MHPSS Officer

About the role

Way of Hope to Life Organization (WHLO), a non-profit NGO founded in 2002 and implementing projects on education, health, food security, WASH and community development across Afghanistan, is recruiting an MHPSS Officer. The officer plans, coordinates and delivers individual and group psychosocial support to vulnerable people such as returnees, internally displaced persons, host community members, women and youth, and sets up referral pathways to mental health, protection and GBV services.

Key responsibilities

• Plan and run individual and group psychosocial support sessions using evidence-informed, do-no-harm approaches
• Identify psychosocial needs through safe, respectful and inclusive engagement
• Develop activities that promote emotional well-being, coping strategies, social connectedness and community resilience
• Facilitate social empowerment and community-based activities between returnees, IDPs and host communities
• Establish, document and maintain referrals to mental health, protection and GBV services, safely and confidentially
• Integrate PSEA, grievance redress and conflict-sensitivity messaging into activities
• Coordinate with the project manager, social protection officer, livelihoods officer, social mobilizers and service providers
• Maintain confidential records of sessions, attendance, referrals and progress, and prepare activity updates, progress reports and beneficiary statistics
• Contribute to work plans, monitoring tools, lessons learned and the final report, and take part in coordination meetings and capacity-building sessions

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Psychology, Social Work or a related field
• Two to three years of experience delivering psychosocial support and referral services in humanitarian or development settings
• Experience facilitating individual and group PSS sessions and working with vulnerable groups; experience with returnees, IDPs and host communities is an asset
• Knowledge of confidentiality, safeguarding, protection principles, conflict sensitivity and do-no-harm approaches
• Fluency in Pashto and Dari; working knowledge of English

Required skills

• Strong interpersonal, communication and facilitation skills
• Coordination, documentation and reporting skills
• Commitment to gender equality, inclusion, safeguarding, PSEA and accountability to affected populations

Candidates apply by email with a CV and cover letter quoting the vacancy number; academic certificates are requested only at interview. Shortlisted candidates are invited to a written test and interview.