The Position:

Papua New Guinea (PNG) faces a significant and growing burden of mental health and psychosocial challenges, compounded by high levels of gender-based violence (GBV), sorcery-accusation-related violence (SARV), collective violence, substance abuse, poverty, disasters and fragile service systems. Women and girls are disproportionately affected, particularly those living in rural, remote, underserved, and disaster-affected areas.

Mental health services in PNG remain limited, centralized and under-resourced. There is a shortage of trained mental health professionals, weak referral systems, limited community-based psychosocial support, and persistent stigma surrounding mental illness and help-seeking. Survivors of GBV and SARV often experience trauma, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicidal ideation and social isolation, yet have limited access to survivor-centred, confidential and culturally appropriate counselling services. Sorcery accusation-related violence continues to pose a severe human rights and mental health crisis, particularly for women, widows, older women and persons with disabilities. Survivors frequently experience long-term psychological harm, displacement, and loss of social support networks. Without coordinated psychosocial support, legal protection and community norm change, cycles of violence and trauma persist.

Papua New Guinea’s mental health system is governed by the Mental Health Act 2015, which provides the legal framework for mental health services, patient rights, and treatment conditions, including provisions on voluntary and involuntary admission, treatment protocols, and the management of people with mental illness within the justice system. The Act replaced outdated legislation and established a Mental Health Tribunal to safeguard patient welfare and address abuse; however, its implementation has faced significant challenges, including limited resources, weak alignment with other legal and service systems, and gaps in care for children and adolescents. Ongoing constraints in infrastructure and service availability—particularly in specialised facilities and provincial services—have limited the full realisation of the Act’s intent, and as of early 2025, discussions are ongoing regarding its repeal or reform as part of broader efforts to strengthen mental health service delivery and accessibility nationwide.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the leading United Nations (UN) agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan 2026-2029 reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. 

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff who embody these international norms and standards and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates who transform, inspire and deliver high-impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, and exceptional in managing the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

 

Job Purpose:

UNFPA PNG seeks to engage and international consultant to support the strengthening of MHPSS policy and programming within the humanitarian-peace-development nexus in the Upper Highlands provinces of PNG – Enga, Hela, Southern Highlands and Western Highlands. 

The consultant will strengthen the capacity of health and social service providers by integrating specialised MHPSS into primary healthcare and provincial-level social services. Activities will include a MHPSS needs assessment and resource mapping, policy analysis of the mental health policies, operationalizing MHPSS information, counselling and referral systems, training and TOT on Psychological First Aid (PFA) and Psychosocial Support (PSS), improved psychosocial counselling at Family Support Centres (FSCs), and providing mentorship to TOT participants. The consultant will review and strengthen psychosocial counselling services provided by implementing partners — NCFR and the PNG Counsellors’ Association – to ensure sustainability. 

The consultant will also work collaboratively with the National Department of Health, the Mental Health Directorate, National Department for Community Development and Religion, the National Department of Education, Provincial Health Authorities, NGO partners, bilateral and multilateral donor agencies to enhance stand alone and integrated MHPSS programming. The consultant will take an integrated approach by integrating activities in GBV, SRHR, peacebuilding, youth and humanitarian interventions.

You would be responsible for:

Under the direct supervision of the UNFPA Peacebuilding Manager / GBV Programme Specialist and in collaboration with UNFPA programme and operations staff, the consultant will undertake the following responsibilities between 1 April and 31 December 2026.

Submission of specific deliverables will be completed in accordance with the agreed milestone schedule. The Supervisor will determine acceptance of deliverables. Milestone payments will be made upon submission and acceptance of deliverables.

Milestone 1: Inception & Assessment Tools (15 days)

Tasks

• Conduct initial consultations with UNFPA and key stakeholders to develop an inception report that includes a detailed workplan. 
• As a part of the inception report, design data collection tools for the Mental Health Needs Assessment and Resource Mapping. 

Deliverables

• Inception note outlining methodology and detailed workplan.
• Finalised data collection tools for the Mental Health Needs Assessment and Resource Mapping.

