Project Counsellor

Established on February 8, 2006, the Afghan Youth Services Organization (AYSO) is a multi-donor, multi-sectoral, non-political, and non-profit organization committed to empowering Afghan communities.

With operations spanning all 34 provinces of Afghanistan, including underserved and conflict-affected areas, AYSO works collaboratively with international agencies, government bodies, and local stakeholders to deliver inclusive, innovative, and sustainable solutions.

Guided by core values of independence, accountability, and professionalism, AYSO addresses critical challenges in health, nutrition, Food Security and Agriculture (FSAC), Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), Education, Protection, Youth Support, Gender, Infrastructure, Vocational Training, Social and Behavior Change (SBC) / Community Engagement and Participation, and emergency response.

Scope of Work:

The Counsellor will be primarily responsible for providing safe, confidential, gender-sensitive, and culturally appropriate psychosocial support and counselling services to women and girls accessing the Multi-Purpose Women’s Centre (MPWC) in Nangarhar. The Counsellor will support the identification of psychosocial needs, provide individual and group counselling as appropriate, conduct psychological first aid, facilitate safe referrals to specialized services, and contribute to an integrated support pathway connecting women and girls with protection, livelihood, literacy, and other MPWC services. The Counsellor will work closely with the Project Manager and relevant project staff to ensure that psychosocial support services are delivered in accordance with AYSO policies, UN Women requirements, professional ethical standards, safeguarding principles, confidentiality, informed consent, and the do-no-harm approach. The Counsellor will also contribute to outreach, awareness, case follow-up, documentation, monitoring, reporting, and coordination activities as required.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement counselling and psychosocial support activity plans in coordination with the Project Manager and relevant project team members.
• Provide safe, confidential, and culturally appropriate individual counselling and psychosocial support to women and girls accessing the MPWC.
• Provide group counselling, psychosocial support sessions, awareness sessions, and other appropriate structured activities for women and girls based on identified needs.
• Provide Psychological First Aid (PFA) and immediate basic psychosocial support to women and girls experiencing distress, crisis, or other psychosocial concerns.
• Conduct initial identification and assessment of psychosocial needs within the limits of the Counsellor’s professional role and competence.
• Identify women and girls who require specialized protection, mental health, medical, legal, or other services and facilitate safe and appropriate referrals in accordance with established referral pathways.
• Maintain confidentiality and ensure that informed consent is obtained before sharing personal or case-related information, except where mandatory safeguarding or protection procedures require escalation.
• Develop and maintain appropriate counselling records and case documentation in accordance with AYSO policies, professional standards, confidentiality requirements, and data protection principles.
• Conduct appropriate follow-up with referred beneficiaries, where safe and relevant, to assess whether they have been able to access required services.
• Work closely with the Project Manager and relevant MPWC staff to ensure that psychosocial support is integrated with livelihood, literacy and numeracy, outreach, protection, and referral services.
• Support the identification of women and girls who may benefit from livelihood, literacy, skills development, or other MPWC services and facilitate appropriate internal referrals.
• Coordinate with the project team to ensure that women and girls receiving counselling remain connected to appropriate support and referral mechanisms.
• Participate in mobile outreach activities and provide basic psychosocial support, awareness, identification, and referral services to women and girls in project communities as required.
• Conduct psychosocial awareness and information sessions on topics relevant to the needs of women and girls, including stress management, coping mechanisms, emotional well-being, available support services, and referral pathways.
• Promote a safe and supportive environment in which women and girls can seek assistance without fear of discrimination, stigma, retaliation, or breach of confidentiality.
• Apply gender-sensitive, trauma-informed, protection-sensitive, culturally appropriate, and do-no-harm approaches in all counselling and psychosocial support activities.
• Ensure that counselling services respect the dignity, choices, rights, privacy, and autonomy of women and girls.
• Immediately report serious safeguarding, protection, PSEA, abuse, exploitation, or other critical concerns through established AYSO reporting and referral mechanisms.
• Ensure full compliance with AYSO safeguarding, PSEA, code of conduct, confidentiality, child safeguarding where applicable, anti-discrimination, and data protection policies.
• Participate actively in case management and referral coordination meetings where required and within the limits of the Counsellor’s professional responsibilities.
• Maintain updated knowledge of available protection, health, psychosocial, legal, and other specialized services in Nangarhar to facilitate appropriate referrals.
• Establish and maintain professional working relationships with relevant service providers and referral actors in coordination with the Project Manager.
• Support awareness and community engagement activities to improve understanding of available psychosocial and referral services while ensuring that sensitive information remains confidential.
• Participate in relevant capacity-building, training, supervision, coaching, and professional development activities organized by AYSO or relevant technical partners.
• Participate in regular supportive supervision and technical review meetings with the Project Manager and relevant technical staff.
• Provide regular updates to the Project Manager regarding counselling activities, service utilization, emerging psychosocial needs, referral challenges, and other programme issues without disclosing unnecessary confidential information.
• Prepare accurate and timely activity reports, counselling summaries, referral reports, and other documentation as required, ensuring that personally identifiable information is protected.
• Support the MEAL team in collecting appropriate service-level information and monitoring data while maintaining confidentiality and ethical standards.
• Contribute to monitoring, learning, assessments, and documentation of lessons learned related to psychosocial support services.
• Maintain proper records of counselling sessions, group sessions, awareness activities, referrals, follow-ups, and other assigned activities.
• Ensure that counselling materials, forms, registers, and other relevant resources are properly maintained and securely stored.
• Conduct regular assessment of psychosocial support needs and communicate emerging trends and service gaps to the Project Manager.
• Support the project team in identifying barriers that prevent women and girls from accessing psychosocial, protection, livelihood, literacy, and other MPWC services.
• Participate actively in relevant meetings at the MPWC, provincial, and community levels.
• Coordinate closely with the Project Manager, Outreach Officers, Protection/Referral staff, MEAL staff, and other relevant project personnel to ensure integrated service delivery.
• Maintain professional boundaries and avoid undertaking activities outside the Counsellor’s qualifications, competence, or professional mandate.
• Conduct regular follow-up and supportive engagement with beneficiaries in accordance with approved procedures and professional standards.
• Support the proper closeout of counselling-related project activities, including completion of documentation, referral follow-up, records management, and reporting.
• Conduct risk identification related to counselling and psychosocial support activities and report significant concerns to the Project Manager.
• Perform any other relevant task as assigned by the Project Manager.

