MHPSS Officer at Lindii Peace Foundation – Borno

Lindii Peace Foundation (LPF) is recruiting a full-time Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Officer in Borno State to provide community-based psychosocial assistance, psychological first aid, awareness and referrals for vulnerable and conflict-affected people.

Programme responsibilities

• Plan culturally appropriate and inclusive psychosocial activities in coordination with health, protection and humanitarian teams.
• Assess community mental health needs, barriers to services and available support networks.
• Provide basic psychosocial support and psychological first aid within professional competence; facilitate individual and group support and community activities.
• Organise awareness sessions on stress, emotional well-being, stigma and access to help.
• Engage caregivers, women, young people, community leaders and other stakeholders to strengthen local support structures.
• Identify people requiring specialist services and arrange safe referrals and appropriate follow-up with consent and confidentiality.

Coordination, training and reporting

• Maintain referral pathways with health facilities, mental health providers and protection organisations.
• Train and mentor volunteers and frontline personnel in psychological first aid and safe identification and referral.
• Collaborate with programme managers and MEAL colleagues on plans, indicators, participant feedback and reporting.
• Keep accurate, secure activity and case records and document learning, implementation gaps and progress.
• Apply safeguarding, PSEA, informed-consent, inclusion, confidentiality and do-no-harm standards throughout all activities.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Counselling Psychology, Social Work, Psychiatric Nursing, Mental Health or a relevant field.
• At least three years of relevant MHPSS experience, ideally in humanitarian or development programmes.
• Experience providing psychological first aid, group sessions, psychosocial awareness, referrals and support to vulnerable populations.
• Understanding of ethical practice, protection risks and the psychosocial effects of conflict and displacement.
• Strong community facilitation, communication, reporting, record-keeping and Microsoft Office skills.
• Ability to manage responsibilities independently in challenging humanitarian settings.

Desirable experience

• NGO, UN or emergency MHPSS programming, including work with children, survivors of violence and people with disabilities.
• Training in PFA, counselling or trauma-informed approaches and familiarity with IASC MHPSS guidance.
• Knowledge of referral networks in north-eastern Nigeria and relevant local languages.
• Monitoring and evaluation experience or a relevant postgraduate qualification.