Milestone 2: Mental Health Needs Assessment & Resource Mapping (20 days)

Tasks

• Conduct a desk review of national and provincial mental health policies, plans, and relevant programme documents, including the Mental Health Act 2015 and other relevant policies with MHPSS provisions, including the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence, the SARV Action Plan, and the Lukautim Pikinini Act.
• Engage with the National Department of Health and the Mental Health Directorate at the national level. 
• Undertake targeted field consultations in Enga, Hela, Southern Highlands, and Western Highlands to engage with Provincial Health Authorities and implementing partners to identify implementation gaps and practical actions to strengthen application of MHPSS policies. 
• Map existing MHPSS services (government, NGO, faith-based, and community-based). 
• Analyse findings to identify service gaps, training needs, best practices, underserved populations, priority needs, and integration opportunities with GBV, SRHR, youth, peacebuilding and humanitarian programmes.

Deliverables

• Mental Health Needs Assessment and Resource Mapping Report covering National, Enga, Hela, Southern Highlands, and Western Highlands.
• Provincial service mapping matrix (Excel).
• Documentation of consultations and meetings with all stakeholders.

 

Milestone 3: MHPSS Policy & Systems Strengthening (30 days)

Timeline: May–July 2026

Tasks

• Develop a MHPSS systems strengthening action plan outlining priority actions, referral pathways and coordination mechanisms.
• Develop or revise practical SOPs and referral pathways for MHPSS service delivery, aligned with national policy and legal requirements. 
• Facilitate a validation meeting with national and provincial stakeholders to present the Mental Health Needs Assessment and Resource Mapping Report, MHPSS Systems Strengthening Action Plan and SOPs with MHPSS referral pathways. 

Deliverables

• MHPSS Systems Strengthening Action Plan. 
• Draft or revised SOPs and referral pathways for MHPSS service delivery.
• PowerPoint Presentation for validation workshop. 
• Workshop report with key outcomes. 

 

Milestone 4: Training Packages & Regional ToT – Mount Hagen (25 days)

Timeline: May – July 2026

Tasks

• Review training curricula for the Mental Health Directorate, Laloki Psychiatric Hospital, Nazareth Centre for Rehabilitation (NCFR), and PNG Counsellors Association (PNG CA) and provide suggestions for improvement. 
• Develop draft Training of Trainers (ToT) package focused on Psychosocial First Aid (PFA) and Psychosocial Support (PSS).
• Conduct one Regional ToT workshop in Mount Hagen (Upper Highlands focus).
• Incorporate feedback from Regional ToT participants.
• Develop and implement a structured mentorship framework for counsellors and frontline MHPSS providers (including ToT participants), outlining supervision modalities, case consultation mechanisms, quality assurance processes, and timelines.
• Initiate mentorship sessions (group and/or individual) for Regional ToT participants in accordance with the mentorship framework.

Deliverables

• Provide suggestions for improving curricula for Mental Health Directorate, Laloki Psychiatric Hospital, NCFR, PNG CA. 
• Draft Training of Trainers (ToT) package.
• Regional Training of Trainers delivery report – Mount Hagen.
• Mentorship framework and schedule for counsellors and frontline MHPSS providers (including ToT participants).

 

Milestone 5: National ToT, Finalised Training Packages & Mentorship Roll-Out (50 days)

Timeline: July–October 2026

Tasks

• Conduct the National Training of Trainers workshop in Port Moresby.
• Finalise training curricula, facilitator guides, and ToT package based on feedback from both the Regional and National ToTs.
• Initiate mentorship sessions (group and/or individual) for National ToT participants in accordance with the mentorship framework.
• Continue mentorship sessions with regional ToT participants. 

Deliverables

• National Training of Trainers delivery report – Port Moresby.
• Finalised training curricula, facilitator guides, and ToT package.

Milestone 6: Mentorship Completion & Final Close-Out (10 days)

Timeline: October–December 2026

Tasks

• Continue structured mentorship support and consolidate learning.
• Prepare final documentation and consolidate all outputs.
• Ensure handover of all tools, materials, datasets, and training packages.

