Current vacancies

Vacancy Announcement: Consultant

Consultancy Title: Mental Health Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station:, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Programme Division / New York HQ 

Duration: February 28, 2025 to November 2025

Home/ Office Based: NYHQ/ Remote

 

About UNICEF 

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

 

BACKGROUND

 

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:  

 

The Global Burden on mental health problems in children & adolescents remains grave and unaddressed in our evolving world. Worldwide, 10-20% of children and adolescents experience mental disorders; half of all mental disorders begin by the age of 14 and three-quarters by mid-20s; mental and brain conditions are the leading cause of disability in young people in all regions; and 1 in 4 children is living with a parent who has a mental disorder. Suicide remains among the top 5 leading causes of adolescent deaths, with higher rates among adolescent girls. And lastly, postpartum depression is reported to occur in 15% of mothers shortly before or any time after childbirth. The risk for mental health conditions and psychosocial problems among children and adolescents is exacerbated when they are exposed to poverty, violence, disease or humanitarian crises. 

Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) is an institutional priority for the UN, and for UNICEF. The UNICEF Strategic Plan 2022-2025 identifies MHPSS as a priority area for children, caregivers and parents and young people, building upon existing programming through child protection, education and health with a focus on addressing inequities related to gender, and disabilities.  UNICEF has reasserted it leadership and understanding of field needs and priorities, in line with UNICEF’s Technical Note on MHPSS  and the launch and rollout of UNICEF’s Global Multisectoral Operational Framework for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support of Children, Adolescents and Caregivers Across Settings (field-test version), by placing integrated and holistic community-based mental health and psychosocial interventions at the heart of its strategic mission to protect every child, recognizing that mental health and wellbeing touch all sectors across the humanitarian-development context. The rollout of the Global Multisectoral Operational MHPSS framework has been pivotal in integrating mental health across sectors, and in ensuring accountability and outcomes at all levels. This strategic framework has significantly informed better and improved integration of MHPSS, marking mental health as an institutional priority.

 

Scope of Work:

 

This consultancy, supervised by the Mental Health Manager, at UNICEF’s headquarters, would support Mental Health Leadership Team (MHLT) by providing technical, clinical mental health expertise.

The consultant will support the Global Lead for Mental Health and the Mental Health team in Programme Division Director’s Office (PGLT), Headquarters to continue to elevate mental health across the organization and improve integration across sectors by contributing to the development and review of mental health and psychosocial support technical materials, with the following activities:

 

1. Strengthen institutional capacity by providing technical, clinical mental health guidance to develop MHPSS resources, especially in the context of the climate and ecological context

2. Develop guidance and recommendations on the mental health impacts of the climate and ecological crisis on caregivers and infants

 

Terms of Reference / Deliverables

 

Work Assignments Overview - Deliverables/Outputs - Delivery  deadline

• Strengthen institutional capacity by providing technical, clinical mental health guidance to develop MHPSS resources, especially in the context of the climate and ecological context.

o Framework for child, adolescent, and caregiver mental health in the context of the climate and ecological crisis reviewed

June 27, 2025

• Strengthen institutional capacity by providing technical, clinical mental health guidance to develop MHPSS resources, especially in the context of the climate and ecological context.

o A technical note on child, adolescent, and caregiver mental health in the context of the climate and ecological crisis reviewed

July 25 2025

• Strengthen institutional capacity by providing technical, clinical mental health guidance to develop MHPSS resources, especially in the context of the climate and ecological context.

o Develop a set of key recommendations for different stakeholders on programmatic and policy action needed to address CAMH in the climate and ecological response

August 27 2025

• Strengthen institutional capacity by providing technical, clinical mental health guidance to develop MHPSS resources, especially in the context of the climate and ecological context.

o A resource guide to support the mental health of young changemakers, such as those advocating in the climate and ecological context reviewed

November 27 2025

• Develop guidance and recommendations on the mental health impacts of the climate and ecological crisis on caregivers and infants.

o Guidance and a set of recommendations on the Mental Health impacts of the Climate and ecological crisis on caregivers and infants for the parenting website developed

June 27 2025

 

Qualifications

(1) Education

• An advanced university degree at PHD level in one of the following fields is required: Psychology, Social Sciences, Climate Sciences Language Proficiency: 

• Proficiency in English is . Knowledge of another UN language/s highly desirable. 

 

(2) Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required: 

Experience:

• A minimum of 25 years of experience in designing, implementing, and managing MHPSS programmes in development and humanitarian contexts is required; extensive experience in providing strategic advice and high-level  recommendations to decision makers, inter-agency task forces/committees, etc; extensive experience in capacity building for child and adolescent mental health, especially in humanitarian contexts; research and publications in the relevant field; demonstrated leadership and influence on shaping field norms and guidance

 

Competencies/Knowledge:

• Demonstrated leadership in CAMH programmes in development and humanitarian settings

• Extensive knowledge of MHPSS guidelines, research and training materials that relate to climate change and the impact on infant, youth, and caregiver mental health

• Skilled in building capacities of stakeholders in CAMH, including in the climate space

• Strong knowledge of MHPSS multisectoral approach

• Experience supporting the integration of MHPSS across development and humanitarian sectors

• Experience developing MHPSS tools and facilitating workshops/trainings

• Proficiency in English is required. Other UN language is a strong added value.

 

Requirements: 

Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and 

- Upload copy of academic credentials 

- Financial proposal that will include/ reflect :

o the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.

o travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR. 

o Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.

o Indicate your availability 

- Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.

- At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.

- Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant. 

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process 

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).   

To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Remarks:  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.