Technical Advisor I – Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergencies (MHPSS)

Position duration: 18 months (tentative July 1, 2026 – December 31, 2027)

About CRS 

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding. 

Job Summary:   

You will support the integration of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergencies (MHPSS) across all RAPID program interventions, providing technical guidance in line with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) program quality standards, donor requirements, and industry best practices. Through your expertise, advice, and influence, you will help ensure that MHPSS approaches are effective, adaptive, and innovative, ultimately strengthening the quality and impact of programming for vulnerable populations.

Roles and Key Responsibilities: 

• Contribute to the implementation of agency-wide strategies, standards, tools, and best practices in MHPSS and Staff Wellbeing in humanitarian response, that effectively engage partners, donors and governments. Help ensure a cross-sectoral approach integrating gender, inclusion, protection mainstreaming, and disaster risk reduction.
• Provide technical solutions to regional and County Program teams, remotely and on-site, for strategic planning and how to best apply program design and implementation standards, best practices, partnership principles, tools, and M&E, ensuring high-quality implementation.
• Contribute to quality staff-care of CRS staff and partners living and working in disaster affected contexts by supporting directly through trainings, planning, consultation, and individual support, and by coordinating with relevant staff in GPR, HSSU as needed.
• Contribute to regional and Country Program efforts to pre-position CRS for growth opportunities in MHPSS. Lead or contribute to the development of the technical design for large and/or complex proposals, including defining appropriate monitoring systems and indicators. Advise project teams on integrating donor strategies, priorities and technical requirements into CRS’ approach.
• Contribute to capacity strengthening initiatives in MHPSS programming for staff and partners through helping develop learning and training strategies and agendas/curriculums, conducting trainings and workshops, and mentoring and coaching to CP staff.
• Facilitate training to CRS and partner staff in topics related to psychosocial support; social cohesion; staff wellbeing and safe and dignified programming.
• Provide guidance to CPs and regions in ensuring all MHPSS activities promote right relationships and avoid causing conflict, and guidance as needed to HRD teams on integration of social cohesion principals in humanitarian sectors.
• Liaise with relevant CRS departments, regions and country programs to promote synergy and use of standard approaches in MHPSS. Coordinate closely with colleagues working in peacebuilding and social cohesion to on approaches to integration, and the place of MHPSS across the Humanitarian Development and Peacebuilding nexus.
• Contribute to knowledge management and learning through collecting and analyzing program data, evaluating strategic projects, assisting with measuring program impact, capturing and sharing lessons learned and best practices, and research and internal reports.
• Establish and maintain relationships with donors, peer organizations, research and other institutions. Participate in forums in the area of MHPSS to collect and share best practices and promote CRS’ work.
• Represent CRS at relevant interagency, donor and network events, as well as key conferences.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities  

• Excellent relationship management skills with ability to influence and get buy-in from people not under direct supervision and to work with individuals in diverse geographical and cultural settings.
• Strong strategic, analytical, problem-solving and systems thinking skills with capacity to see the big picture and ability to make sound judgment
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Strong presentation, facilitation, training, mentoring, and coaching skills
• Proactive, resourceful and results-oriented

Required Languages - Fluent English required. Professional level in either French, Spanish, or Arabic is a plus.

Travel - Must be willing and able to travel 50% of the time. 

Key Working Relationships:  

Internal: HRD team members; CRS Country Program Heads of Program, Program Managers and Protection Policy point persons; CRS Regional Staff, HQ Departments.

External: Peer organizations and networks, CI Members, FBO, INGOs; partner organizations; USG agencies; universities, and consultants.

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Catholic Relief Services works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality.  Catholic Relief Services’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding.  We welcome as a part of our staff people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need. CRS’ processes and policies reflect our commitment to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

CRS welcomes candidates from the countries and regions in which we work. In the event the successful candidate is an expatriate, the anticipated duration of the assignment is informed by a term limit, based on the type and level of the job and the needs of the agency.

CRS is committed to safeguarding program participants, community members, staff and volunteers from all forms of exploitation and abuse.  The successful candidate is expected to sign and adhere to CRS´ Code of Conduct.

CRS talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding the rights and dignity of all people - especially children and vulnerable adults - to live free from abuse and harm.

Disclaimer:  This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position. 

CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

General Requirements

CRS offers are contingent on the selected candidate’s ability to legally work where the position is to be performed. Every government has a unique set of work permit eligibility requirements.  All positions requiring residence or frequent travel outside a home country must undergo and clear a pre-employment medical clearance; some work permit processes require clearing a separate government administered medical examination.

CRS prioritizes candidates who are citizens/ permanent residents of the countries where we have CRS offices.