Deliverables

• De-identified mentorship session records.
• Mentorship summary report with recommendations for ongoing support. 
• Final consolidated consultancy report (including all annexes).
• Formal handover of all tools, curricula, SOPs, referral pathways, and datasets.

Note: All deliverables must be accepted by UNFPA before payment can be made. UNFPA will request revisions of deliverables as needed before acceptance of deliverables for payment.

Place where services are to be delivered:

• Home-based

• Papua New Guinea: Port Moresby, Hela, Enga, Southern Highlands, Western Highlands  

Monitoring and progress control, including reporting requirements, periodicity format and deadline:

• The consultant is expected to provide a weekly update of the work progress to the Supervisor throughout the consultancy. 

Supervisory arrangements:

• You will report directly to the UNFPA Peacebuilding Manager/GBV Programme Specialist responsible for the project.
• The consultant is required to provide weekly progress updates to the UNFPA Peacebuilding Manager/GBV Programme Specialist.
• Interim review meetings will be scheduled before deliverables are submitted. 
• Final deliverables and payment will be subject to UNFPA’s acceptance and feedback. 
• All deliverables should be provided electronically unless otherwise agreed.

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education:  

• Master’s degree required; Doctoral degree (PhD or PsyD) strongly preferred in Clinical Psychology, Psychiatry, Clinical Social Work, Mental Health, Public Health, or a closely related field.
• Clinical training and formal supervision credentials or equivalent professional accreditation in a relevant mental health discipline.

Knowledge and Experience: 

• Minimum 7 years of progressive professional experience in mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), including active clinical practice providing direct services to individuals and communities affected by trauma.
• Demonstrated experience providing clinical supervision is required, including structured supervision of counsellors, psychologists, social workers, or lay psychosocial workers, with responsibility for ethical oversight, quality assurance, and case review.
• Proven ability to design and implement supervision frameworks, supervision tools, and mentoring systems appropriate for low-resource and humanitarian settings.
• Demonstrated experience working alongside or within multidisciplinary clinical teams, including close collaboration with psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, and allied health professionals.
• Strong grounding in evidence-based trauma-informed approaches, with experience applying multiple trauma treatment modalities appropriate to diverse cultural and humanitarian contexts.
• Demonstrated experience delivering psychological first aid and community-based psychosocial support, including in humanitarian emergencies or post-conflict settings.
• Demonstrated experience designing, adapting, and delivering training curricula and Training of Trainers (ToT) programmes, including supervision-focused training components.
• Strong knowledge of the IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings and their practical application across the humanitarian–peace–development nexus.
• Demonstrated understanding of protection, GBV, SRHR, youth, peacebuilding, and humanitarian programming, and the integration of MHPSS across these sectors.
• Experience engaging with government institutions and national mental health systems, including policy dialogue, systems strengthening, and alignment with legal and regulatory frameworks.
• Prior experience working at the international level, preferably in humanitarian or fragile settings and in the region.
• Experience and knowledge of GBV and Sorcery-Accusation Related Violence (SARV) in Papua New Guinea preferred.

Languages: 

• Fluency in oral and written English is required.
• Knowledge of Tok Pisin or other local languages is an asset.

Required Competencies: 

Values:

• Exemplifying integrity, 
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system, 
• Embracing cultural diversity, 
• Embracing change

Core Competencies: 

• Achieving results,
• Being accountable,
• Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
• Thinking analytically and strategically,
• Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,

Functional Competencies:

• Promoting accountability and results-based management, 
• Organizational awareness, 
• Promoting organizational learning and knowledge sharing, 
• Building strategic alliances and partnerships, 
• Internal and external communication and advocacy for results.

Compensation and Benefits:

• This consultancy offers an attractive fee as per UNFPA IC Policy
• Any official mission travel will be organized by the office covering DSA and tickets as per applicable travel policies.

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

 

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts. 

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.