Officer, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services (MHPSS)

Job Overview

The Officer for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services (MHPSS) plays a vital role in supporting field teams to execute MHPSS activities, deliver services, and organize program efforts effectively.

Primary Responsibilities

• Oversee and coordinate the activities of MHPSS case management personnel including social workers, psychotherapists, psychiatrists, and mobile social workers operating in the field.
• Participate actively in recruiting MHPSS field staff.
• Assist in developing and validating work schedules with all key stakeholders and ensure adherence to these schedules.
• Support logistical planning, procurement, human resources, and budgeting related to program implementation.
• Monitor program progress through reports and data collection.
• Represent the MHPSS department in interagency and local coordination meetings as requested.
• Organize and participate in technical meetings pertaining to mental health case management.
• Conduct periodic visits to Primary Health Care Centers supported by the organization to maintain effective collaboration with partners.
• Coordinate with the MHPSS pharmacist to ensure appropriate management of psychotropic medications including consumption, storage, reporting, and availability to beneficiaries.

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Ensure MHPSS activities and trainings comply with protocols and program objectives.
• Support alignment of planned activities with project goals, timelines, and indicators.
• Facilitate use of assessment tools to evaluate program success based on established indicators.
• Monitor program implementation in the supervisor's absence and report critical issues requiring managerial input.
• Assist in developing monitoring and evaluation tools and maintain their regular utilization.

Capacity Building

• Support assessments for capacity development.
• Help design training plans for the MHPSS case management team.
• Oversee the scheduling and implementation of training courses for staff and partners, ensuring documentation such as attendance sheets, tests, and reports are properly maintained.
• Participate in trainings, supervision, and team meetings, serving as the principal mental health contact in the designated area.

Reporting and Documentation

• Maintain records of client cases via outpatient records and submit monthly reports.
• Conduct regular visits to supported health centers ensuring continuous communication with collaborators.
• Ensure consistent data collection by the MHPSS case management team on daily, weekly, and monthly bases.
• Analyze and consolidate reported data for accurate information flow.
• Perform file audits and submit monthly monitoring reports to the MHPSS Manager.
• Provide technical oversight on case management services and other MHPSS activities ensuring compliance with standards of practice.
• Record minutes and decisions from area meetings.
• Submit regular reports to monitoring and evaluation teams and program coordinators.

Additional Information

The assigned duties reflect the typical scope and level of responsibility of the position but may be adjusted as necessary.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Psychology, Public Administration, or related fields; equivalent combinations of education and experience are acceptable.
• Master’s degree in MHPSS, Public Health, Administration, or Project Cycle Management preferred.
• Minimum of three years of relevant experience working with Mental Health programs.
• Familiarity with IASC MHPSS guidelines in emergency contexts.
• Experience with NGOs and understanding of humanitarian and development MHPSS, Health, Protection, and Monitoring & Evaluation processes.
• Commitment to field schedules with a strong eagerness to learn.
• Excellent organizational and managerial capabilities to prioritize tasks and deliver high-quality results on time.
• Fluency in English and relevant local languages.
• Effective communication, teamwork, and ability to thrive in diverse, multicultural teams.
• Emotional resilience and adaptability to work in dynamic environments.
• Proficiency in computer use, including database management and Microsoft Office applications.