International Consultant for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) at UNICEF

How can you make a difference? 

This consultancy aims to advance MHPSS systems strengthening within and across child protection, health and education sectors, in humanitarian and development contexts.

Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) is an institutional priority for UNICEF and partners because children, adolescents and families experience mental health and psychosocial concerns across geographical regions.  The COVID-19 crisis also exacerbated existing vulnerabilities, especially in relation to the provision of mental health and psychosocial services to survivors of violence. The Nigeria Country Program for 2023 – 2027 has therefore identified MHPSS as a priority area for children, caregivers, parents and young people, building upon existing programming through child protection, health and education with a focus on addressing violence against children, sexual violence and harmful practices such as FGM and child marriage and other children in need of care and protection. This is also well reflected in the Global UNICEF Child Protection stratagic plan for 2021 – 2023.

The provision of mental health and psychosocial support care in Nigeria is limited in scope as the country has few psychologists and professional counsellors, most of whom are urban based.  And yet, many children, adolescents and their families face challenges that affect their emotional and psychosocial wellbeing and who require support. According to UNICEF (2021) , 1 in 6 young people aged 15-24 surveyed  in Nigeria said they often felt depressed, had little interest in doing things, or were worried, nervous or anxious.  Some of the emotional and psychological challenges among adolescents is due to child protection violations including sexual abuse. Nigeria has high rates of sexual assaults on children, disproportionately affecting girls, including those of very young age.

UNICEF and many partners (government and NGO) have identified technical capacity gaps to provide the needed technical support for the provision of quality mental health psychosocial support services offered to women, children and other vulnerable populations at federal and state levels.  Areas of focus to be covered by this consultancy include strengthening interventions and services as part of a systems approach to MHPSS across development and humanitarian settings, leveraging and building on existing MHPSS programming and coordination across education, health and child protection, capacity building and community engagement consistent with UNICEF’s MHPSS Technical Note (2019) and the Global Multi-Sectoral Operational Framework (2022). 

• Support to Child Protection, Education and Health sectors to deliver efficient and effective community-based psychosocial support services in selected states as part of MHPSS system strengthening.
• Technical support to Child Protection, Health and Education sectors to achieve the following components in their workplans.
• Roll out capacity building for key actors and staff from child protection, health and education on MHPSS programming
• Advance Cross-Sectoral MHPSS work: Ensure linkages between MHPSS and case management in health, education and child protection. This also includes review and technical inputs for cross-sectoral work that includes MHPSS identification and referrals (such as between education and child protection for in-school and out-of-school children and between child protection and health for identification and referrals that relate to MHPSS).
• Create Awareness on MHPSS: Identify target groups and existing evidence from across the three sectors and counterparts to develop of focused advocacy messages on MHPSS to: (a) raise awareness on mental health and psychosocial well-being across education, child protection and health sectors; (b) to strengthen self-care and childcare, and care-seeking behaviors of the target audience, and (c) consider messaging that reduces stigma for survivors of sexual violence, people with mental health conditions among others.
• Strengthen knowledge management and resource mobilisation: Contribute to funding proposals, programme briefs, human-interest stories and presentations to support MHPSS programming in Nigeria and across the above-mentioned sectors.
• Any other MHPSS activities that relate to advancing MHPSS across child protection, health and education systems in the above-mentioned activities in consultation with the concerned supervisor and Chiefs and technical specialists.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) or academic background in social sciences; psychology; international development; public health or similar relevant discipline
• A minimum of 8 years of relevant professional experience in MHPSS programming, project coordination and management for children and adolescents, including in humanitarian contexts.
• Solid knowledge and understanding of health and social work systems, humanitarian principles, child safeguarding measures and established international standards on mental health and psychosocial support for children and adolescents.
• Solid knowledge on gender programming, adolescent girls’ programming an asset.
• Strong coordination, organizational and facilitation skills both face to face and remotely with diverse stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience with multi-sectoral programme design and knowledge management, including remote coordination.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently while coordinating closely with different teams.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.

Deadline: 14 Jul 2023