Officer, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (Mongbwalu, Beni/Butembo)

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian network, with 191 member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. IFRC uses the Triple R – response, resilience and respect – to deliver on Strategy 2030. IFRC responds to disasters and crises, ensuring timely, coordinated and locally led humanitarian action. IFRC supports its members in building community resilience in the areas of climate and environment, health and wellbeing, and migration and displacement. IFRC promotes respect for our fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality, including in our work on values, power and inclusion. The IFRC focuses throughout on our core mandate – our raison d’être – of strategic and operational coordination, humanitarian diplomacy, National Society development, and accountability.

IFRC is led by its Secretary General and has its Headquarters in Geneva and five regional offices in Africa (Nairobi); the Americas (Panama); Asia Pacific (Kuala Lumpur); Europe (Budapest); and MENA (Beirut) as well as representation offices, service centres and delegations across the globe.

The IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.

The Ebola outbreak, declared mid-May 2026, is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, with hundreds of suspected cases and hundreds of deaths reported across Ituri, South Kivu and North Kivu provinces. It began with clusters of unexplained deaths in early May and is spreading in a context of weak health systems, population movement, insecurity, and community mistrust, which together increase the risk of sustained transmission and cross-border spread to neighboring countries such as Uganda and South Sudan. The absence of an approved vaccine or specific treatment for this strain makes the outbreak particularly complex and heightens the urgency of rapid containment.

The IFRC is scaling up a national society‑led response centred on community engagement, surveillance, and infection control, supported by an emergency appeal. Red Cross volunteers are mobilized in affected areas to conduct door‑to‑door awareness, counter misinformation, encourage early care‑seeking, and support safe and dignified burials, key to breaking transmission. At the same time, the IFRC is coordinating closely with governments and partners, strengthening cross-border preparedness, mobilising resources and surge capacity, and supporting logistics, infection prevention control, and community-based surveillance to contain the outbreak and reduce regional spread.

The Officer for MHPSS will provide comprehensive technical expertise to the BVD operation in implementing and scaling quality mental health and psychosocial support for communities while strengthening systems to promote the well being of staff and volunteers. The position will report to the Health Delegate and receive technical guidance from the Regional MHPSS Coordinator, who will ensure close coordination with relevant advisors at the MHPSS hub. The MHPSS Officer will collaborate closely with the Democratic Republic of Congo Red Cross Society (CRRDC) and provide technical support to the IFRC cluster delegation as required.

This position will support the CRRDC to design, implement and continuously strengthen a sustainable, community-based MHPSS response that addresses immediate needs while building longer term capacity and systems. This includes supporting CRRDC to map needs, existing MHPSS services, referral pathways and coordination mechanisms: strengthening staff and volunteer capacities through training mentoring and supportive supervision; and support CRRDC to design, implement, monitor and adapt MHPSS interventions to ensure quality and relevance of approaches throughout the response – and longer term.

The MHPSS officer will also facilitate coordination and information sharing with Movement partners and other relevant stakeholders to promote a coherent and complementary MHPSS approach.

Regular travel throughout the operation areas, strong interpersonal skills and compassionate communication are required to engage with diverse communities and ensure impactful MHPSS service delivery

• Conduct assessments of MHPSS needs existing services, capacities, referral pathways, coordination mechanisms, service packages, and training and supervision systems to inform intervention design and implementation.
• Support CRRDC in designing and implementing, monitoring and continuously adapting community-based MHPSS interventions that are aligned with global standards, respond to the identified needs of communities and strengthen sustainable MHPSS systems within the National Society.
• Strengthen CRRDC capacity by developing and delivering training, mentoring and supportive supervision for staff, volunteers, psychologists and community facilitators on community-based MHPSS, Psychological First Aid (PFA), focused psychosocial support, and safe referrals.
• Establish and support facilitation of community-based MHPSS including psychoeducation, group-based support activities for adults and children, coping skills interventions and other focused psychosocial support activities, and community feedback processes to ensure services remain relevant and responsive.
• Strengthen systems for staff and volunteer well being by supporting the implementation of Caring for Staff and Volunteers approaches, including "Help the Helpers" sessions and other well-being initiatives.
• Develop and implement monitoring, evaluation, reporting and learning (MERL) systems to assess programme quality, effectiveness and impact; prepare regular progress reports; document lessons learned and good practices; facilitate reflective learning processes; and support the continuous adaptation and improvement of MHPSS interventions based on evidence and community feedback.
• Support CRRDC to develop and adapt tools and materials, such as psychoeducational guides and coping resource kits, to aid program implementation.
• Collaborate with the CRRDC, IFRC, Movement partners and other stakeholders to strengthen coordination, referral systems, service integration and complementary approaches, particularly in underserved areas.
• Represent the IFRC in technical MHPSS coordination forums and contribute to coherent Movement coordination and technical leadership throughout the response.
• Promote the integration of MHPSS, staff and volunteer well being, and cross-cutting themes—including Protection, Gender and Inclusion (PGI) and Community Engagement and Accountability (CEA)—across CRRDC programmes and organizational systems

Required

• University degree in psychology, social work, counselling, or a related mental health field.

Preferred

• Master's degree in a mental health field with a focus on clinical practice and patient interaction is an asset.
• Postgraduate training in public health

Required

• Minimum 3 years of hands-on experience in MHPSS programming, preferably in emergency or humanitarian settings.
• Proven experience in developing and implementing trainings and capacity building activities in MHPSS
• Minimum 3 years of practical mental health experience, involving direct client interaction with both individuals and groups. Examples include clinical practice, counseling, therapy sessions and others
• Experience of working for the Red Cross/Red Crescent and/or other humanitarian and development actors.

Required

• Knowledge in developing and implementing M&E frameworks, data analysis, for MHPSS programs
• Familiarity with trauma-informed care and community-based psychosocial support
• Strong understanding of international MHPSS standards and guidelines
• Understanding the needs of people with disabilities and the ability to provide inclusive MHPSS services.
• Proficiency in writing plans, project proposals, narrative reports
• Ability to work with diverse populations
• Knowledge in designing and conducting needs assessments and developing MHPSS program plans
• Flexible in responding to changing needs and fluctuating workloads and works well under pressure
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work well as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Good communication, cultural sensitivity and presentation skills
• Skills in training and developing staff
• Demonstrated core proficiency in (a) digital communication & collaboration, (b) basic digital content creation, (c) digital safety & security, (d) data literacy, and (e) problem solving with technology (including responsible use of AI assistants.
• Understanding of and commitment to IFRC’s mission and values.
• Fluently spoken and written English and French

Preferred

• Good command of another IFRC official language (Spanish or Arabic)
• Swahili will be an added advantage

Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability

Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust

Comments: Comments: We are recruiting for two local staff positions to be based in Mongbwalu and in Beni Butembo. Kindly include your preferred locality in your application.