Mental Health and Psycho-Social Support (MHPSS) Analyst (HER Roster)

Host entity: UNFPA PHL

Volunteer type: National

Areas of expertise: Emergency preparedness, crisis response, Mental health, Humanitarian affairs, protection

Application deadline: 25/08/2026

Mission and objectives

UNFPA is the United Nations’ sexual and reproductive health agency. It works towards expanding choices and possibilities for women and young people to lead healthy and productive lives. This mandate is pursued through a focus on four interconnected outcomes: ending the unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal deaths; ending gender-based violence and harmful practices; and adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies.

Assignment context

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) has established the Humanitarian Emergency Response (HER) Roster to support speedy recruitment of qualified and motivated UN Volunteers for potential emergency response assignments. Candidates will be pre-screened based on their qualifications, experience, and suitability for the specific thematic or functional areas described in this Description of Assignment (DoA). Shortlisted candidates may remain in the UNV HER Roster for up to 6 months and be contacted should an emergency arise. Inclusion in the UNV HER Roster does not guarantee recruitment as a UN Volunteer. Selection and recruitment timelines will depend on the emergency occurrence, availability of candidates, and final approval by the UN host entity in accordance with Conditions of Service for UN Volunteers.

UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. The UNFPA Strategic Plan for 2026-2029 articulates the organization’s response to a complex global environment, providing a roadmap for resilience and renewal. It is designed to accelerate the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This mandate is pursued through a focus on four interconnected outcomes: ending the unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal deaths; ending gender-based violence and harmful practices; and adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies.

In the Philippines, UNFPA is implementing its five-year 9th Country Programme 2024-2028. The CP9 is tightly aligned with the mid- and long-term development goals of the Philippines and Ambisyon Natin 2040, as well as the global Agenda 2030 including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

As the lead UN agency for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), UNFPA supports national and local government partners in emergency response, ensuring the continuity of life-saving sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and gender-based violence (GBV) services during humanitarian emergencies. The Philippines is one of the world's most disaster-prone countries, experiencing frequent typhoons, floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, droughts, and disease outbreaks, in addition to recurrent humanitarian needs arising from armed conflict and displacement in parts of Mindanao. These emergencies disproportionately affect women, girls, adolescents, and other vulnerable populations by disrupting access to SRH services, increasing the risks of GBV, and exposing communities to protection concerns. Maintaining a roster of qualified humanitarian specialists enables UNFPA Philippines to rapidly deploy technical surge capacity to support preparedness, anticipatory action, emergency response, early recovery, and humanitarian-development-peace nexus programming, while ensuring the timely delivery of life-saving SRH, GBV, and population data interventions in coordination with government and humanitarian partners.

Task description

With guidance from and in close coordination with the Country Office (CO) Humanitarian and Programme units, the Mental Health and Psycho-Social Support Analyst will strengthen institutional and partner capacities, support inter-agency coordination, promote quality assurance and evidence-based programming, and contribute to preparedness and emergency response efforts. Depending on emergency response activation, the MHPSS Analyst may be deployed in one of the following locations: Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Bicol Region, Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas, and CARAGA Region.

The responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

A. Strategic Leadership and Programme Development
• Conduct rapid assessments of existing Mental Health and Psycho-Social Support (MHPSS) capacities, service availability, referral pathways, workforce competencies, coordination mechanisms, supervision systems, and quality assurance processes within SRH and GBV programming, and identify strategic, technical, operational, and systems-level gaps.
• Lead the adaptation, contextualization, design, and implementation of evidence-informed MHPSS interventions that are culturally appropriate, gender-responsive, age-sensitive, disability-inclusive, conflict-sensitive, and feasible for delivery by non-specialized humanitarian personnel under appropriate supportive supervision.
• Integrate MHPSS considerations throughout the continuum of SRH and GBV programming, including prevention, preparedness, response, recovery, and transition to longer-term systems strengthening.
• Develop technical guidance, implementation frameworks, standard operating procedures (SOPs), field manuals, job aids, training packages, supervision tools, implementation checklists, and information, education and communication (IEC) materials to support quality implementation of MHPSS interventions.
• Ensure that MHPSS programming is grounded in principles of protection, human rights, survivor-centred care, accountability to affected populations (AAP), leaving no one behind community engagement, and do-no-harm approaches.
• Support the development of transition and sustainability strategies that strengthen national ownership and institutionalization of MHPSS services within government systems and humanitarian response mechanisms.
• Identify opportunities to integrate digital technologies, tele-mental health, mobile applications, remote supervision platforms, digital learning systems, and other innovative approaches to improve access, quality, and continuity of MHPSS services in humanitarian settings while ensuring data privacy, ethical standards, and equitable access.
• Support emergency preparedness by strengthening national and sub-national capacities for MHPSS preparedness planning, contingency planning, emergency simulation exercises, surge readiness, and early recovery planning.

