Psychosocial Counsellor / Response Volunteer

Terms of Reference (ToR)

1. Position Title: Psychosocial Counsellor

Direct Reports: Director of Programs

1. Organizational Background

Shechen Karuna (SK) is a non-governmental organization dedicated to breaking cycles of poverty, strengthening community resilience, and developing the potential of vulnerable populations through holistic and community-driven approaches. SK operates across interconnected sectors including health and hygiene, education and skills, food security, economic development, and environmental protection.

2. Project Context & Rationale

On August 26, 2026, severe flash flooding and debris flows occurred along the Nepal–China border region following a glacial collapse in the High Himalayas. The resulting outburst washed away critical rural infrastructure, suspension bridges, roadways, utility networks, and water supplies across central and northern Nepal.

The districts of Rasuwa, Nuwakot, and Dhading in Bagmati Province are among the hardest hit, leaving communities isolated and vulnerable. In response, Shechen Karuna is managing centralized response operations from its Kathmandu office to rapidly deliver non-food relief items, food rations, shelter kits, and Psychological First Aid (PFA) to affected communities.

2. Purpose of the Role

The Psychosocial Counsellor will lead field-level mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) interventions in flood-impacted areas. The Counsellor will provide direct Psychological First Aid (PFA), conduct screening for severe psychological conditions, deliver community psychoeducation, train emergency volunteers, and establish functional referral mechanisms with local health posts and disaster response units.

3. Key Responsibilities & Duties

Direct MHPSS Delivery & Mobile Response

• Deploy as part of mobile psychosocial response teams to priority flood-affected zones in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts.
• Provide timely Psychological First Aid (PFA) and crisis stabilization to individual survivors, displaced families, and affected communities.
• Facilitate group counseling and emotional stabilization sessions for vulnerable groups, including women, children, and adolescent girls.

Screening and Referral

• Screen community members for acute psychological distress, severe depression, post-traumatic reactions, acute psychosis, and risk of self-harm.
• Coordinate with ward offices, health posts, local disaster management committees, and district health authorities to map available specialized psychiatric and specialized MHPSS services.
• Establish safe, confidential, and clear referral pathways for individuals requiring specialized medical, psychiatric, or legal protection services.

Capacity Building & Volunteer Training

• Design and facilitate training modules on Psychological First Aid (PFA), ethical care, basic distress screening, and self-care for community volunteers and field staff.
• Mentor and supervise PFA-trained volunteers during field mobilization to ensure quality and adherence to "Do No Harm" principles.

Psychoeducation & Community Awareness

• Develop and deliver contextualized psychoeducation sessions to normalize post-disaster stress reactions such as grief, sleeplessness, and anxiety.
• Produce and distribute culturally appropriate mental health awareness messages and coping strategies in coordination with local government units.

Monitoring, Reporting, and Coordination

• Maintain accurate, confidential records and tracking logs of counseling sessions, screenings, and referrals.
• Work closely with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) team to capture community feedback, qualitative impact, and lessons learned.
• Submit monthly progress reports detailing MHPSS coverage, key clinical trends, challenges, and recommendations.
• Participate in district-level protection and MHPSS cluster coordination meetings as requested.

4. Key Deliverables & Expected Output

• Rapid field assessment report of psychosocial needs in target districts.
• Completion of PFA training for community volunteers.
• Operation of mobile response sessions across Rasuwa and  Nuwakot, and Dhading.
• Psychoeducation sessions delivered to target beneficiary groups.
• Completion of follow-up counseling and stabilization sessions.
• Handover of ongoing referral cases to local health units
• Comprehensive Final MHPSS Completion Report and recommendations for future preparedness.

5. Required Qualifications & Competencies

• Education: Master’s degree in Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Counseling Psychology, Psychiatric Social Work, or a closely related field.
• Experience: Minimum of 3–5 years of professional experience delivering counseling, PFA, and trauma-informed psychosocial support, preferably in emergency or humanitarian disaster contexts.
• Technical Skills: Proven experience in conducting screening for severe mental health conditions, designing MHPSS training materials, and facilitating community psychoeducation.
• Language & Communication: Fluency in written and spoken Nepali and English.
• Core Competencies: Strong interpersonal communication, active listening, cultural sensitivity, emotional resilience, ability to work in high-stress disaster environments, and adherence to professional confidentiality and protection standards.

6. Duty Station

Duty Station: Kathmandu with frequent field visit in affect areas.

2. Position Title: Response Volunteer

Project: Emergency Flood Response & Psychosocial Support

Duration: 3 Months (Sep – Nov 2026) 

Location: Target Flood-Affected Communities/Schools (Nuwakot / Rasuwa) 

Reports To: Emergency Response Manager 

Position Purpose

The Field Response Volunteer will support Shechen Karuna’s disaster relief efforts by undergoing specialized psychosocial training, delivering school and community based psychosocial support sessions in flood impacted areas, and assisting field staff with emergency relief distribution and logistics.

Key Responsibilities

1. Psychosocial Training & Capacity Building

• Participate fully in mandatory orientation, Psychological First Aid (PFA), and specialized psychosocial counseling training provided by the organization.
• Apply standardized MHPSS (Mental Health and Psychosocial Support) guidelines and safeguarding protocols during all field activities.

2. Community & School Psychosocial Sessions

• Travel to designated flood-affected communities and local schools to conduct group and individual psychosocial support sessions.
• Facilitate child friendly recreational activities and resilience building exercises for students and teachers.
• Organize community awareness discussions on trauma management, self-care, and available support systems.
• Identify high-risk individuals requiring specialized psychiatric or clinical interventions and follow established referral pathways.

3. Relief Distribution & Logistics Support

• Assist the logistics team in receiving, sorting, packing, and inventorying emergency relief supplies (hygiene kits, non-food items, food rations).
• Help set up and manage community distribution points, ensuring orderly, safe, and equitable delivery of aid to affected households.
• Support ground-level community mobilization, registration of beneficiaries, and crowd coordination during distribution drives.

4. Reporting & Field Documentation

• Maintain accurate, confidential records of community/school session attendance and beneficiary counts.
• Submit concise weekly field activity logs to the Project Coordinator.
• Document key field observations, challenges, and human-interest stories to aid project monitoring.

Required Qualifications & Competencies

• Education: Bachelor’s degree or ongoing studies in Psychology, Social Work, Sociology, Public Health, or a related field.
• Skills: Strong active listening, facilitation, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Attributes: High empathy, adaptability, cultural sensitivity, and physical stamina to work in challenging post-disaster field conditions.
• Languages: Fluency in the local language(s) of the affected region is strongly preferred.
• Experience: Prior volunteer experience in emergency response, community outreach, or youth mobilization is an advantage.

Key Deliverables

• 100% attendance in designated psychosocial and field orientation training sessions.
• Execution of scheduled weekly psychosocial sessions across assigned schools and community centers.
• Operational support provided during all scheduled relief distribution events.
• Timely submission of weekly activity reports and session tracking logs.

Support & Benefits Provided

• Professional training certificate in Psychological First Aid (PFA) and Disaster Psychosocial Support.
• Certificate of Volunteering upon successful completion of contract.
• Stipend and coverage of project related travel/lodging expenses.
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) and field safety orientation.

Note: Selection will be done on a rolling basis.

Interested candidates are requested to submit cover letter and an updated resume at nepal@karuna-shechen.org no later than September 15, 2026