant workers linked to mental health are inextricably linked to the social, religious, and cultural stigma attached to mental health in the region. Secondly, resource and capacity constraints remain prevailing and exacerbate the gap in mental health service provision for migrant workers; there are no existing services that directly target migrant worker population in Jordan, despite its substantial proportion of Jordan’s total population, including in the garment sector workforce. Existing service providers, both public and private, lack the capacity to deal with the challenges faced by migrant workers where ideally a medical professional from the country of origin, or at minimum a translator is necessary.
Over the past 10 years, Better Work Jordan (BWJ) has been working with the national tripartite constituents to improve working conditions and promote decent work in the garment sector. The mandatory status of the programme for all garment factories exporting to the US has helped BWJ create industry-wide impact. Since then, factories have made significant improvements in terms of working conditions and compliance with labour standards. Therefore, this project works towards improving workers’ mental wellbeing, especially among women and migrant workers, in the garment sector in Jordan through a comprehensive intervention strategy at the individual, organizational and national levels. The project does so first through supporting workers to become more resilient and willing to seek psychological support when necessary, including by raising awareness on mental wellbeing and providing training on topics affecting workers’ mental wellbeing. The project also aims to improve access to necessary psychological support inside factories and through the referral system through developing a holistic understanding of workers’ wellbeing among key stakeholders, including factory management, the union, the government institutions and support providing organizations.
The mental health project is looking for a competent mental health consultant to assess, monitor, and provide guidance for the implementation and effectiveness of mental health support initiatives in factories and ensure that the mental health and well-being of employees are prioritized
The consultant is expected to 1) provide technical support and guidance to the mental health focal points from the factories in the implementation of different awareness programs and mental health policy. 2) provide guidance, mentoring and training for key focal points from factories 3) Prepare correspondence, reports, presentations, and other written materials from oral instructions and written communication in collaboration with the mental health project coordinator 4) support the preparation and delivery of mental health training and seminars, and 5) suggest and develop awareness raising materials that correspond to the captured needs
Detailed deliverables as clarified below:
| Activity | Expected deliverables | Expected number of days |
| Conduct Supervisory visits to the mental health focal points from the participating factories the three industrial zones (Sahab, Irbid, Aqaba and Dulail) *remote visit for Aqaba’s factory | visit report | 58 |
| support in preparing and delivery of industrial seminars with different stakeholders to promote mental health awareness and discuss related challenges | Seminar report + seminar presentation | 6 |
| documentation work for mental health project | Visit record / training reports | 18 |
| support preparing for world mental health day | Event schedule/ invitees/ Event report | 5 |
| arrange and attend quarterly meetings with MH focal points from the factories | Meeting agenda | 4 |
| conduct monthly support group session for MH focal points | session plan/ attendance/ and report | 10 |
| support in preparing and delivery of basic training related to mental health like psychological first aid training, PFA, and basic counselling skills | Training materials + training report | 11 |
| engage with factories management to raise awareness about mental health | Presentation / emails follow up | 12 |
| travel to Aqaba to conduct in person advisory visit and support | Visits report | 6 |
| supervision session for group- PM+ participants | Visits report | 6 |
Duration: 12 months – January 2025 to December 2025
The Service provider will report to the BWJ Mental Health project coordinator under the BWJ program manager’s overall guidance and will work closely with the BWJ team.
