Roving Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Specialist

INTERSOS is an independent humanitarian organization that assists the victims of natural disasters, armed conflicts and exclusion. Its activities are based on the principles of solidarity, justice, human dignity, equality of rights and opportunities, respect for diversity and coexistence, paying special attention to the most vulnerable people.

General context of the project

With over a decade of conflict, there have been devastating humanitarian consequences across North-East (Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) states) and the North-West of Nigeria. According to the Humanitarian Needs Overview 2023, an estimated 8.3 million women, men, and children need some form of humanitarian and protection assistance. Over 2 million people have been forced to flee their homes due to persistent violence and remain internally displaced. Food insecurity and malnutrition are exacerbated by inflation, poverty, and restricted access due to insecurity, which impedes livelihood opportunities. Gender-based violence (GBV) has been a significant protection concern faced by IDP women and girls in the area. Numerous basic infrastructures, such as hospitals, clinics, and water supplies, are damaged, posing constraints on essential service provision. Epidemics like cholera arising from flooding and overcrowded settings put extra stress on the already vulnerable communities.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Leadership:

• Develop the MHPSS Response framework and strategy for the mission in line with Mission Protection Strategy, the Global Protection Framework and the Global MHPSS guidelines
• Identify key mental health issues and contributing factors in the communities for both men and women, where we work using assessment tools and research
• Identify Community practices, assets, and structures that are conducive to the promotion of good mental health and ensure that our programming builds on these assets
• Develop Position papers on our MHPSS response outlining our community-based PSS response in alignment with culture and context
• Design Prevention and Mitigation measures for the mental health concerns identified for the children and adults in the community
• Work with INTERSOS Health teams to ensure continuum of care along the MHPSS pyramid
• Work with the CP /GBV Specialist / Protection Coordinator in designing interventions that support PSS that are integrated within our CP /GBV response
• Design Key messages for Awareness on MHPSS based on issues identified in the community and ensure teams are sensitized on it and able to deliver these messages in the community effectively
• Ensure Awareness materials on MHPSS are designed in culturally embedded practices and using traditional practices that the community uses to spread messages
• Ensure the latest developments in the field of MHPSS are shared with the Protection staff and contextualized for their use based on need
• Develop M & E tools for assessing distress among clients and for measuring the impact of our MHPSS services
• Ensure our MHPSS response is community based in line with the global CBP guidelines and MHPSS guidelines
• Regularly prepare and update service mapping in all our project locations to ensure support and follow-up for our clients

Coordination:

• Contribute to the design of the protection strategy of the mission and provide technical support and assistance for the implementation of the MHPSS activities through the proper tools and methodologies
• Design and revise MHPSS interventions and activities that are AGD sensitive and ensure AGD and context appropriateness in addressing CP, GBV and other protection issues
• Ensure that vulnerable/at risk individuals are promptly and safely identified and referred
• Draft and revise MHPSS SOPs
• Develop standard MEAL tools and indicators to measure the impact, effectiveness and quality of MHPSS interventions for children, adults and people with disabilities, and ensure the piloting and standardization of these tools. Increase and enhance MHPSS Program monitoring and evaluation, and determining impact
• Perform trends analysis on prevailing protection concerns in each mission location for tailored intervention
• Work with the CP and GBV specialists to strengthen PSS in case management providing guidance on identifying issues, empathy, session structure and referral
• Monitor progress on individual cases documented by the psychologists, maintaining strict protocols for confidentiality and consent
• Collaborate with Case Management and medical teams to ensure proper collaboration in referral procedures
• Lead, mentor, guide and monitor regularly the psychologist teams establishing standard processes and procedures for beneficiaries support and develop standard tools for measuring progress
• Design and develop a MHPSS Toolkit with appropriate resources and guidelines to provide structured and unstructured MHPSS for children and adults
• In coordination with the Protection Coordinator support to contextualize and adapt internal and global guidelines, guarantying that are known by relevant staffs
• Ensure cohesion and harmonization of MHPSS activities, tools, guidelines and services across the different project strategy.
• In coordination with the Protection Coordinator, deliver training and workshops to protection staff to build skills on MHPSS topics. Develop training materials according to national policies and international standards
• Support the Protection Coordinator to deliver training and workshops to non-protection staff to build skills and knowledge of Staff Care, Mental Health, PFA and other topics relevant to all sectors
• Support the Protection Coordinator in developing and implementing a Staff Care System for the staff
• In coordination with the Protection Coordinator assess MHPSS needs and gaps of target populations in current and future areas of operations. Analyze regularly the status of protection activities and inform the Program accordingly
• In line with the current protection strategy of the mission and in coordination with the Community based protection networks, design and develop a community-based approach to MHPSS
• In coordination with the Protection Coordinator, support in the development of a harmonized structure for group PSS, emotional support groups, awareness-raising and community outreach/engagement components across the mission.
• Contribute to the maintenance of an up-to-date service mapping of the service providers
• operating in the area and take proactive actions to remain informed about the available services for referral and coordination.
• Support the Protection Coordinator to ensure that protection data are collected, archived, processed, analyzed and disseminated in ethical modalities guaranteeing the confidentiality and the respect of internal data protection protocols. Maintain and update the MHPSS platforms for synchronization of data protection management and reporting
• Under the supervision of the Protection Coordinator, undertake regular field monitoring visits and provide tools to monitor the quality of Program implementation
• Provide technical support to the psychologists for individual cases affected by crisis, GBV survivors, child protection cases, etc.

