MHPSS Specialist

Dedicated Women Social Services Organization (DWSSO) is a pioneering, women-led national non-governmental organization (NGO) headquartered in Kabul Province, Afghanistan, with a mission to empower women, strengthen community resilience, and alleviate poverty. Established in 2016 and registered with the Ministry of Economy (Registration No. 3969), DWSSO operates as a trusted partner in Afghanistan’s development landscape, bringing life-changing resources and opportunities to some of the country’s most vulnerable populations, particularly women, children, and youth. DWSSO’s robust presence spans Daikundi, Ghor, Nooristan, Zabul, Faryab, Paktika, Nangarhar, Balkh, Herat, and Helmand Provinces, with a Liaison Office in Kabul to facilitate national and international collaboration.

Our organization leads rights-based, inclusive initiatives that uplift marginalized Afghan communities through sustainable interventions in food security, vocational training, literacy, livelihood support, and social protection. With a focus on fostering self-reliance, economic empowerment, and social cohesion, DWSSO works to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and align with Afghanistan’s National Development Strategy, creating pathways out of poverty and toward dignified livelihoods.

Through strong partnerships with international donors, UN agencies, and local civil society networks, DWSSO integrates protection, gender equity, and accountability principles into every aspect of its programming. Our skilled personnel and established community relationships ensure effective, culturally sensitive service delivery across complex regions. As an active participant in key humanitarian clusters, DWSSO’s innovative approach and commitment to humanitarian values position us as a critical driver of sustainable progress and social change in Afghanistan.

Purpose of the Position:

The MHPSS Specialist will provide technical leadership, guidance, supervision, and quality assurance for DWSSO’s Mental Health and Psychosocial Support services. The position will support the integration of MHPSS into protection, GBV, health, nutrition, livelihoods, and community-based programming.

The MHPSS Specialist will strengthen field-level implementation, develop technical tools, support staff capacity building, ensure safe referral pathways, and promote survivor-centered, gender-sensitive, conflict-sensitive, and “Do No Harm” approaches. The position will also support monitoring, reporting, learning, and donor-compliant documentation of MHPSS activities. The attached MHPSS Specialist document highlights similar core functions including operationalizing MHPSS interventions, mentoring field teams, applying IASC standards, supporting MH GAP, PFA, Thinking Healthy, and referral mechanisms.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Technical Leadership and Program Quality

• Provide technical leadership for planning, implementation, and monitoring of MHPSS activities.
• Ensure MHPSS services are delivered in line with international standards, including IASC guidance, “Do No Harm,” confidentiality, informed consent, safety, dignity, and non-discrimination.
• Support integration of MHPSS into protection, GBV, child protection, health, nutrition, SRH, livelihoods, and community-based interventions.
• Develop and update technical tools, SOPs, referral pathways, supervision tools, training materials, and service protocols.
• Conduct regular program reviews, identify gaps, and recommend corrective actions to improve quality and coverage.

2. Capacity Building, Coaching, and Supervision

• Design and deliver training for PSS staff, counsellors, case workers, community mobilizers, and field teams.
• Provide coaching, mentoring, and structured supervision to frontline staff.
• Build staff capacity on Psychological First Aid, basic psychosocial support, case-sensitive communication, referral procedures, and community-based psychosocial activities.
• Support staff wellbeing and promote safe working practices for field teams.

3. MHPSS Service Delivery and Referral

• Ensure safe, confidential, and ethical psychosocial support services for women, girls, children, persons with disabilities, and vulnerable groups.
• Strengthen referral pathways between MHPSS, protection, GBV, health, legal aid, and livelihood services.
• Ensure services are culturally appropriate and accessible to women and marginalized groups.
• Support the development of community-based psychosocial support activities.

4. Monitoring, Reporting, and Learning

• Develop and use monitoring tools to track MHPSS service quality, outputs, outcomes, and beneficiary feedback.
• Maintain accurate and confidential records in line with data protection principles.
• Prepare monthly, quarterly, and final MHPSS reports.
• Document success stories, lessons learned, best practices, and field challenges.
• Support trend analysis and evidence-based recommendations for program improvement.

5. Coordination and Representation

• Coordinate with DWSSO program, protection, health, nutrition, livelihood, and MEAL teams.
• Support coordination with local authorities, community structures, service providers, and humanitarian actors.
• Represent DWSSO in relevant MHPSS, protection, GBV, or inter-agency coordination meetings when required.
• Contribute to proposal development and technical design of future MHPSS and protection programs.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Counseling Psychology, Public Mental Health, Social Work, Mental Health, or related field.
• Master’s degree is preferred.
• Certification in MH GAP-HIG, Psychological First Aid, Thinking Healthy, CBT-informed approaches, or other evidence-based psychosocial interventions is an asset.
• Minimum 8-10 years of relevant experience in MHPSS, protection, GBV, health, or humanitarian programming.
• Experience providing technical supervision and coaching to psychosocial support staff.
• Experience integrating MHPSS into protection, health, nutrition, SRH, GBV, or community-based programs.
• Strong experience in developing SOPs, training packages, referral pathways, supervision tools, and monitoring tools.
• Experience working with women, children, persons with disabilities, IDPs, returnees, and vulnerable communities.
• Experience working with NGOs, UN-funded programs, or humanitarian organizations is highly desirable.

Required Skills and Competencies

• Strong knowledge of MHPSS standards, IASC guidance, PFA, confidentiality, informed consent, and safeguarding.
• Strong understanding of protection, GBV, gender equality, and survivor-centered approaches.
• Ability to work in culturally sensitive and complex field environments.
• Strong training, facilitation, mentoring, and team leadership skills.
• Excellent reporting, documentation, and analytical skills.
• Strong coordination and communication skills.
• Ability to travel frequently to field locations.
• Fluency in Dari and Pashto is required.
• Good written and spoken English is required.

Personal Attributes

• Commitment to DWSSO’s values of gender equality, inclusion, accountability, dignity, and community empowerment.
• Respectful, confidential, and ethical approach to working with vulnerable people.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Strong problem-solving and teamwork skills.
• Commitment to safeguarding, PSEA, child protection, and “Do No Harm” principles.

Interested candidates should submit their applications (CV, Tazkera & Educational documents) by e-mail or in writing (marked confidential and clearly indicating on the sealed envelope the vacancy announcement number) to:

Email address: hr@dwsso.org