B. Capacity Development
• Design and implement comprehensive capacity strengthening programmes incorporating competency-based training, mentoring, coaching, supportive supervision, peer learning, case consultations, and post-training follow-up for UNFPA personnel, government counterparts, implementing partners, GBV service providers, healthcare workers, social workers, and community-based organizations.
• Strengthen the competencies of GBV caseworkers, case managers, health workers, and community responders to recognize and appropriately respond to common psychological reactions associated with trauma, grief, abuse, displacement, violence, stress, and loss, provide focused psychosocial support within their scope of practice, and facilitate timely referral to specialized mental health services for individuals experiencing severe mental health conditions or psychiatric emergencies.
• Lead inter-agency training programmes on Psychological First Aid (PFA), supportive communication, psychological safety, stress management, self-care, survivor-centred approaches, basic psychosocial support, and other evidence-informed MHPSS interventions.
• Strengthen the leadership and technical capacity of national institutions, local governments, civil society organizations, women's organizations, youth organizations, organizations of persons with disabilities, and community-based organizations to sustainably implement quality MHPSS programming.
• Support the development of structured supportive supervision systems, competency assessment mechanisms, certification processes where appropriate, and continuous professional development plans for humanitarian responders delivering MHPSS interventions.
• Build the capacity of humanitarian actors to safely identify, triage, and refer individuals requiring specialized mental health assessment and clinical management in accordance with established referral protocols.
• Promote staff care and organizational well-being initiatives for humanitarian responders through the development of staff support systems, stress management strategies, and organizational policies that reduce burnout and secondary traumatic stress.

C. Quality Assurance, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning
• Develop and strengthen monitoring, supervision, quality assurance, and continuous quality improvement systems for MHPSS programming, including competency assessment tools, supervision checklists, service quality indicators, routine monitoring frameworks, client feedback mechanisms, and programme performance dashboards.
• Conduct regular field monitoring visits, supportive supervision sessions, programme quality reviews, and implementation assessments to ensure fidelity to evidence-informed approaches and compliance with international humanitarian standards.
• Develop monitoring and evaluation tools that measure programme quality, effectiveness, acceptability, accessibility, coverage, equity, and beneficiary outcomes, and support the routine analysis and utilization of programme data for adaptive management.
• Review SRH and GBV interventions to ensure alignment with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Guidelines on MHPSS in Emergency Settings, IASC Guidelines for Integrating GBV Interventions in Humanitarian Action, Interagency GBV Case Management Guidelines, Sphere Standards, and other internationally recognized technical guidance.
• Analyze monitoring data, supervision findings, assessments, and operational learning to identify implementation challenges, capacity development needs, service gaps, and opportunities for programme improvement.
• Document lessons learned, promising practices, operational research findings, innovations, case studies, and technical guidance to strengthen organizational learning, knowledge management, and future humanitarian MHPSS programming.
• Prepare high-quality technical reports, donor reports, situation reports, briefing notes, assessment reports, presentations, and other programme documentation as required.

D. Partnerships and Coordination
• Represent UNFPA in inter-agency MHPSS coordination mechanisms and strengthen collaboration across the Health Cluster, Protection Cluster, GBV Sub-Sector, SRH Working Group, Child Protection Sub-Sector, government coordination platforms, and other relevant humanitarian coordination mechanisms.
• Contribute technical MHPSS expertise to inter-agency assessments, humanitarian needs overviews, response plans, strategic planning processes, appeals, and programme reviews.
• Strengthen coordination between MHPSS, SRH, GBV, protection, health, and community-based services to ensure integrated, person-centred, and survivor-centred programming.
• Map available MHPSS services and resources, strengthen referral pathways, develop referral protocols and triage mechanisms, and promote coordinated, timely, and needs-based referral systems for individuals requiring different levels of psychosocial and mental health care.
• Foster strategic partnerships with government agencies, UN entities, NGOs, academic institutions, professional associations, local organizations, and community networks to strengthen integrated MHPSS programming and promote localization of humanitarian response.
• Support resource mobilization efforts by contributing technical inputs to concept notes, project proposals, funding applications, donor engagement, and programme design related to MHPSS in the context of SRH and GBV.
• Advocate for the integration and prioritization of MHPSS within humanitarian policies, response plans, recovery strategies, and national emergency preparedness frameworks.
• Perform any other technical or programmatic duties assigned by the Supervisor that contribute to strengthening humanitarian MHPSS programming and emergency response.

