General context:
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is one of the world’s leading humanitarian and development organizations. For more than 80 years, the IRC has been at the forefront of humanitarian initiatives aimed at helping people uprooted by war, persecution and civil conflict, providing vital support to help people survive and rebuild their lives. The IRC’s Emergency Preparedness and Response Unit (EPRU) leads global emergency preparedness and response activities, with the mission of meeting immediate survival needs and reducing the suffering of conflict-affected populations or disasters during the acute phase of emergencies.
Context:
On May 15, 2026, the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of Congo declared the country’s 17th Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak after confirmation of cases caused by the Bundibugyo virus species (BDBV) in Ituri Province. As of early June 2026, the outbreak has spread to 25 health zones across Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu, with 488 confirmed cases and 86 deaths. The non-Zaire (Bundibugyo) strain limits the effectiveness of available vaccines, reinforcing the critical importance of community-based and psychosocial approaches to outbreak containment. The absence of an approved treatment or vaccine, combined with fear, stigma, community mistrust, and prior trauma from conflict and displacement, generates significant psychological distress, trauma, and isolation among EVD-affected individuals, survivors, bereaved families,and front-line community members. IRC’s mobile teams, composed of health, IPC/WASH, RCCE, and protection staff, are deployed to support outbreak response across affected health facilities and communities. The MHPSS Assistant is an integrated member of one of these mobile teams.
Scope of work
Under the supervision of the Senior Integrated Protection Officer, the SMSPS Assistant is an integrated member of a mobile IRC team and is responsible for providing direct mental and psychosocial health support (MHPS) services at the community level and in supported health facilities. He/she provides Psychological First Aid (PSP), facilitates individual and group psychosocial support sessions, supports the adaptation and implementation of SMSPS curricula, trains and supervises PSS focal points and psychosocial assistants (PSA) at the community level, and contributes to the feasibility assessments and PCI-friendly standard operating procedures (SOPs) needed to conduct SMSPS activities safely in the context of EVD.He/she works in close coordination with the Social Worker(s) affiliated(s), the Senior Integrated Protection Officer and the IRC Health and RCCE colleagues within the mobile team, in order to ensure a consistent, no-harm, survivor-centered approach in terms of psychosocial well-being in the Ebola response.
Roles and Responsibilities
1.Direct provision of SMSPS services
- Provide Psychological First Aid (PSP) to people in need, including people affected by EVD, survivors, bereaved families and contacts, in accordance with WHO/IASC PSP guidelines and protocols adapted to EVD.
- Facilitate individual and group psychosocial support sessions for affected individuals, including EVD survivors, female-headed households, bereaved families, isolated individuals and other vulnerable groups, adapting modalities to ensure compliance with PCI measures.
- Implement SMSPS curricula tailored for women and children (including social-emotional learning and parenting support), integrating Ebola-specific considerations and safe facilitation approaches in terms of ICH.
- Organize and facilitate peer support sessions to promote resilience, reduce isolation and create safe spaces for members of affected communities to share experiences.
- Provide psychosocial support to people in need, including EVD survivors, to facilitate community reintegration and reduce stigma
- Ensure the dissemination of information on available SMSPS services, ensuring accessibility for people with disabilities and marginalized groups
2. Needs assessment and mapping
- Contribute to the assessment of the psychological needs of populations affected by EVD in targeted areas, paying particular attention to marginalized groups (women, children, people with disabilities, internally displaced people).
- Support the mapping of mental health, psychosocial, protection and support services available to vulnerable populations in order to establish, maintain and regularly update appropriate referral pathways; ensure that this mapping of services is accessible to all front-line protection and health personnel, and that a referral protocol to specialized mental health care be in place and operationalized.
- Conduct feasibility and risk assessments priority to any activity involving gathering and support the development and implementation of IPC-safe SOPs for all MHPSS activities, in coordination with the mobile team’s health and IPC staff.
3. Capacity building and community structures
- Train and supervise SMSPS focal points in supported health facilities and community psychosocial assistants (PSAs) on PSPs, basic principles of psychosocial support, psychosocial impacts related to EVD and safe referral pathways.
- Provide ongoing coaching, structured observation and mentoring to PSS focal points and PSAs to ensure the quality and consistency of psychosocial support services.
- Strengthen the capacities of PSS focal points and community actors to detect and refer people with signs of acute distress, GBV or child protection concerns, in coordination with the Social Worker.
- Support PSS focal points and community actors to disseminate context-specific psychosocial messages that address stigma and encourage help-seeking behaviors.
4. Management of safe spaces – if necessary
- Support the development, equipment and safe operation of safe spaces and areas designated for psychosocial support, ensuring compliance with social distancing and ICH measures.
