Clinical Impact: Mental Health, Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Officer at Action Against Hunger - MY NGO JOBS

Clinical Impact: Mental Health, Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Officer

Location: Sokoto, Nigeria Reporting To: MHPSS Programme Manager Application Deadline: December 16th, 2025, 05:00 PM (Nigerian Time)

The Core Mission: Action Against Hunger

Action Against Hunger is dedicated to leading the global movement to end life-threatening hunger. For 40 years, we have been deploying holistic humanitarian and development solutions across nearly 50 countries. Our commitment goes beyond food to ensure the well-being of the whole person, making Mental Health and Psychosocial Support a vital component of our integrated approach.

We are seeking a highly skilled and compassionate MHPSS Officer to deliver specialized psychosocial interventions, build local capacity, and maintain the highest standards of care for vulnerable populations in Sokoto.

The Role: MHPSS Officer – Clinical Excellence and Capacity Building

As an MHPSS Officer, you are responsible for the clinical delivery, quality control, and direct supervision of psychosocial activities in the field. This role requires clinical competence, exceptional training ability, and adherence to strict confidentiality protocols.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

1. Direct Clinical Service Delivery and Quality (Core Mandate)

Assessment & Intervention: Conduct detailed psychological assessments and plan safe, appropriate individual and group therapeutic interventions for diverse beneficiaries (children, adolescents, adults, and persons with specific vulnerabilities).
Safety & Confidentiality: Ensure a strictly confidential and safe environment for all psychological interventions in various settings, including communities, schools, camps, and Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs). Maintain meticulous and confidential documentation of all clinical details in patient files.
Clinical Standards: Provide high-quality individual and group therapeutic sessions and activities, strictly following established ACF protocols and national standards, utilizing appropriate psychometric scales regularly.
Referral and Follow-up: Implement robust referral systems to specialized services (MHPSS, Health, Protection, etc.). Closely monitor the quality of care provided by external partnering agencies.
Staff Care: Provide essential psychological support to health workers and community helpers in line with ACF protocols, promoting resilience among frontline staff.

2. Training, Supervision, and Capacity Building

Training Development: Prepare and conduct high-quality trainings for non-specialists (e.g., general practitioners, nurses, midwives, health workers, psychosocial workers) on MHPSS, protection, and care practices, applying international standards (including mhGAP, PM+, IPT, Thinking Healthy).
Technical Supervision: Provide regular, on-the-job, and group supervision to trained non-specialists. This includes technical support, case management review, patient assessment guidance, and enhancing counselling skills.
Team Development: Contribute to the training and supervision of ACF psychosocial workers and teams from other departments, focusing on Psychological First Aid (PFA) and psychosocial/protection issues.
Clinical Governance: Actively participate in clinical and technical supervision sessions led by the Programme Manager and Head of Department, contributing monthly case studies for peer review.

3. Program Contribution and Monitoring

Protocol Development: Contribute to the design of sectorial guidelines, protocols, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and methodologies for tailored interventions.
Integrated Activities: Contribute to various project activities as defined by the Programme Manager, including multi-sectoral integrated activities, psychoeducation campaigns, needs assessments, and the identification of vulnerable groups.
Needs Evaluation: Permanently evaluate MHPSS and protection needs and gaps, report challenges, suggest project improvements, and proactively propose new interventions to meet emerging needs.
Data Integrity: Actively contribute to data collection, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis, ensuring the absolute confidentiality and integrity of all beneficiary information at all times.
ACF Representation: Collaborate actively with other ACF departments and contribute to external representation at the field level through coordination meetings (clusters and working groups) when requested.

Position Requirements

We are seeking a clinically grounded professional with direct experience in delivering mental health services within a humanitarian context.

Essential Qualifications:

Academic: Degree in Psychology or Counselling. A Master’s Degree or a qualification in Clinical Psychology or Mental Health Counselling is a significant asset.
Experience: Minimum of 2 years of professional experience in MHPSS, protection, and/or care practices, covering psychological assessment, counselling, case management, and referral.
Contextual Knowledge: Proven experience in a humanitarian context, working with vulnerable populations (IDPs, refugees, host communities), and adhering to MHPSS IASC, WHO, and community-based guidelines.
Training & Supervision: Demonstrated experience in training and clinical supervision of health workers and community members.
Communication: Excellent communication skills, with fluency (both spoken and written) in Hausa and English Languages is mandatory.
Mobility: Willingness and ability to travel frequently to remote areas where services may be limited.