Payment will be made in two instalments based on successful completion of deliverables and based on the number of days completed as below:
| payment | deliverable | Working days | Expected date |
| First payment | 1. Conduct Supervisory visits to the mental health focal points from the participating factories the three industrial zones (Sahab, Irbid, Aqaba and Dulail) (10 days) *remote visit for Aqaba’s factory 3. documentation work for mental health project (2 days) 6. conduct monthly support group session for MH focal points (1 day) 8. engage with factories management to raise awareness about mental health (2 days) 10. supervision session for group- PM+ participants (3 days) | 18 | End of February 2025 |
| second payment | 1. Conduct Supervisory visits to the mental health focal points from the participating factories the three industrial zones (Sahab, Irbid, Aqaba and Dulail) *remote visit for Aqaba’s factory (5 days) 3. documentation work for mental health project (2 days) 5. arrange and attend quarterly meetings with MH focal points from the factories (1 day) 6. conduct monthly support group session for MH focal points (1 day) 8. engage with factories management to raise awareness about mental health ( 1 days) | 10 | End of March 2025 |
| Third payment | 1. Conduct Supervisory visits to the mental health focal points from the participating factories the three industrial zones (Sahab, Irbid, Aqaba and Dulail) *remote visit for Aqaba’s factory (10 days) 2. support in preparing and delivery of industrial seminars with different stakeholders to promote mental health awareness and discuss related challenges (2 days) 3. documentation work for mental health project (3 days) 6. conduct Monthly support group session for MH focal points (2 day) 7. support in preparing and delivery of basic training related to mental health like psychological first aid training, PFA, and basic counselling skills (3 days) 8. engage with factories management to raise awareness about mental health ( 2 days) | 22 | End of May 2025 |
| Fourth payment | 1. Conduct Supervisory visits to the mental health focal points from the participating factories the three industrial zones (Sahab, Irbid, Aqaba and Dulail) (10 days) *remote visit for Aqaba’s factory 3. documentation work for mental health project (3 days) 5. arrange and attend quarterly meetings with MH focal points from the factories (1 day) 6. conduct monthly support group session for MH focal points (2 days) 7. support in preparing and delivery of basic training related to mental health like psychological first aid training, PFA, and basic counselling skills (8 days) 8. engage with factories management to raise awareness about mental health ( 2 days) | 26 | End of July 2025 |
| Fifth payment | 1. Conduct Supervisory visits to the mental health focal points from the participating factories the three industrial zones (Sahab, Irbid, Aqaba and Dulail) (8 days) *remote visit for Aqaba’s factory 2. support in preparing and delivery of industrial seminars with different stakeholders to promote mental health awareness and discuss related challenges ( 2 days) 3. documentation work for mental health project ( 3 days) 6. conduct monthly support group session for MH focal points ( 2 days) 8. engage with factories management to raise awareness about mental health ( 2 days) 9. travel to Aqaba to conduct in person advisory visit and support (3 days) 10. supervision session for group- PM+ participants (3 days) | 23 | End of September 2025 |
| Sixth payment | 1. Conduct Supervisory visits to the mental health focal points from the participating factories the three industrial zones (Sahab, Irbid, Aqaba and Dulail) ( 10 days) *remote visit for Aqaba’s factory 3. documentation work for mental health project (3 days) 4. support preparing for world mental health day ( 5 days) 5. arrange and attend quarterly meetings with MH focal points from the factories (1 day) 6. conduct monthly support group session for MH focal points ( 2 days) 8. engage with factories management to raise awareness about mental health ( 2 days) 9. travel to Aqaba to conduct in person advisory visit and support (3 days) | 26 | End of November 2025 |
| Final payment | 1. Conduct Supervisory visits to the mental health focal points from the participating factories the three industrial zones (Sahab, Irbid, Aqaba and Dulail) (5 days) *remote visit for Aqaba’s factory 2. support in preparing and delivery of industrial seminars with different stakeholders to promote mental health awareness and discuss related challenges (2 days) 3. documentation work for mental health project ( 2 days) 5. arrange and attend quarterly meetings with MH focal points from the factories ( 1 day) 8. engage with factories management to raise awareness about mental health (1 day) | 11 | End of December 2025 |
The External Collaboration will sign a contract with International Labour Organization that contains clauses on confidentiality and non-disclosure.
interested applicants need send their CV and daily rate to jordan@betterwork.org
The deadline to submit your application is the 30th December 2024 at midnight (Jordan time).
Only selected applicants will be contacted for an interview.