MHPSS Assistant

Job Posting Organization:
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is one of the leading humanitarian and development organizations in the world. Established over 80 years ago, the IRC has been at the forefront of humanitarian initiatives aimed at helping people uprooted by war, persecution, and civil conflict, providing vital support to help populations survive and rebuild their lives. The IRC's Emergency Preparedness and Response Unit (EPRU) leads global emergency preparedness and response activities, with a mission to address immediate survival needs and reduce the suffering of populations affected by conflict or disasters during the acute phase of emergencies.

Job Overview:
The MHPSS Assistant is an integral member of one of IRC's mobile teams, tasked with providing direct mental health and psychosocial-support" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">psychosocial support (MHPSS) services at the community level and in supported health facilities. The role involves delivering Psychological First Aid (PFA), facilitating individual and group psychosocial support sessions, assisting in the adaptation and implementation of MHPSS curricula, training and supervising community focal points and psychosocial assistants, and contributing to feasibility assessments and standard operating procedures (SOPs) necessary for safely conducting MHPSS activities in the context of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak. The MHPSS Assistant works closely with social workers, the integrated protection lead, and health and RCCE colleagues within the mobile team to ensure a coherent, survivor-centered, and do-no-harm approach to psychosocial well-being in the Ebola response.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Direct provision of MHPSS services: Provide Psychological First Aid (PFA) to individuals in need, including those affected by EVD, survivors, bereaved families, and contacts, in accordance with WHO/IASC PFA guidelines and adapted protocols for EVD. Facilitate individual and group psychosocial support sessions for affected individuals, including EVD survivors, female-headed households, bereaved families, isolated individuals, and other vulnerable groups, adapting modalities to ensure compliance with IPC measures. Implement adapted MHPSS curricula for women and children, integrating EVD-specific considerations and safe facilitation approaches in terms of IPC. Organize and facilitate peer support sessions to promote resilience, reduce isolation, and create safe spaces for affected community members to share their experiences. Provide psychosocial support to individuals in need, including EVD survivors, to facilitate community reintegration and reduce stigma. Ensure dissemination of information about available MHPSS services, ensuring accessibility for disabled individuals and marginalized groups.
• Needs assessment and mapping: Contribute to assessing the psychological needs of populations affected by EVD in targeted areas, paying particular attention to marginalized groups (women, children, disabled individuals, internally displaced persons). Support the mapping of available mental health, psychosocial, protection, and assistance services for vulnerable populations to establish, maintain, and regularly update appropriate referral pathways; ensure this service mapping is accessible to all frontline protection and health staff, and that a referral protocol to specialized mental health care is in place and operationalized. Conduct feasibility and risk assessments prior to any activity involving gatherings and support the development and implementation of IPC-safe SOPs for all MHPSS activities, in coordination with the mobile team's health and IPC staff.
• Capacity building and community structures: Train and supervise MHPSS focal points in supported health facilities and community psychosocial assistants (PSAs) on PFA, basic psychosocial support principles, psychosocial impacts related to EVD, and safe referral pathways. Provide ongoing coaching, structured observation, and mentorship to PSS focal points and PSAs to ensure quality and consistency of psychosocial support services. Strengthen the capacities of PSS focal points and community actors to detect and refer individuals showing signs of acute distress, GBV, or child protection concerns, in coordination with the social worker. Support PSS focal points and community actors to disseminate context-appropriate psychosocial messages that address stigma and encourage help-seeking behaviors.
• Safe space management – if necessary: Support the layout, equipment, and safe operation of safe spaces and designated areas for psychosocial support, ensuring compliance with social distancing and IPC measures. Ensure that safe spaces are accessible, dignified, inclusive, and suitable for individuals with specific needs (disabled individuals, pregnant women, children). Conduct ongoing risk assessments related to the operation of safe spaces and report any concerns to the integrated protection lead.
• Referral and integration: Identify individuals with protection needs (GBV, child protection, general protection) during MHPSS activities and refer them promptly and safely to the affiliated social worker. Receive referrals from social workers and other mobile team members for individuals requiring MHPSS support and ensure timely follow-up. Ensure continuity of psychosocial support for referred individuals between services, including follow-up and supporting smooth transitions between PFA and more structured support. Coordinate with IRC health staff within the mobile team to support referrals to mental health services for individuals showing signs of more severe mental disorders.
• Coordination: Participate in joint community engagement activities alongside the IRC RCCE team, helping communities manage their fears, combat stigma, and understand available services; coordinate with RCCE colleagues on harmonized messaging to ensure that MHPSS and protection concerns are integrated into community awareness activities. Maintain close coordination with affiliated social workers to ensure integrated and seamless care for individuals with both protection and psychosocial needs; actively participate in mobile team coordination meetings. Develop and actively maintain working relationships with community leaders, local authorities, community protection structures, PSS focal points, and other service providers in the assigned area.
• Administration and reporting: Maintain accurate, complete, and confidential records of all MHPSS activities. Compile and submit weekly activity reports and data to the integrated protection lead within agreed timelines. Contribute to MEAL activities, including data collection, monitoring feedback mechanisms, and supporting quality assessments for MHPSS programming. Keep records of community PSS focal points and trained and supervised PSAs, and document capacity-building activities.
• Protection from exploitation and abuse, integration of protection and IPC: Comply at all times with all IRC protection policies, the IRC Way (Code of Conduct), and protection integration standards. Strictly adhere to all established IPC protocols for the Ebola outbreak response during all MHPSS activities — including in health facilities, communities, and safe spaces — ensuring appropriate use of PPE, safe distancing, and hygiene measures tailored to each activity modality. Ensure that all MHPSS activities are conducted in a manner that prioritizes the safety, dignity, and autonomy of participants, paying particular attention to do-no-harm principles in an EVD-affected context. Maintain strict confidentiality of all psychosocial session content and individual information, ensuring data is handled in accordance with IRC's data protection and information management standards. Proactively identify and report safeguarding and PSEA/SEA concerns through IRC's established reporting channels, and promote community awareness of available safe reporting mechanisms. Support the training of community actors on protection principles, EVD-specific psychosocial risks, and PSEA complaint mechanisms.
• Other: Participate in all training and briefing sessions organized by IRC or response coordination mechanisms. Monitor security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security conditions in activity areas and promptly report any concerns or incidents to the integrated protection lead. Act professionally and personally in accordance with IRC's humanitarian mission and values. Carry out any other tasks assigned by the supervisor in support of the Ebola response.