- Ensure that safe spaces are accessible, dignified, inclusive and suitable for people with specific needs (people with disabilities, pregnant women, children).
- Conduct ongoing risk assessments related to the operation of safe spaces and report any concerns to the Senior Integrated Protection Officer.
5. SEO and integration
- Identify people with protection needs (GBV, child protection, general protection) during SMSPS activities and refer them quickly and safely to the Affiliate Social Worker.
- Receive referrals from Social Worker(s) and other mobile team members for individuals requiring SMSPS support and ensure timely follow-up.
- Ensure the continuity of psychosocial support for people referenced between services, in particular by ensuring monitoring and supporting harmonious transitions between PSPs and more structured support.
- Coordinate with IRC health staff within the mobile team to support referral to mental health services for people with signs of more serious mental disorders.
6. Coordination
- Participate in joint community engagement activities alongside the IRC RCCE team, helping communities manage fears, combat stigma and understand available services; coordinate with RCCE colleagues on harmonized messages to ensure SMSPS and protection concerns are integrated into community outreach activities.
- Maintain close coordination with the affiliated social worker(s) to ensure integrated and harmonious care for people with both protective and psychosocial needs; actively participate in mobile team coordination meetings.
- Actively develop and maintain working relationships with community leaders, local authorities, community protection structures, PSS focal points and other service providers in the assigned area.
7. Administration and reporting
- Maintain accurate, complete and confidential records of all SMSPS activities
- Compile and submit weekly activity reports and data to the Senior Integrated Protection Officer within agreed deadlines.
- Contribute to MEAL activities, including data collection, monitoring of feedback mechanisms and support for quality assessments for SMSPS programming.
- Maintain records of trained and supervised community PSS focal points and PSAs, and document capacity building activities.
8. Protection against exploitation and abuse, integration of protection and PCI
- Comply at all times with all IRC protection policies, the IRC Pathway (Code of Conduct) and protection integration standards.
- Strictly adhere to all established ICH protocols for Ebola response during all SMSPS activities — including in healthcare settings, communities and safe spaces — ensuring appropriate use of PPE, safe distancing and hygiene measures adapted to each mode of activity.
- Ensure that all SMSPS activities are carried out in a way that prioritizes the safety, dignity and autonomy of participants, paying particular attention to the principles of doing no harm in a context affected by EVD.
- Maintain strict confidentiality of all psychosocial session content and individual information, ensuring data is handled in accordance with IRC’s data protection and information management standards.
- Proactively identify and report safeguarding and PSEA/SEA concerns through IRC’s established reporting channels, and promote community awareness of available safe reporting mechanisms.
- Support the training of community stakeholders on protection principles, psychosocial risks specific to EVD and PSEA complaint mechanisms.
9. Others
- Participate in all training and information sessions organized by the IRC or response coordination mechanisms.
- Monitor security conditions in activity areas and promptly report any concerns or incidents to the Senior Integrated Protection Officer.
- Act professionally and personally while respecting the mission and humanitarian values of the IRC.
- Perform any other duties assigned by the supervisor in support of the Ebola response.
Minimum requirements
Training and experience
- Bachelor’s degree in psychology, social work, social sciences, mental health, education or a related field.
- Minimum of 1–2 years’ experience in MHPSS programming, psychosocial support facilitation, or related activities in humanitarian or development settings.
- Demonstrated understanding of SMSPS minimum standards, PSP principles and the IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergencies.
- Experience in facilitating group psychosocial support sessions or structured programs for affected adults and/or children is strongly preferred.
- Experience in Ebola or other outbreak response settings is an advantage.
- Experience training and/or supervising volunteers or community focal points is an advantage.
Skills and abilities
- Strong empathy, active listening skills, and ability to interact sensitively with people affected by EVD, survivors, bereaved family members, and traumatized community members.
- Demonstrated ability to maintain strict confidentiality and apply do-no-harm principles in complex and sensitive contexts.
- Ability to work within and contribute to a multidisciplinary mobile team, adapting to a fast-paced and volatile field environment.
- High degree of flexibility and resilience, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and maintain a professional posture under pressure.
- Ability to keep basic records and prepare simple activity reports.
- Computer proficiency, including Microsoft Word and Excel.
Languages
- Fluency in French required.
- Fluency in relevant local Ituri languages (Swahili, Lingala or other local languages) is required.
- English is an asset.
IRC Professional Values and Standards
The IRC and all of its staff must respect the values and principles of the IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct: Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality. In accordance with these values, the IRC applies policies relating to protection against exploitation and abuse, child protection, the fight against harassment at work, financial integrity and non- retaliation.
