Position details

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Vacancy id VAC-51647
Job title VAC-51647 Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Expert
Location Derna
Apply by 28-Mar-2026
Start date 15-Apr-2026
Duration 6 months
Number of vacancies 1
Qualification Master's degree in Clinical Psychology, Psychiatry, Social Work, Counselling Psychology, or related field. (essential).
Sector experience Minimum of 5 - 10 year/s of demonstrable relevant experience in post conflict and natural disaster (essential).
Geographical experience Minimum of 5 - 10 year/s of experience in MENA (essential).
Languages Fluent in English (essential).

Job description

CTG overview

CTG was established in 2006, almost 20 years ago, in Afghanistan. We currently operate in 35 countries and have approximately 11,500 staff members committed to good!

But do you know who we are? And what do we do?

We provide tailored Human Resources and Staffing Solutions that support critical global initiatives across Humanitarian and Development sectors, and are now strategically foraying into new industries, including Construction, Energy, and IT, with a focus on high-risk regions.

Here’s a list of services we offer:
•Staffing solutions and HR management services
•Monitoring and evaluation
•Fleet management and logistics
•Facilities management
•Sustainability and Communications Advisory
•Election monitoring and observation
•IT professional services
•Medical assistance

Visit www.ctg.org to find out more.
Overview of position

Libya continues to face a protracted crisis of missing persons resulting from decades of political repression, armed conflict, and institutional fragmentation. In Derna, the impact of past conflict dynamics was compounded by the September 2023 floods and collapse of the dams, which led to thousands of deaths and disappearances. Many families remain without confirmed information regarding the fate and whereabouts of their relatives.

Families of missing persons experience prolonged ambiguity, unresolved grief, social isolation, economic hardship, and psychological distress. Mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services in Derna remain limited, under-resourced, and insufficiently specialized in addressing ambiguous loss, trauma, and the specific needs of families of the missing.

Under the joint programme “Addressing the File of Missing Persons in Libya,” implemented by UNDP in partnership with UNSMIL and relevant Libyan institutions, UNDP seeks to recruit a Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Expert to provide structured, ethical, and culturally appropriate psychosocial support to families of missing persons in Derna while strengthening referral pathways and contributing to sustainable local capacity.
Role objectives

 

a)    Direct Psychosocial Support

·      Conduct psychosocial assessments for families of missing persons.

·      Provide structured individual counselling sessions.

·      Facilitate group support sessions focused on ambiguous loss, coping strategies, trauma stabilization and resilience-building.

·      Develop individualized support plans for high-risk or highly vulnerable cases.

b)    Referral and Coordination

·      Map available MHPSS, health, protection, and social services in Derna.

·      Develop and operationalize a referral protocol in coordination with UNDP and local partners.

·      Refer severe cases to specialized providers and follow up on referrals.

·      Participate in coordination meetings with relevant institutions and CSOs.

c)     Capacity Building and Community Engagement

·      Deliver training sessions for local CSOs, community workers, or social workers on supporting families of missing persons.

·      Develop psychoeducational materials in Arabic adapted to the Derna context.

·      Contribute to awareness‑raising sessions on psychosocial wellbeing and stigma reduction.

d)    Monitoring and Reporting

·      Maintain confidential case documentation in line with ethical standards.

·      Collect anonymized data on services provided.

·      Submit narrative and quantitative reports to UNDP.

·      Identify trends, challenges and recommendations to strengthen the programme.

 
Project reporting

Supervisions

The consultant will work under the supervision of the UNDP Rule of Law Project Manager and in coordination with UNSMIL Human Rights Section, relevant Libyan institutions including the General Authority for the Search and Identification of Missing Persons, and local CSOs in Derna.

Reporting

Apart from the report, the Contractor is expected to continuously liaise with the Project Team, and update them on progress, or any complications during the process.

The expert will ensure strict confidentiality and adherence to ethical standards in all interactions with beneficiaries.

Support by the Project Team

The Project Team will support the Contractor with transportation during their mission and accommodation and interpretation services during the workshops.

The consultant will participate in bi‑weekly coordination meetings and submit monthly progress reports including sessions conducted, referrals made, trainings delivered and progress against the workplan.

A monthly progress report will be submitted, detailing activities conducted, number of sessions, referrals made, trainings delivered, and progress against the workplan. The consultant must maintain timesheets and anonymized activity logs, which will be reviewed and approved monthly by UNDP.
Key competencies

Education

·      Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Clinical Psychology, Psychiatry, Social Work, Counselling Psychology, or related field.

 

Experience

·       Minimum 5 years of professional experience in MHPSS.

·       Demonstrated experience working with victims of conflict, trauma, or families of missing persons.

·       Experience in post-conflict or humanitarian settings.

·       Experience in case management and referral systems.

 

Competencies

·       Strong clinical assessment and counselling skills.

·       Knowledge of ambiguous loss and trauma-informed approaches.

·       Ability to work in sensitive and politically complex environments.

·       Knowledge and network in Derna.

·       Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

 

Languages

·       Fluency in Arabic is required.

·       Working knowledge of English is desirable.

 
Team management

to the project manager
Further information

Outputs

 

N

Deliverables / Outputs

Target Due Dates

Review and Approvals Required

% of Payment

1

Inception report including contextual analysis, service mapping and detailed workplan with monthly targets and baseline.

End of Month 1

UNDP Rule of Law Project Manager

20%

2

Direct service provision including counselling sessions, group sessions and support plans; and submit monthly anonymized statistics with emblematic case summary and trend analysis.

Monthly

UNDP Project Manager

40%

3

Development and operationalization of referral protocol and coordination with service providers in Derna (health, protection, social services).

Months 2–5

UNDP Project Manager

20%

4

Two capacity building workshops are organized for local CSOs and service providers. Psychoeducational material is developed. Modules, manuals, training report and participants lists are submitted.

By Month 5

UNDP Project Manager

10%

5

Final report including quantitative analysis, psychosocial trend analysis, key challenges and gaps identified, lessons learned and recommendations for sustainability.

End of assignment

UNDP Project Manager

10%

All deliverables must be submitted in English or Arabic and will be reviewed and certified by the UNDP Rule of Law Project Manager prior to payment. All deliverables will be assessed not only quantitatively but also qualitatively, based on UNDP standards, adherence to agreed methodologies, and feedback from stakeholders. Approval of monthly deliverables and activity logs is required for payment processing.
Disclaimer:
· At no stage of the recruitment process will CTG ask candidates for a fee. This includes during the application stage, interview, assessment and training.
· CTG has a zero tolerance to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) which is outlined in its Code of Conduct. Protection from SEA is everyone’s responsibility
· CTG encourages all candidates applying for this advertisement to ensure that their candidate profile is up to date with up to date experience / education / contact details, as this will help you being considered further in your application for this role.