Required Qualifications:
Minimum required qualifications include a Bachelor's degree in psychology, social work, social sciences, mental health, education, or a related field. A minimum of 1–2 years' experience in MHPSS programming, psychosocial support facilitation, or related activities in humanitarian or development settings is essential. Demonstrated understanding of minimum MHPSS standards, PFA principles, and IASC guidelines on mental health and psychosocial support in emergencies is required. Experience in facilitating group psychosocial support sessions or structured programs for affected adults and/or children is strongly preferred. Experience in Ebola response or other epidemic contexts is an advantage. Experience in training and/or supervising volunteers or community focal points is also an advantage.

Educational Background:
A Bachelor's degree in psychology, social work, social sciences, mental health, education, or a related field is required for this position. This educational background is essential to ensure that the candidate has the necessary theoretical knowledge and practical skills to provide effective mental health and psychosocial support in a humanitarian context, particularly in response to the unique challenges posed by the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 1–2 years of relevant experience in MHPSS programming, psychosocial support facilitation, or related activities within humanitarian or development settings. This level of experience is crucial as it ensures that the candidate is familiar with the complexities of providing mental health and psychosocial support in crisis situations, particularly in environments affected by conflict or disease outbreaks. Candidates with experience in facilitating group sessions or structured programs for affected populations, especially in the context of epidemics, will be given preference, as this demonstrates their ability to effectively engage with vulnerable communities and address their psychosocial needs.

Languages:
Fluency in French is required for this position. Additionally, proficiency in relevant local languages of Ituri (such as Swahili, Lingala, or other local languages) is also required to effectively communicate with the affected populations. Knowledge of English is considered an asset, as it may facilitate communication with international colleagues and access to additional resources and training materials.

Additional Notes:
The position is likely to be full-time, with a focus on providing immediate support in response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak. The role may involve working in challenging and rapidly changing environments, requiring flexibility and resilience. The IRC is committed to safeguarding and protecting the welfare of children and vulnerable individuals, and all staff are expected to adhere to the organization's policies regarding protection from exploitation and abuse, as well as to promote a culture of safeguarding within the communities they serve. Compensation and benefits details are not specified in the job ad, but candidates can expect to receive a competitive salary and benefits package commensurate with their experience and qualifications.