Mental Health & Psychosocial Support Officer (MHPSS Officer) job at save the children

JOB ALERT: SAVE THE CHILDREN INTERNATIONAL RECRUITMENT 2026

Position: Mental Health & Psychosocial Support Officer (MHPSS Officer)

Organisation: Save the Children International (SCI)

Location: Borno State, Nigeria

Job Category: Programme Operations

Employment Type: Full-time

Contract Duration: 6 months

Grade: 4

Application Deadline: 16 October 2026, at 14:59 UTC

ABOUT THE ROLE

Save the Children International is seeking a qualified Mental Health & Psychosocial Support Officer to support the implementation and monitoring of mental health and psychosocial support interventions for children, adolescents, caregivers and vulnerable communities in Borno State.

The successful candidate will help deliver quality psychosocial support activities, including Healing and Education through the Arts (HEART), strengthen community-based support services, build the capacity of staff and partners, and promote the integration of MHPSS into child protection, education, health, nutrition and emergency programmes.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Implement and monitor MHPSS activities, including HEART, psychosocial support groups, life-skills sessions and caregiver support activities.
2. Supervise psychosocial support interventions for children, adolescents, caregivers and communities.
3. Train and mentor facilitators, volunteers, teachers and community workers on HEART, Psychological First Aid (PFA) and basic MHPSS approaches.
4. Identify vulnerable children and caregivers and facilitate safe, timely referrals to specialised mental health, protection and social services.
5. Support MHPSS assessments, programme planning and integration across relevant humanitarian sectors.
6. Conduct field monitoring visits to ensure programme quality and compliance with established standards.
7. Collect, manage and report programme data while maintaining confidentiality and data protection.
8. Document lessons learned, success stories and good practices for programme improvement and donor reporting.
9. Coordinate with government authorities, community structures, schools, health facilities and implementing partners.
10. Promote community participation, resilience and awareness of mental health and psychosocial well-being.
11. Support staff well-being initiatives and encourage self-care among frontline workers and volunteers.
12. Uphold child safeguarding, Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), the organisational Code of Conduct and humanitarian principles.

QUALIFICATIONS

Applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree in one of the following fields or a related discipline:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Counselling Psychology
• Social Work
• Mental Health
• Psychiatric Nursing
• Public Health

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Candidates should have:

• At least 2–3 years of relevant experience implementing MHPSS programmes in humanitarian, development or community settings.
• Experience providing psychosocial support, case management, Psychological First Aid and referrals for vulnerable populations.
• Experience working with children, adolescents, caregivers, women and conflict-affected communities.
• Knowledge of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings.
• A strong understanding of community-based MHPSS interventions and safe referral pathways.
• Strong facilitation, training, communication and interpersonal skills.
• The ability to work effectively with diverse communities and stakeholders.

Previous experience with national or international NGOs, particularly in emergency or displacement settings, is desirable.

IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDING REQUIREMENTS

The successful candidate must comply with Save the Children’s child safeguarding policies, anti-harassment policy, health and safety procedures, equal opportunities policies and other relevant organisational standards.

The recruitment process includes rigorous background checks to support the organisation’s commitment to protecting children from abuse.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested and qualified candidates should review the full job description and submit their applications through the official Save the Children careers portal.

Application Link:

Apply for Mental Health & Psychosocial Support Officer

Deadline: 16 October 2026, at 14:59 UTC.

Applicants are encouraged to review the requirements carefully and submit their applications before the deadline.