MHPSS Officer at Street Child

Reports To: Project Manager
Duty Station: Monguno, Borno State
Contract Term: 5 months with possibility of extension
Working Hours: Monday to Thursday 8:30am - 5:15pm, Friday 8:30am - 1:30pm
Gross Salary: NGN 588,790.78 monthly

About the Job

The MHPSS Officer supports the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) unit to enhance the quality of interventions for conflict-affected children in Northeast Nigeria. The role involves providing clinical support to children in distress, managing Street Child’s Child Help Desks across project locations, and ensuring strong coordination with the Child Protection team. The officer will travel to field sites as required and may be expected to adapt working hours during humanitarian emergencies.

Key Responsibilities:

• To support the MHPSS unit to oversee quality improvements in Street Child’s mental health and psychosocial support interventions for children affected by the conflict in NE Nigeria
• To assist the MHPSS unit in providing clinical intervention to children in distress.
• Manage all street child Nigeria child help desks across all project locations
• The MHPSS Officer is required to travel to field sites as recommended by the CP manager
• In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

Key Areas of Accountability:

• Support to MHPSS programming activities across projects.
• Provide support, in the MHPSS Programming which includes:
• Ensuring assistance is provided to children affected by the conflict in a dignified, respectful, equitable, and inclusive manner that supports their resilience
• Assisting children in acute distress and alleviating their stress, for instance ensuring that all staff/partners are trained on PFA and feel confident to use it
• The mainstreaming of inter-agency guidelines (e.g. IASC MHPSS guidelines) and standards (e.g. CPMS) across the different sectors of program activities delivered by SC and its partners
• The use of structured and manualized MHPSS techniques
• The participation of parents and caregivers in MHPSS activities
• Support structured MHPSS activities for groups of boys and girls of different age groups, with particular attention to survivors of SGBV, unaccompanied children, and other children who present with signs of poor mental health and distress
• Identify MHPSS service providers and agree on referral pathways for children with severe mental disorders

Proposed Outputs:

• Individual counseling sessions with children and beneficiaries where required to discuss complex cases.
• Be available on call/skype if any urgent matters arise that a staff would like to share regarding their casework or his/her well-being
• Monthly progress reports to the CP manager to highlight needs and gaps.
• Development of peer/reflective practices with teams
• Support current MHPSS practices, reflecting on a cross-sectoral approach.
• Structured MHPSS activities for boys and girls, organized in age-appropriate groups with a clear
• Ensure the database of all MHPSS responses is backed up on a bi-weekly basis.
• He/she will undertake any role or responsibility assigned by the child protection program manager.

Reporting:

• Keep the Child Protection Programed Manager informed on the activities of the project by providing relevant correspondence, reports, and meeting minutes as well as making regular updates.
• Responsible for prompt submission of all reports to the Child Protection Program Manager.
• Work closely with implementing partners to prepare and submit reports on approved frequency to the Programmed Manager.
• Supervise the partners’ PSS facilitators to ensure regular follow-up of MHPSS response.
• Identify gaps in service provision to children with special attention to UASC and CAAFAG and proactively refer and advocate for those gaps to relevant in coordination with the CP Manager.

Key Relationships: 


• Responsible for coordination and liaising between Street Child and local partners/other agencies/local government/local communities/displaced community, as regards Street Child’s Child Protection program in conjunction with the Program Manager.
• Country Leadership Team (CLT), Senior Management Team (SMT), Department Managers and Technical leads
• Third-party vendors and service providers.
• National partner organizations, Community members and other key stakeholders in project locations.

Person Specification:

• Excellent interpersonal and listening skills with honesty and confidentiality; ability to deal tactfully and discreetly with situations, people, and information.
• Strong self-starter and independent work ethic, with the capacity and motivation to deliver results while working independently.
• An energetic team player who can effectively collaborate, and who can stand alone when necessary.
• Commitment to Street Child’s mission, vision and values, and the ability to convey with enthusiasm Street Child’s role in accompanying and serving forcibly displaced people and in advocating for their right to protection and a life in dignity.
• Acceptance of diversity and inclusion as a core value.
• Willingness to work in flexible, sub-optimal, stressful and unstable environment. Willingness to travel through the country to different states.
• Alignment with Street Child’s 4P’s – Purpose, People, Performance, Partnership – in approach to everyday work duties.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Social Sciences, Psychology, Social Work, Development Studies, or a related field.
• Minimum of 2 years’ proven experience in child protection, case management, or reintegration programming, preferably within national or international humanitarian/development NGOs.
• Strong skills in community engagement, psychosocial support, and working in conflict or post-conflict contexts.
• Innovative, solutions-oriented, and equipped with sound analytical, conceptual, and strategic thinking abilities.
• Demonstrated commitment to humanitarian principles, child safeguarding, and reintegration of vulnerable groups including Children Associated with Armed Groups (CAAFAG). values
• Commitment to Street Child’s mission, vision, and values.
• We value high integrity, honesty, confidentiality and willingness to work in a flexible, dynamic, and challenging environment.
• Acceptance of diversity and inclusion as core principles.

Required Skills:

• Excellent Communication Skills: Strong verbal, written communication abilities and experience in report writing.
• Organizational Skills: Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities efficiently.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite: Including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Team Player: Ability to work collaboratively within a team environment.
• Proficiency in English (Spoken proficiency in the local language is an added advantage). 
• Strong relationship-building skills with external partners.
• Flexibility to handle changing circumstances in donor-funded projects.
• Excellent organization with attention to detail.