Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Associate

Benefits

Additional Information

Deadline for Applications June 28, 2026 Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based) E (most hardship) Family Type (not applicable for home-based) Non Family with Residential Location Staff Member / Affiliate Type UNOPS LICA6 Target Start Date 2026-06-23 Terms of Reference A. General Background The Melkadida operation located in the extreme southeast of Ethiopia bordering Kenya and Somalia, has hosted Somali refugees since 2009. UNHCR, RRS and WFP, together with humanitarian partners, continue to deliver essential life saving assistance, protection, and solutions across the five refugee camps; Bokolmanyo, Melkadida, Kobe, Hilaweyn, and Buramino, which accommodate approximately 220,000 refugees as of May 2026. Over the years, UNHCR and its partners have supported access to primary healthcare, nutrition services, disease prevention, mental health and psychosocial support, as well as water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services. However, challenges remain in ensuring equitable access to quality public health services, disease surveillance, outbreak response, and the sustainability of health interventions for both refugee and host communities. In line with the 2019 Refugee Proclamation, the Makatet (Inclusion) Roadmap, and broader Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus objectives, UNHCR Melkadida is advancing a deliberate transition from parallel humanitarian health service delivery towards full inclusion of refugees within Ethiopia's national and regional health systems, Central to this ambition is the progressive handover of five health facilities currently supported by UNHCR and humanitarian partners to Somali Regional State and woreda health authorities, while safeguarding service quality, access, and equity for both refugees and host communities. In Melkadida, refugees and host communities continue to face significant psychosocial distress driven by conflict exposure, displacement-related trauma, family separation, poverty, food insecurity, gender inequalities, harmful social norms, substance use, and limited access to specialized mental health services. Women, children, youth, persons with disabilities, older persons, and survivors of violence remain particularly vulnerable, highlighting the urgent need for strengthened integrated and community-based MHPSS interventions. Purpose and Scope of Assignment The MHPSS Associate will support the implementation of mental health and psychosocial services within the health inclusion initiatives in Melkadida. The incumbent will work within a multidisciplinary team to ensure coordinated and holistic MHPSS programming integrated across health, protection, GBV, child protection, education, nutrition, and community-based protection sectors. S/he will provide technical and strategic support to government institutions, UN agencies, and partners through coordination, capacity strengthening, implementation of scalable interventions such as mhGAP, Problem Management Plus (PM+), Self-Help Plus (SH+), and sociotherapy, strengthening referral pathways, suicide prevention and response activities, and promoting sustainable integration of MHPSS within regional health and protection systems. The MHPSS Associate will: - Support the implementation of quality Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) interventions integrated within public health and protection programming, in line with UNHCR operational guidance and international minimum standards, to enhance refugees' inclusion and access to national MHPSS services. - Support the facilitation and implementation of scalable MHPSS interventions, including but not limited to mhGAP, Problem Management Plus (PM+), Self-Help Plus (SH+), and community-based sociotherapy approaches. - Assist in strengthening the capacity of staff, partners, health workers, and community structures through training, mentorship, and technical support on MHPSS-related interventions and referral pathways. - Support community-based approaches including capacity strengthening initiatives. - Support the identification, coordination, and implementation of suicide prevention and response activities, with technical guidance from MHPSS specialists and relevant technical personnel. - Support the health facility transition and handover process by working closely with RRS, woreda health offices, and Somali Regional Health Bureau to progressively integrate MHPSS services into government-managed facilities. - Provide technical support and facilitate capacity transfer to government health staff at facility level, ensuring continuity and quality of MHPSS services during the transition to government-led delivery, including mentoring on mhGAP and scalable interventions. - Contribute to the development and implementation of transition plans, with a focus on strengthening integration of MHPSS into primary health care in line with national standards, and institutionalize referral pathways within government systems. - Contribute to the assessment, monitoring, and