Skills and experience

• At least five years (three years for master’s degree holders) of progressively responsible professional experience in Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), preferably with demonstrated experience in humanitarian emergencies, public health emergencies, or conflict-affected settings;
• Experience in GBV/MHPSS at an international level in a humanitarian context is an advantage;
• Demonstrated expertise in the IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings, IASC Common Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for MHPSS, Inter-Agency GBV Case Management Guidelines, Psychological First Aid, and other internationally recognized humanitarian standards;
• Experience working with UN agencies, humanitarian clusters, NGOs, or government emergency response systems is an advantage;
• Demonstrated experience in developing technical guidance, SOPs, training curricula, and implementation tools;
• Demonstrated experience of training, supervision, and mentoring of non-professional counselling staff;
• Ability to work within a team structure, maintain flexibility, and cope with a stressful workload;
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work within different cultural environments;
• Strong knowledge of humanitarian coordination mechanisms; and
• Strong cultural awareness and sensitivity.
• Knowledge of local dialects is an advantage.

Please refer to the Context section for details on the UNV Humanitarian Emergency Response (HER) Roster. Shortlisted candidates may be included in the UNV HER Roster for up to six months and contacted should a suitable emergency response assignment arise. Inclusion in the roster does not guarantee recruitment.

Competencies and values

• Accountability
• Adaptability and flexibility
• Creativity
• Judgement and decision-making
• Planning and organising
• Professionalism
• Self-management

Living conditions

The Philippines is situated in the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of about 7,641 islands that are broadly divided into three major island groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The capital city, Manila, sits within the urban area of Metro Manila which is strategically located in the middle of Luzon, on the eastern coast of Manila Bay and at the mouth of the Pasig River, sprawled over an area of 626 sq. km.

The local climate is hot, humid, and tropical. The average yearly temperature is around 26.5 °C (79.7 °F). There are three recognized seasons: The hot season or summer from March to May, the rainy season from June to November, and the cold season from December to February. Metro Manila is the business and geographic capital of the Philippines and a very modern city with amenities for modern living. Various living choices are available to suit one's budget. Manila is classified as “A” – the lowest hardship for a developing country posting—and all modern amenities (shopping malls, organic supermarkets, restaurants, food delivery, etc.) are available in the city. Traffic congestion and air pollution are challenges in the metropolis.
Housing is readily available and one should be able to find suitable permanent accommodation within two weeks. Price may range from P 15,000 to P 25,000 depending on the location and the type of accommodation one chooses (provincial accommodations are cheaper). Metered and fixed rate taxis are widely available in key cities nationwide. Jeepneys and buses are inexpensive ways of getting around in most places. A relatively-new, reliable public transport system called the Transportation Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) has been operating in Metro Manila; Grab is the leading TNVS company operating in the area.

The Pesos (PHP) is the official currency and is used for most transactions in the Philippines. ATM machines are easily available in urban areas. Banks are open from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Mondays to Fridays, with automated teller machines (ATM) operating 24 hours. Western Union has facilities in most towns, cities and provinces. Traveller’s cheques and major foreign currencies can be changed in most commercial banks and Central Bank dealers. They are also accepted in the majority of hotels, shops and restaurants. MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Diner's Club are widely accepted in major organizations across the big cities of the Philippines.

Entitlements of National UN Volunteer include Entry Lump Sum Allowance (USD350), Monthly Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) for National UN Volunteer Specialist in Manila, Philippines at PHP 53177.16*, Insurance Coverage (Comprehensive health, life, and malicious acts insurance); Annual Leave of 2.5 days per month; Access to UNV’s learning and career development resources; and Exit Lump Sum Allowance (USD120/1 month) payable upon successful completion of the assignment. For further information on the full entitlements, please refer to the following:
• You can check full entitlements at the duty station at https://app.unv.org/calculator.
• The complete UN Volunteer Conditions of Service is available at https://explore.unv.org/cos.

Full eligibility requirements, conditions of service and application instructions are available on the official UNV platform.