Key Responsibilities
A. MH PSS Program Position Summary
The MH PSS Supervisor will be responsible for supervising, coordinating, and monitoring the implementation of mental health and psychosocial support activities to ensure the delivery of safe, accessible, inclusive, and quality services to targeted communities.
The position holder will work closely with psychosocial counsellors, community workers, health facilities, local authorities, community leaders, and project staff to ensure that MH PSS activities are implemented in accordance with approved project plans, organizational policies, relevant technical guidelines, and established ethical standards.
The MH PSS Counselor will provide technical guidance to staff, support capacity building, monitor service quality, promote community awareness, ensure appropriate referrals, and maintain timely and accurate documentation and reporting.
and Coordination
- Supervise and coordinate the implementation of mental health and psychosocial support activities in assigned areas.
- Ensure that MH PSS activities are implemented according to approved project work plans, schedules, objectives, and technical standards.
- Conduct regular field visits to monitor service delivery and provide technical support to counsellors and psychosocial support staff.
- Coordinate with health facilities, community workers, local authorities, community leaders, and relevant stakeholders.
- Ensure that staff perform their duties in accordance with approved guidelines, protocols, and professional standards.
- Identify operational challenges and recommend appropriate solutions.
- Support the planning and implementation of community-based psychosocial support activities, awareness sessions, and outreach services.
- Participate in coordination meetings with project staff and relevant stakeholders.
- Promote equitable access to MH PSS services for women, children, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups.
B. Technical Support and Capacity Building
- Provide technical guidance and supportive supervision to counsellors, psychosocial workers, and other relevant project staff.
- Identify staff training needs and support the organization of capacity-building activities.
- Conduct supportive supervision visits and provide constructive feedback to improve staff performance.
- Support the delivery of structured psychosocial support activities in accordance with approved project approaches.
- Promote psychological well-being, positive coping strategies, social support, and community resilience.
- Ensure that staff understand the principles of confidentiality, informed consent, dignity, non-discrimination, and respectful communication.
- Support the appropriate identification of individuals who may require specialized mental health or other services.
- Ensure that staff work within their professional competencies and refer cases requiring specialized care to qualified service providers.
C. Monitoring, Quality Assurance, and Referral
- Monitor the quality, accessibility, and effectiveness of MH PSS services delivered under the project.
- Review activity records, attendance sheets, referral records, and reporting documents for completeness and accuracy.
- Track progress against project indicators, approved targets, and work plans.
- Identify gaps in service delivery and recommend corrective actions.
- Support routine monitoring, data verification, feedback collection, and quality improvement activities.
- Ensure that referral pathways are identified, updated, and used appropriately.
- Monitor the safe and confidential handling of sensitive information and case-related records.
- Report serious service delivery concerns, operational risks, and protection issues through established organizational channels.
D. Community Engagement and Psychosocial Awareness
- Support community mobilization and awareness activities related to mental health, psychosocial well-being, stress management, and positive coping mechanisms.
- Coordinate with community leaders, community volunteers, health workers, and other stakeholders to improve community participation.
- Promote understanding of mental health and help reduce stigma and discrimination against people experiencing psychosocial distress or mental health conditions.
- Encourage the meaningful participation of women, children, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups in appropriate activities.
- Support the identification and referral of individuals requiring additional assistance in accordance with approved procedures.
- Promote respectful, culturally appropriate, and non-discriminatory communication with community members.
- Ensure that community engagement activities respect local context while upholding human rights and individual dignity.
E. Reporting and Documentation
- Prepare regular weekly, monthly, and other required MH PSS activity reports.
- Maintain accurate records of supervision visits, awareness sessions, psychosocial activities, referrals, and staff performance.
- Compile and review activity data and ensure timely submission of reports.
- Document achievements, challenges, lessons learned, and recommendations.
- Provide supporting information and documentation for project monitoring and donor reporting.
- Ensure confidentiality and secure handling of personal, psychological, and other sensitive information.
- Immediately report serious incidents, safeguarding concerns, and other critical issues through established reporting channels.
F. Safeguarding and Professional Conduct
- Ensure compliance with SDCO policies, including safeguarding, Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), prevention of harassment, and child safeguarding where applicable.
- Promote a safe, respectful, inclusive, and confidential environment for service users, community members, and staff.
- Protect the dignity, privacy, rights, and safety of all individuals receiving MH PSS services.
- Maintain professional boundaries and ensure ethical conduct among supervised staff.
- Ensure that staff understand confidentiality requirements and the limits of confidentiality in situations involving serious safety risks or mandatory reporting obligations.
- Report safeguarding concerns through established organizational procedures.
- Promote accountability, informed consent, non-discrimination, and a survivor-centred approach when responding to protection-related concerns.
Qualifications and Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Counselling, Social Work, Public Health, or another relevant field from a recognized institution.
- A relevant postgraduate qualification in Psychology, Mental Health, Psychosocial Support, or a related field will be an advantage.
- At least 3–5 years of relevant professional experience in mental health, psychosocial support, counselling, community-based protection, or related humanitarian or development programs.
- Previous experience supervising counsellors, psychosocial workers, or community-based teams is highly desirable.
- Good knowledge of mental health and psychosocial support principles, community-based approaches, and referral systems.
- Knowledge of psychological first aid, stress management, psychosocial support approaches, safeguarding, and confidentiality.
- Experience in monitoring activities, reviewing program data, and preparing narrative reports.
- Strong organizational, supervisory, communication, coordination, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to work effectively with community representatives, health professionals, local authorities, and project teams.
- Good computer skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel, email, and internet use.
- Fluency in Dari and/or Pashto.
- Good English reading, writing, and communication skills.
- Ability and willingness to travel to project implementation areas when required.
- Commitment to confidentiality, safeguarding, PSEA, accountability, human rights, and professional ethics.
Languages
- Dari: Excellent
- Pashto: Good/Excellent
- English: Basic/Good working knowledge