·       The Counsellor must hold a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Counselling, Social Work, Mental Health, or another relevant field from a recognized institution. A relevant Master's degree or recognized professional training in counselling, psychology, psychosocial support, or mental health will be an advantage.

·       The candidate should have at least 2–3 years of relevant professional experience in counselling, psychosocial support, mental health, protection, case management, or related services, preferably with national or international NGOs, UN agencies, or humanitarian/development programmes.

·       Experience working with women and girls, returnees, IDPs, refugees, crisis-affected populations, or other vulnerable groups will be highly preferred.

·       The Counsellor should demonstrate excellent communication, active listening, empathy, interpersonal, facilitation, and conflict-sensitive communication skills.

·       He/She should have strong skills in documentation and report writing and should be able to maintain accurate and confidential counselling records.

·       The candidate should have good communication skills in Pashtu and Dari/Persian. Working knowledge of English will be an advantage, particularly for reporting and professional documentation.

·       The Counsellor should have basic computer skills, including MS Word, MS Excel, and email communication.

·       The candidate should demonstrate a high level of professionalism, integrity, patience, empathy, respect, confidentiality, and commitment to the dignity and rights of women and girls.

·       The Counsellor should be familiar with the local context of Nangarhar and be willing to participate in community outreach and field activities in accordance with AYSO security procedures.

·       The candidate must be committed to AYSO's safeguarding standards and demonstrate zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, discrimination, exploitation, abuse, and other forms of misconduct.

Please submit CV to hr@ayso.org.af  
Applications after the closing date (12:00 AM) will not be accepted.
Please Indicate the position title and vacancy Number in the Subject Line otherwise your application will not be considered.
Please note that there is no telephonic inquiry and only shortlisted applicants will be contacted and called for an Interview.
AYSO zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. AYSO also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct.