Position Title: MHPSS Counsellor (Maternity Cover)

Activation Date: 22 January, 2026   Announced Date: 22 January, 2026   Expire Date: 28 January, 2026

  • Job Location: Badakhshan
  • Nationality: National
  • Category: Health Care
  • Employment Type: Full Time
  • Salary: As Per ACF Salary Scale
  • Vacancy Number: ACF/AFG-2026-005
  • No. Of Jobs: 1
  • City: Shahr e Buzurg
  • Organization: Action Against Hunger
  • Years of Experience: At least 2 years’ experience in and familiarity in the field mental health and psychosocial support in emergency setting.
  • Contract Duration: one month (Extendable)
  • Gender: Female
  • Education: Bachelor’s degree in psychology or MOPH certificate for counselling
  • Close date: 2026-01-28
 

About Action Against Hunger:

Action Against Hunger (ACF) is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) that was created in France in1979. ACF has been active in Afghanistan in the medical, nutrition, food security, and water and sanitation fields since 1995.ACF improved access to health and nutrition services for the most vulnerable people, who live in remote areas without a localhealth system. In particular, the country team supported pregnant and breastfeeding women and children under five, who are atgreater risk of malnutrition. Nutrition programs rely on an integrated approach, addressing both primary and underlying causes, inorder to have a lasting impact on nutritional status. The country team worked at community level, in villages and at provincial level,strengthening the public health system. It also worked at national level to ensure reliable information about the nutritional situation reached the wider humanitarian community. Covid-19 prevention was integrated into all interventions and additional responseactivities were implemented, such as the disinfection of health facilities and public places, cash assistance, psychosocial support andthe distribution of hygiene kits to affected populations.

Job Description:

 Mission 1: Implement psychosocial support, care practices, protection services to beneficiaries

  • Assessment of needs of clients, developing an action plan with clients and supporting them to carry out
  • Respond quickly and effectively to clients who need urgent support ensuring their safety
  • Follow MHCP-GP guidelines, tools, protocols during counselling services for beneficiaries
  • Register clients and fill in the logbook, MHCP-GP register, and carry out initial assessments & screenings using validated tools, and fill out client intake forms / tools during and after sessions
  • Conduct psychoeducation (mental health) awareness sessions for beneficiaries
  • Provide psychological first aid (PFA) for one-off support for those in need
  • Provide 1:1 and group psychosocial support (counselling) sessions for beneficiaries in need
  • Identify appropriate IEC materials and ensure the use of it during the each sessions
  • Conduct group awareness sessions on child care practices, IYCF-E.
  • Improve and facilitate mother and child interactions, attachments and relationships by organizing group care practices stimulation sessions (baby bathing, baby massage, child-caregiver play)

Mission 2: Support the integration of MHCP-GP within nutrition and health intervention

  • Assess the capacity or potential of psychosocial services within health and nutrition services and contribute to improving these psychosocial services in the MHNT services with on and off site orientation
  • Provide on the job training session to health/nutrition staff on MHCP-GP topics, where possible
  • Assist teamwork and provide better team working environment with the health and nutrition staff
  • Identify the opportunities for lessons learned and evidence based adaption of programs

Mission 3: Referral of vulnerable cases to the pre-identified protection actors

  • Identify & refer those cases who need specialised attention to related actors via regularly updated service provider mapping
  • Support supervisor, D/PM to update service provider mapping bi-monthly
  • Inform the supervisor on weekly basis, the cases identified and provide follow-up of the cases
  • Ensure all forms are completed for input into the integrated referral database

Mission 4: Prepare all the material /reporting and documentation

  • Ensure all materials are ready (relevant equipment/toys, registers, forms etc.) before going to field
  • Keep all items in the field very well, after the field visit, clean, and prepare the using in coming day
  • Ensure good understanding and correct use of the client intake form, intake tools, and register
  • Update all reporting tools on daily basis and share with supervisor
  • Proactivity on proposing different possible solution to adapt and improve the activities
  • Ensure confidentiality is maintained and all sensitive information is managed securely, and shared only with relevant personnel
  • Keep and maintain a good filing system for all documents, for continued use (e.g. client intake forms, that you will continue to use for each session with this client)
  • Prepare daily / weekly / monthly reports as per guidance from supervisor and/or D/PM
  • Any other position related activities requested by supervisor and/or D/PM

 

Job Requirements:

Education (if relevant) and experiences expected:

  • Bachelor’s degree in psychology or MOPH certificate for counselling.
  • At least 2 years’ experience in and familiarity in the field mental health and psychosocial support in emergency setting.

Technical skills:

  • Good knowledge of MHPSS Basic helping skills.
  • Great ability in active listening skills
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skill
  • Good ability in clinical interview and understanding of their responsibilities regarding confidentiality.
  • Strong empathy and sympathy skills
  • Previous experiences working in mental health /gender /protection
  • Good team interaction and positive attitude
  • Good organization, planning and reporting skills are necessary
  • Continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge and innovate

Transverse skills:

  • Autonomy and flexibility
  • Fluent in local languages (Dari & Pashto) and English
  • High flexibility in deployment, possible with Mahram
  • Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and to multi-task when needed
  • Ability to manage working environment according to local culture
  • Good coordination, networking, inter-personal and relationship building skills
  • Experience with Microsoft Office (excel, word)

Managerial skills:

N/A

Submission Guideline:

Qualified and interested candidates should submit a cover letter and full CV with three Referees indicating the vacancy announcement to the address:

Human Resources Department ACF office or can also be emailed to: vacancies-bd@af-actionagainsthunger.org indicating the job tile and vacancy number of the position in the email subject line.

Eligible candidates are invited to apply by the earliest possible, until 28 Jan 2026. 

Qualified female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

Do not submit academic certificates with the application. These will be requested if the candidate is selected. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for the written test/interview.  

Action Against Hunger is an equal opportunity employer.  We strongly encourage women and people with disabilities to apply.  ACF has zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation, sexual harassment, and abuse (SEA).

Employment at Action Against Hunger is free of charge. Action Against Hunger does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process to the candidates. Therefore, please refrain of offering money or any other form of compensation to anyone claiming that they can secure you a job or assist you in the hiring process and this is strictly against our recruitment policy.  

Submission Email:

vacancies-bd@af-actionagainsthunger.org





 

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