Psychosocial Counsellor (PSS)

Role summary A Psychosocial Counselor, under the direct supervision of Child protection Officer in Samangan, provides direct mental health support, emotional care, and psychological first aid (PFA) to vulnerable children and their families. They identify at-risk youth, lead psychosocial support sessions, build coping strategies, and manage referrals to specialized medical or legal services. The Child Psychosocial Counselor is primarily responsible for providing psychosocial counselling to the project beneficiaries and targeted communities, case management, referrals and follow-up, PSS awareness raising, liaising with government and other key stakeholders, and conducting trainings. Daily psychosocial counseling and case management for Children at community level and/or in IDP/returnee settlements. The Psychosocial Counselor will provide psychosocial counseling, ensuring compliance with the data protection policy. Duties and responsibilities · To participate and facilitate weekly and monthly meetings with staff to review the Details Implementation Plan (DIP). · Provide individual and group psychosocial counselling to the project beneficiaries in Samangan target communities. · Ensure professional psychological assessment and support for all beneficiary cases and closely monitor and document the psychological recovery of cases. · Produce and maintain accurate records of the beneficiaries’ cases, keep all case documents locked/protected and confidential. · Provide referral of beneficiaries for additional assistance, as needed, to internal and external service providers. · Conduct psychosocial information awareness raising sessions in the targeted communities. · Engage the men and women of the community in discussions around women’s rights and gender-based violence. · Identify problems with GBV and access to services and provide recommendations to mitigate them. · Set up a monitoring system to evaluate the effectiveness and the impact of the planned individual and group psychological support on the beneficiaries. · Support/give training to staff on how to identify signs of possible abuse affecting the beneficiaries during intervention and encountered through outreach and awareness raising activities · Support/give training to other local actors and community members on psychological first aid (PFA), identification and referral of persons in need of psychosocial support, including principles of working with children and survivors. Provide support in needs assessment surveys for future protection programming. Job requirements PERSON SPECIFICATION It is essential that the post holder shows a good understanding and sympathy with Islamic values and principles as well as commitment to Islamic Relief Worldwide vision, mission and Protection as well as PSEA. Essential: Knowledge, Skills and Qualifications (Bullet Points) · University degree in Psychology with valid degree from the Ministry of Higher Education. · An understanding of the basic principles of humanitarian work, human rights, child protection, and the needs of most vulnerable communities in Afghanistan. · Interest in humanitarian work and human rights, ability and willingness to learn. · Ability to clearly express one’s thoughts, to analyze and present information clearly and concisely. · Ability to set priorities and show initiative, to work independently and as part of a team. · Strong organizational skills and attention to detail. · At least 2-3 years of work experience in Psychosocial counselling and case management preferably with IDPs/returnees. · Demonstrated strong experience working with vulnerable children, clients, including survivors at risk and victims of child abuse. · Strong knowledge of protection interviewing techniques and communicating with the affected population. · Familiarity with IASC Guidelines on Protection Support in Emergency Settings. · Understanding the protection/psychosocial/ educational needs of IDPs/returnees in Afghanistan. · Good knowledge of English. · Professionally understand (read and write) Dari and Pashto. Experience (Bullet Points) Psychosocial Counselor with 2–3 years of experience in case management, Psychosocial support for IDPs, returnees, and vulnerable children in Afghanistan. Skilled in survivor-centered approaches, protection interviews, and referral systems. Strong understanding of human rights, child protection, and IASC guidelines, with proven ability to communicate effectively and work in sensitive environments. Fluent in Dari and Pashto, with good English proficiency. Key Personal Qualities (Bullet Points) Desirable: · Got relevant training and experience of working with humanitarian/development sector/INGOs · Working knowledge of local languages Pashto and Dari). · High integrity with strict respect for confidentiality and Protection principles. · Good communication and interpersonal skills to build trust with communities. · Culturally sensitive with respect for human rights and protection standards. · Proactive, adaptable, and able to work effectively in teams or independently.