Programme Officer – Mental Health and Psychosocial Support

About the role

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is seeking a Programme Officer to lead Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) activities in transit centres and Migrant Resource Centres in the Central African Republic. The role reports to the Chief of Mission and works closely with the MRC Manager and the Global MHPSS‑CI Unit.

Key responsibilities

• Support coordination and implementation of MHPSS activities, ensuring compliance with IOM standards, donor requirements and protection principles.
• Provide day‑to‑day technical guidance and supervision to MHPSS staff, including psychologists, counsellors and social workers.
• Develop, contextualise and implement MHPSS tools, SOPs, referral pathways and assessment instruments adapted to the CAR context.
• Map services and coordinate with governmental, health, protection and community actors to strengthen referral pathways for specialised mental health and psychosocial services.
• Integrate MHPSS approaches across migrant assistance programmes and design community‑based psychosocial activities to build resilience and promote social inclusion.
• Identify MHPSS needs through structured assessments and ensure timely referral of complex or high‑risk cases.
• Provide direct psychosocial support, crisis intervention and case consultations for complex cases.
• Organise capacity‑building activities on Psychological First Aid, stress management and safe referrals for frontline workers and partners.
• Contribute to monitoring, data collection, reporting and analysis of MHPSS activities while ensuring confidentiality and data protection.

Required profile

• Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology, Clinical Social Work, Psychiatry, Psychological Counselling or related field with at least two years of relevant experience, or a University degree with four years of experience.
• Proven experience designing, implementing or coordinating MHPSS programmes in humanitarian or migration settings, supervising multidisciplinary teams and providing direct MHPSS services.
• Experience working with migrants, displaced populations, returnees or other vulnerable groups exposed to trauma or social exclusion.
• Experience supporting capacity‑building initiatives for frontline workers and coordinating referrals with health, psychiatric, protection and social service providers.
• Experience in fragile, conflict‑affected or complex operational settings is highly desirable.

Required skills

• Strong knowledge of community‑based MHPSS approaches and humanitarian protection principles.
• Excellent coordination, facilitation and interpersonal communication abilities.
• Advanced report writing and analytical skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and data‑management tools.
• Familiarity with Inter‑Agency Standing Committee (IASC) MHPSS Guidelines is an advantage.