MHPSS Counsellor

Position Title: MHPSS Counsellor

2026-04-15 Kunar, Nangarhar Full Time 30

Job Location:	Kunar, Nangarhar
Nationality:	Afghan
Category:	Health Care
Employment Type:	Full Time
Salary:	As per the Tdh salary scale
Vacancy Number:	Tdh-024-2026
No. Of Jobs:	1
City:	Project Implementing Districts

Organization:	Terre des hommes (Tdh) Foundation
Years of Experience:	3 years of experience as MHPSS counselor or psychosocial counsellor.
Contract Duration:	5 Months
Gender:	Male/Female
Education:	Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Social Work, Counselling, Mental Health, or related field.
Close date:	2026-04-15

About Terre des hommes (Tdh) Foundation:

Context

According to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan released by OCHA for 2026, an estimated 21.9 million people—45 per cent of Afghanistan’s population—will require humanitarian assistance. This level of needs remains among the highest globally in a non-conflict setting. Humanitarian conditions continue to be driven by deep structural vulnerability, worsening food insecurity, and recurrent shocks, including climate-driven drought, large-scale returnee inflows, frequent earthquakes and floods, multiple disease outbreaks, and severe protection risks, especially for women and girls.

Mission

Terre des hommes, founded in 1960, is an independent, neutral and impartial Swiss organisation committed to bringing meaningful and lasting change to the lives of children and youth, especially to those most exposed to risks. We strive to improve their well-being and ensure the effective application of their rights as defined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other relevant human rights instruments. To make a difference, we focus on the areas of maternal and child health, children and youth migration, and access to justice. We aim to empower children and youth through active participation. We advocate for the respect of children’s rights, supporting them in voicing their needs and interests. We work in fragile and conflict settings, as well as in stable environments.

Tdh has been providing humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan for over 30 years, since 1995, and currently manages multiple projects in Kabul, Nangarhar, Kunar and Balkh with an outlook for geographic expansion. Our interventions incorporated multi-sectoral programme of protection, health, nutrition, food security and livelihood while maintaining the cross-cutting themes of child protection and WASH. Tdh’s programming approach maintains agility and flexibility to enable it to mobilise a response to emergencies which occur in this dynamic operating environment, including natural disasters and waves of displacement. The Country office is located in Kabul, supported by a coordination office in Jalalabad and several project offices in other provinces.

Tdh programming is context sensitive and guided by humanitarian principles and ‘do no harm’. All staff and beneficiaries are sensitised on prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) and safeguarding.

Job Descriptions:

Job Summary :

Under the direct supervision of the medical doctor in charge of the BHC or mobile health team, she/he will provide the following service.

The MHPSS Counsellor provides direct mental health and psychosocial support services to vulnerable populations affected by conflict, displacement, and emergencies.
The MHPSS counselor role is involves conducting individual and group counselling.
She/he will provide psychosocial assessment, community awareness, and capacity building, and refer clients to appropriate services.
The counsellor works in coordination with health and protection teams to support overall well-being and resilience.

Main responsibilities:

1. Mental Health & Psychosocial Support Services

Conduct individual and group counselling sessions to address stress, trauma, grief, and other psychosocial issues.
Provide psychological first aid (PFA) and emotional support to clients in crisis.
Use standard psychosocial assessment tools to identify needs, risks, and appropriate interventions.
Maintain confidential and secure case records and follow organisational data protection protocols.

Provide mental health and case management services, and consider the confidentiality and do no harm principle while providing case management.
Ensure all aspects of work are in line with Tdh MHPSS intervention guidelines, key aspects of Psychological First Aid (PFA), and relevant aspects of the IASC guideline

2. Referral & Case Management

Identify and refer clients to specialised services (medical, protection) as needed.
Strengthen and maintain referral pathways with relevant service providers.

3. Community Outreach & Awareness

Lead awareness sessions on mental health, coping strategies, stress management, and psychosocial wellbeing.
Engage communities to reduce stigma related to mental health issues.
Conduct community mobilisation activities in coordination with supervisors and partners.
Prepare and deliver training for the purposes of capacity-building on psychosocial support, including PFA and case management trainings, where appropriate

4. Reporting & Coordination

Prepare daily/weekly/monthly reports on counselling activities, referrals, and outreach and submit to the supervisor on a regular basis.

Child Protection

Child Protection: Use observation skills to detect any behavioural changes or specific vulnerability in children that may be a reason for concern and share these observations with the immediate supervisor and the social workers' team at joint weekly staff meetings to determine appropriate responses.
Ensure that all child protection-related activities are in line with child protection minimum relevant standards, and enhance program/activities based on CPMS.

Job Requirements:

Education :

Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Social Work, Counselling, Mental Health, or related field.
Nationally recognized MHPSS/psychosocial counselling certification/diploma is an advantage.

Experience / Skills :

3 years of experience as MHPSS counselor or psychosocial counsellor.
Working experience in rural areas of the country, especially in Nangarhar province.
Able to provide MHPSS individual and group counselling to the beneficiaries.

Languages:

Strong and effective oral and written communication skills in local languages.

Tdh General Code of Conduct and Ethical Policies :

Commits to promoting and complying with the Global Code of Conduct, systematically reporting any violations of the Code through Tdh's formal reporting mechanisms and dealing with any violations of procedures and processes appropriately.

Raises awareness of the Foundation of the risks of policy non-compliance, violence and abuse, and related rights, towards children, community members and our own employees.

Undertakes to comply with key ethical policies and guidelines, including the Safeguarding Policy, the Anti-Fraud and Corruption Policy, the Conflict-of-Interest Policy and other policies related to the prevention of terrorist financing and criminal activities, as well as workplace behavior.

Commits to putting values and principles into practice through exemplary behavior, in full compliance with the Code of Conduct, and always respecting established procedures and processes.

Commits to developing a compliant and enlightened management culture within the organization and in our work with children and the communities in which we operate.

Submission Guidelines:

Procedure:

Only complete applications (updated and accurate CV + covering letter) received through Tdh online application platform will be processed. It is essential that all information provided is complete, truthful and verifiable, as any discrepancies may affect your eligibility in the recruitment process.

Additional documents (diplomas, work certificates, etc.) will be requested at a later date.

Please note that

- Only applications submitted through the online platform will be considered. Applications submitted by email, in person, or through other means will not be accepted.

- Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the next stages of the recruitment process.

- Tdh upholds the principles of equal opportunity, diversity, and inclusion, and maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward any harm, abuse, or exploitation of children or vulnerable adults by staff, representatives, or partners.

- Female candidates and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. Tdh values the diversity, perspectives and contributions each individual brings to the team.

References :

Please note that all job offers will be subject to satisfactory references and checks (criminal record and anti-terrorism funding check). Terre des hommes will ask the Human Resources of previous organisations to provide references on any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment as well as fraud and corruption, during employment, or incidents under investigation at the time the candidate left employment.

Interested and qualified candidates are invited to apply through the Tdh online application platform via the following link:

https://jobs.tdh.org/en-GB/jobs/internal/3fa325df-d5e6-45bb-9cab-e5ee5325afd7