Technical Specialist - (MHPSS) Mental Health and Psychosocial Support

About BRAC and BRAC Uganda

BRAC is a global leader in pioneering and scaling proven poverty solutions. Founded in 1972 in post-war Bangladesh as a small relief effort, it is now the world's largest Global South-led development organisation, reaching over 145 million people across Asia and Africa (www.brac.net / www.bracinternational.org).

BRAC International oversees all operations outside Bangladesh and operates a holistic, entrepreneurial model across social development, financial inclusion, and social enterprise. In Uganda, BRAC began its journey in 2006 and now works across 124 districts, partnering with 7.8 million people and providing quality health services to 4.2 million people and life-skills training to 275,000 young people. Key programmes in Uganda include Accelerating Impact for Young Women (AIM), Microfinance through BRAC Uganda Bank Limited, Social Enterprise in agriculture, Early Childhood Development and Education (including award-winning Humanitarian Play Labs for children aged 3-5), Health through 4,500+ community health workers, and the Ultra-Poor Graduation approach.

This role is particularly relevant to BRAC's Early Childhood Development, Health, and Humanitarian portfolio, supporting joyful learning and healing for children affected by trauma and displacement through psychosocial support.

Job Details

About the Project: The BRAC – LEGO Foundation partnership builds on BRAC's evidence-based Humanitarian Play Lab (HPL) model and is grounded in a shared commitment to inclusion, joyful learning, and scalable impact. This five-year global initiative aims to reach over 400,000 children affected by crisis and displacement across Uganda, Bangladesh, and other fragile contexts, demonstrating that even in the most challenging environments, children can not only survive but thrive through collective action and play-based learning interventions. In Uganda, this partnership will be implemented in the Rhino, Imvepi, and Bidibidi refugee settlements and the host communities of Terego, Madi-Okollo and Yumbe districts.

Job Purpose: Under the supervision of the Regional Manager, the Technical Specialist - MHPSS will provide technical expertise in community-based psychosocial support interventions to ensure mental health for 0 to 6 years old children, their parents, project staff, educators, Village Health Teams (VHTs) and relevant participants. This includes development of relevant MHPSS toolkits including screening checklists, training manuals, activity guides, referral forms, and monitoring tools to support the mental health and psychosocial well-being of children, caregivers, and communities, and organizing and facilitating training on MHPSS, Child Protection, GBV and SRHR to staff, educators, VHTs and project participants.

Duty Station: Arua, Northern Region, Uganda (Arua | Arua) Employment Type: Full-time Work Hours: 8 hours Industry: Professional Services Base Salary: Not Disclosed Reporting Line: Regional Manager Number of Positions: 1

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and pilot a community-based Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) model focused on improving the well-being of young children.
• Develop practical tools, guidelines, and approaches to strengthen children's social-emotional development and mothers' psychosocial well-being.
• Promote safe, supportive, and stimulating environments in home and ECD centre that foster healthy child development and emotional well-being.
• Develop practical guidelines and intervention packages to strengthen psychosocial well-being for children and their families.
• Design training modules, facilitator guides, and learning tools for VHTs, ECD educators, Para-counsellors, project staff, and project participants on GBV, SRHR, Child protection and PSS.
• Train BRAC staff, ECD facilitators, Village Health Teams (VHTs), ECD caregivers, community volunteers, and para-counsellors on basic MHPSS concepts and practices.
• Participate in District / Settlement Mental Health / Protection sector working group meetings.
• Establish and strengthen referral pathways between communities, ECD centres, health facilities, child protection services, and specialized mental health services.
• Refer complicated cases and follow up with other service providers including development partners, hospitals, police, among others.
• Promote capacity building of local stakeholders to sustain MHPSS interventions and referral mechanisms.
• Work closely with relevant local authorities, including OPM, RWCS, Local Government, community leaders, IPs, CBOs/RLOs and other stakeholders to ensure effective implementation of all planned activities.
• Contribute to developing MHPSS monitoring frameworks, indicators, and data collection tools.
• Safeguarding Roles: Ensure the safety of team members from any harm, abuse, neglect, harassment and exploitation to achieve the program's goals on safeguarding implementation; Act as a key source of support, guidance, and expertise on safeguarding to establish a safe working environment; Practice, promote, and endorse safeguarding policy among team members and ensure implementation of safeguarding standards in every course of action.

Qualifications, Skills and Requirements

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Psychology, Guidance and Counselling, Public Health, Mental Health or any related field. A Postgraduate Diploma (APGD) in related field is an added advantage.
• Experience: 4+ years of relevant professional experience in community-based psychosocial support interventions, with a focus on post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) and GBV. Must possess knowledge on child protection, counselling, SRHR, and demonstrated experience in training and supervising para-counsellors. Experience working in humanitarian settings with a recognized NGO is an added advantage.
• Experience in humanitarian or refugee settings.
• Knowledge of Early Childhood Development (ECD) programming.
• Familiarity with monitoring and evaluation of MHPSS interventions.
• Knowledge of PSS, safeguarding and child protection.
• Knowledge on GBV and SRHR.
• Knowledge on case management.
• Strong coaching, mentorship, facilitation and training skills; experience developing training materials, facilitators' guides, plans and concept notes.
• Documentation and reporting skills.
• Interpersonal and mobilization skills.
• Computer literacy.
• Excellent communication skills (written and spoken).
• Self-awareness, cultural sensitivity, flexibility and adaptability.
• Ability to work as a team, under pressure with minimum supervision.
• Level of Education: Bachelor Degree; Experience in Months: 12 (as listed) with 4+ years required for specialist level.
• BRAC is committed to safeguarding children, young people, and adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share the same commitment. Recruitment includes extensive background checks and disclosure of criminal records. BRAC is an equal opportunities employer.

Application Procedure

• Visit the official application portal: https://bracinternational.hire.trakstar.com/jobs/fk0ztfg?source=Job%20posting%20service
• Create an account or log in to the Trakstar Hire platform.
• Complete the online application form with accurate personal, education and experience details.
• Upload your CV, cover letter and any other requested supporting documents (only complete applications will be accepted).
• Submit your application before the deadline: Wednesday, September 16, 2026.
• Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
• Note: BRAC Uganda does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process. If you doubt the authenticity of any communication purportedly on behalf of BRAC Uganda, send an email to BRAC before taking further action.

Job Summary

• Job Category: Technician jobs in Uganda | Social Services & Nonprofit, Healthcare, Education
• Job Type: Full-time
• Deadline of this Job: Wednesday, September 16, 2026
• Duty Station: Arua | Arua (Arua, Northern Region, Uganda)
• Date Posted: Thursday, September 3, 2026 (Posted: 03-09-2026)
• No of Jobs: 1
• Application Link: https://bracinternational.hire.trakstar.com/jobs/fk0ztfg?source=Job%20posting%20service
• Location pin: Arua, Northern Region, Uganda