[Hiring] Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Consultant @AGORA

Role Description

UNICEF Pacific in partnership with Solomon Islands Government (SIG) requires technical assistance to support the development of key mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) tools and guidance materials for use within education, health, and community and counselling systems. The assignment will contribute to strengthening mental health service delivery and workforce capacity across the health, education, and community sectors through the development of:

• Practical, contextually relevant, and evidence-informed training resources
• Professional standards and implementation guidance
• Curriculum content for teachers on children’s development and psychosocial needs
• Identification and support pathways
• Importance of teacher self-care to sustain safe and supportive learning environments
• Training and capacity building resources for health facility-based mental health personnel
• Training of Trainers (ToT) materials and related workforce development resources for mental health professionals

The consultant will provide technical leadership and hands-on support to strengthen:

• Teacher capacity
• School-based integration of MHPSS into teacher professional development programming
• Counselling systems in Solomon Islands

Qualifications

• Master’s University degree in Psychology, Social Work, Public Health, Mental Health, Education, or other relevant field is required.
• A minimum of 10 years of professional experience in mental health and psychosocial support, counselling, child and adolescent wellbeing, education or related systems strengthening is required.
• Fluency in written and spoken English and knowledge of local language would be an added advantage.
• Demonstrated experience in curriculum, teacher professional development or training material development for teachers, counsellors, social service providers or other frontline workers is required.
• Demonstrated experience supporting mental health, counselling or psychosocial support systems strengthening, including standards, professionalization, coordination mechanisms or institutional development, is required.
• Relevant experience working with government, UNICEF, international organizations or NGOs in the Pacific or similar contexts is highly desirable.
• Experience working in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), particularly in the Pacific region, would be an advantage.

Requirements

• Experience supporting multisectoral mental health or school wellbeing programmes.
• Experience in the UN system is desirable.
• Demonstrated experience in mental health workforce development, training systems, supervision frameworks or professionalization of health or counselling workforces is highly desirable.

Benefits

• Diverse opportunities for professional and personal development.
• Attractive compensation and benefits package.

Company Description

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence. At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence.