MHPSS Officer

The CP-MHPSS Officer is responsible for providing and ensuring the provision of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) services to vulnerable children, families, and communities in Yemen. The role involves direct psychological support, coordination with multiple sectors, capacity building, and ensuring quality and compliance with MHPSS standards.

Responsibilities

• Support the technical planning and rollout of SCI’s MHPSS models in line with quality benchmarks.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of DIPs aligned with project timelines, budgets, and indicators.
• Coordinate with the MHPSS Coordinator to conduct regular monitoring of MHPSS activities and provide technical support during field visits.
• Ensure MHPSS interventions comply with global and SCI MHPSS and child protection standards and principles.
• Participate in all MEAL activities to assess effectiveness and impact of MHPSS programming.
• Conduct and document regular supervision and coaching sessions for facilitators and front-line workers delivering MHPSS services.
• Monitor the quality and adherence to protocols in individual/group counselling, structured play, and other MHPSS components.
• Support procurement processes, prepare weekly/monthly work plans, and contribute to cash forecasts and logistics requests related to MHPSS.
• Ensure timely implementation and documentation of delays, risks, or challenges with suggested mitigation strategies.
• Provide tailored psychosocial counselling sessions to children and caregivers as per identified needs and internal referral protocols.
• Ensure MHPSS support is appropriately reflected in the daily work of caseworkers and other front-line staff.
• Work with the MHPSS Coordinator to design and roll out MHPSS tools, guidance notes, and impact measurement systems.
• Conduct structured assessments to understand the MHPSS needs of children, caregivers, teachers, and communities.
• Ensure proper documentation, analysis, and reporting of MHPSS activities in line with SCI’s data protection and confidentiality standards.
• Support the development and follow-up of individual and group counselling plans, structured recreational sessions, and community-based psychosocial activities.
• Lead the facilitation of group activities, including recreational and resilience sessions.
• Identify and address gaps in MHPSS knowledge and skills among frontline Facilitators.
• Support the MHPSS Coordinator in assessing capacity-building needs of SCI staff, MHPSS Facilitators, caregivers, teachers, and children.
• Support the development and implementation of capacity-building plans aligned with assessed needs and global best practices.
• Conduct training sessions and on-the-job coaching on PFA, HB MHPSS principles, and integration of MHPSS into sectoral programming.
• Support CP and other sectoral staff to integrate MHPSS in their day-to-day work and interactions with children and families.
• Participate in peer-to-peer learning and knowledge-sharing efforts across SCI and partners.
• Compile weekly and monthly reports detailing MHPSS activities, outputs, and any identified challenges or gaps.
• Ensure timely and high-quality inputs to SCI and donor reports related to MHPSS activities.
• Maintain up-to-date documentation on assessments, sessions conducted, training delivered, and referrals made.
• Ensure accuracy and timeliness of MHPSS data collection tools and coordinate with MEAL and data teams for analysis.
• Participate in the development and documentation of lessons learned, success stories, and best practices in MHPSS programming.
• Conduct and update service mapping for MHPSS services and maintain relationships with service providers.
• Facilitate referrals for specialized and non-specialized MHPSS services in coordination with internal and external actors.
• Maintain positive coordination and collaboration with SCI CP, Health, Education, and other sectoral teams to ensure integrated programming.
• Liaise with partners, CBOs, and relevant authorities to promote access to MHPSS services and support referrals and case discussions.
• Carry out any other duties as may be assigned from time to time.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in psychology, Psychiatry, Mental Health, Psychosocial Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum of 3-4 years of professional experience, including at least 1 year in psychosocial support programming in humanitarian settings.
• Proven experience working directly with children and/or adolescents, especially in child protection and MHPSS.
• Strong experience in training, coaching, and capacity building of staff and Facilitators.
• Understanding of MHPSS principles, child development, and psychosocial risk factors.
• Familiarity with child protection mechanisms, national systems, and referral pathways.
• Proven skills in report writing (weekly, monthly, monitoring reports).
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to represent Save the Children in meetings with government and external stakeholders.
• Strong capacity to work collaboratively in a team environment and under pressure.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Fluent in Arabic (written and spoken); English proficiency is an asset.
• Demonstrated gender awareness and sensitivity in practice.
• Commitment to safeguarding children and other vulnerable groups from all forms of harm.
• Understanding of confidentiality and ethical considerations in child protection work.
• Experience working with NGOs or INGOs in humanitarian settings.
• Knowledge of SCI Common Approaches (e.g., PFA, HEART, PM+).
• Experience in multisectoral programs, integrating MHPSS with child protection, education, or health.
• Good understanding of local community dynamics, politics, and traditional networks.
• Ability to work independently while maintaining a cooperative approach with team members.
• Experience working in challenging and high-pressure environments.
• Desirable: Ability to work effectively under a line management structure with minimal supervision.

Skills

• Psychosocial Support
• Child Protection
• Mental Health
• Psychosocial Risk Management
• Training and Capacity Building
• Report Writing
• Stakeholder Engagement
• MS Word
• MS Excel
• MS PowerPoint
• MHPSS Principles
• Child Development
• Referral Pathways Development
• Ethics and Confidentiality
• Gender Awareness
• Safeguarding and Child Protection
• Humanitarian Experience
• Multisectoral Program Integration
• Community Dynamics Analysis
• Working Under Pressure

Languages

Arabic, English