MHPSS Specialist – Mental Health & Psychosocial Support

About the role

The MHPSS Specialist provides strategic technical leadership for designing and implementing Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) interventions within emergency multi‑sector projects. The role ensures that MHPSS is integrated across health, nutrition, protection and community systems to deliver a holistic response for crisis‑affected populations.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the development, coordination and quality assurance of MHPSS activities in line with IASC Guidelines and donor requirements.
• Integrate MHPSS approaches into sector plans, ensuring alignment with health, nutrition, protection and community‑based programmes.
• Build capacity of staff, partners and community volunteers through training, coaching and technical guidance.
• Establish monitoring, evaluation and learning systems to track performance and inform continuous improvement.
• Operationalise a layered system of care, from community‑based psychosocial support to specialised mental health services, including referral pathways and case management.
• Promote culturally appropriate, inclusive and conflict‑sensitive programming that prioritises women, children, persons with disabilities and displaced groups.

Required profile

• Extensive experience in MHPSS programming within humanitarian or emergency contexts.
• Strong knowledge of international standards, especially the IASC MHPSS Guidelines.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively across multiple sectors and with diverse stakeholders.
• Excellent analytical, planning and reporting skills.

Required skills

• Technical expertise in designing, implementing and monitoring MHPSS interventions.
• Capacity‑building and training delivery for staff and community actors.
• Development of referral mechanisms and case management systems.
• Quality assurance and compliance with donor and organisational policies.