Mental Health and Psychosocial Well-being Consultant, Health Section, 2 years, Cairo, Egypt (Nationals only), Home based with travel

Duty station: Cairo

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.

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For every child, the right to health

How can you make a difference?

The consultancy will be carried out under the overall guidance of the Section Chief of Child Survival and Development, and directly managed by the Health Specialist. The consultant will support the implementation of the UNICEF Egypt MHPSS strategic plan, including the implementation of the Helping Adolescent Thrive initiative.

The consultant will support the provision of technical support on the MHPSS agenda and facilitate coordination and engagement with focal points across Education, Child Protection, ADAP, SBC and other relevant sections, as well as with key partners and subject matter experts. This will help ensure that quality MHPSS programmes for children, adolescents and caregivers are effectively implemented and scaled up through systems strengthening efforts. 

The objective of the consultancy is to support the Evolution and Scale-Up of HAT methodology. The overall objective will be achieved through the following sub-objectives:

•Identifying the mental health issues that are a high priority and need to be addressed and provide detailed guidance to support implementation, with a focus on describing sectoral roles and recommendations to strengthen a multi-sectoral mental health system;

•Identifying and updating the required legislative, strategy, policy, capacity building steps and changes to ensure a multi-sectoral mental health system;

•Engaging actors in the health, social welfare and child protection and education sectors at all levels of society to design, implement and evaluate mental health and psychosocial support strategies that shall be context-relevant, comprehensive and sustainable.

The consultant will work under the Health Specialist in advancing the MHPSS agenda across the following three interrelated work areas: 

•            Strategic planning, technical guidance and systems strengthening

i) National multisectoral MHPSS Strategy and Action Plan 2026–2028: Provide technical support to MOHP/GSMHAT and relevant partners for the development, consultation and endorsement of a national multisectoral strategy and costed Action Plan on MHPSS for children, adolescents and their caregivers. The strategy and Action Plan should be informed by relevant national evidence and international MHPSS standards and good practices.

ii)Technical oversight of the implementation of HAT activities across relevant UNICEF sections and with external stakeholders, ensuring alignment with the agreed Action Plan/ strategy

iii)Technical support for integrated MHPSS service delivery: Support the integration and delivery of MHPSS services through primary health care and other relevant sectors, including education, youth and sports, and child protection. Participate in regular technical meetings with government entities, academia, NGOs and other partners t

•            Stakeholder engagement, coordination and collaboration

iv)Provide technical support for advocacy, outreach and communication activities aimed at strengthening awareness and knowledge of mental health and psychosocial well-being among children, adolescents, caregivers and communities.

v)Participate in monthly coordination meetings with government and implementing partners and prepare regular progress reports documenting implementation progress, agreed actions and emerging challenges.

•            Monitoring, reporting, documentation and institutional learning:

vi)Provide technical support to GSMHAT/MOHP to strengthen information systems and facilitate data collection and research to monitor the implementation and outcomes of national multisectoral MHPSS actions and HAT.

vii)Conduct monitoring visits to selected facilities where training packages and MHPSS services are being implemented and prepare visit reports identifying progress, implementation challenges and recommended follow-up actions.

viii)Document the implementation process and prepare success stories illustrating different components and results of the programme.

ix)Final consultancy report: Submit a comprehensive final report consolidating the activities undertaken, deliverables completed, progress achieved, challenges encountered, lessons learned and recommendations for follow-up.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:  External ToR TMC0007103.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have...

Minimum requirements:

• Education:
  • A master's degree with a medical background is a must. Holders of additional postgraduate degree in Mental Health will be favored.

• Work Experience:

• • At least 8 years of considerable experience in working in Mental Health and psychosocial support programming.
  • Experience working with primary health care, and mental health promotion and prevention beyond the health sector, and public health.
  • Experience working with international organizations or donor supported programs is highly desirable. Direct experience working on MHPSS with a UN agency an asset.

• Language Requirements:
• Fluency in both written and spoken Arabic and English is a must
• Knowledge/Expertise/Skills
• Good presentation, communication, and writing skills.
• Excellent command of working with Microsoft applications and other computer programs analytical skills are an asset.
• Desirables:
• Range and depth of relevant experience: Experience in mental health, health research health program implementation with focus on primary healthcare, data analysis, and monitoring and evaluation systems is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. 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. We offer reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal, TMS (Talent Management System):

• An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
• Cover letter
• A separate financial proposal (only acceptable in the format of the linked template)  Financial proposal TMC0007103.xlsx