Networking and partnerships

• Maintain collaborative working relationships with relevant clusters and related working groups at national and/or field level and guarantee compliance to the eventual monthly cluster reporting requirements
• Represent INTERSOS in MHPSS in meetings and share best practices and lessons learnt
• Act as focal point in the protection cluster for the MHPSS technical working group
• In coordination with the Protection Coordinator, ensure that main MHPSS concerns are brought to relevant stakeholders to advocate respect of human rights and guarantee the minimum protection standards
• Network with MHPSS leaders of other missions and other organizations to share best practices and resources

Education & Professional Requirements:

Education

• University degree in Social Science, Psychology, Social Work, Human Rights, International Humanitarian Law or other fields related to social development and humanitarian work
• Preferable master’s degree in a related field

Professional experience

• Minimum of 4 years of relevant working experience in protection-related sectors (MHPSS included), preferably within an INGO, and two years for higher education degree (Masters)
• Demonstrated experience in designing, implementing, and supervising MHPSS programmes, including community-based approaches.
• Experience working with vulnerable populations including GBV survivors, and children at risk.

Professional requirements

• Computer literacy (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, INTERSOS MHPSS Platform is a plus)
• Strong theoretical, technical and practical knowledge of MHPSS including global standards and guidelines.
• Demonstrated ability to work in humanitarian context (experience with IDPs is an asset)
• Proven experience in developing MHPSS strategies, frameworks, and tools aligned with global protection and MHPSS frameworks
• Demonstrated capacity to supervise, mentor, and build the capacity of technical staff (e.g., psychologists, case workers).
• Very good understanding of protection, human rights law and international humanitarian rights and principles
• Excellent analytical and reporting skills on protection and human rights
• Experience in proposal writing is an asset

Personal requirements

• Demonstrated capacity to supervise, mentor, and build the capacity of technical staff (e.g., psychologists, case workers).
• Very good understanding of protection, human rights law and international humanitarian rights and principles
• Excellent analytical and reporting skills on protection and human rights
• Experience in proposal writing is an asset

Languages

• Proficiency in English (written and spoken)
• Knowledge and fluency in English and local languages (Hausa and Kanuri) will be an asset.

How to apply

Interested candidates should complete this Form and attach their CV with Cover Letter following this format

“Surname_ Position you applied for”.

Application Deadline: apply not later than Friday, 27th March 2026 by 12:00 PM.

ONLY applicants whose competencies meet the requirements of the position will be contacted.

Please note: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. INTERSOS reserves the right to close the advertisement before the stated closing date if a suitable candidate is identified.

INTERSOS is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups, and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.

Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply

INTERSOS has a PSEA Policy that the successful candidate will be expected to comply with and promote. For more information about INTERSOS, go to https://www.intersos.org/en/what-we-do/nigeria/