Advisor, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) – U.S. Emergencies (P3)

Save the Children

For over 100 years, Save the Children has been fighting for the rights of children. The right to a healthy start in life. To have access to education. To be in a safe environment, protected from harm. We work in some of the world’s hardest-to-reach places – over 100 countries, including the U.S. No matter what your role is, when you join Save the Children, you’re creating positive, irreversible change for children, and the future we all share.

The Role

As the Advisor for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), you will report to the Senior Advisor, MHPSS and serve as a core technical advisor for Save the Children’s mental health psychosocial programming in U.S. emergency contexts. In this position, you will provide program design leadership, technical guidance, and capacity building for child-focused psychosocial interventions during preparedness, response, and recovery.

You will ensure that all MHPSS programming is grounded in current evidence, responsive to community needs, coordinated, and aligned with Save the Children’s response and recovery outcomes. Your role is key in designing and refining MHPSS program models (especially those of post-disaster safe spaces for children), strengthening partner capacity, and ensuring high-quality implementation and reporting for domestic emergencies and grants.

As a frontline deployable representative of Save the Children, you are expected to uphold the highest standards of safeguarding and embody the organization’s core values of Accountability, Ambition, Collaboration, Creativity, and Integrity.

NOTE – this role is contingent on funding that is anticipated to last up to twelve months.

Location

Hybrid – Washington DC, Fairfield, CT or Lexington, KY office locations

 

What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

*not inclusive of all role responsibilities. May be subject to change

Design and Refine Program Models (20%)

• Lead the development and revision of core MHPSS program models, ensuring alignment with latest research, best practices, and community needs.
• Support the adaptation of domestic and international Save the Children program content to fit the needs of multiple age groups and cultural needs by integrating the latest evidence and trauma-informed practices.
• Lead revisions of Helping Children Cope with Disasters and Psychological First Aid for Children and Caregivers for use in post-disaster community interventions.
• Serve as the technical lead in Save the Children’s coalition for Safe Spaces for Children
• Ensure all programs are culturally and contextually appropriate, evidence-based, and tailored to community insights.
• Develop and maintain program guidance, tools, and resources that strengthen program quality and consistency.

Capacity Building (15%)

• Deliver MHPSS training content for implementation partners, state teams, and surge staff, grounded in the latest research and evidence-based practices.
• Provide ongoing mentoring, technical support, and practical guidance to strengthen staff and partner confidence in implementing psychosocial interventions.

Respond to Domestic Emergencies (10%)

• Deploy within 72 hours' notice to disaster-affected areas for up to three weeks, to participate in rapid needs assessments and provide technical guidance on MHPSS priorities.
• Lead on the MHPSS desk assessment to identify community partners impacted by disaster
• Support partner and staff training on MHPSS program implementation and safeguarding during response operations.
• Collaborate with the operations team to identify partners for Gifts in Kind and other items for distribution to identified partners.

Program Implementation Support (30%)

• Support response and recovery teams in developing realistic and achievable MHPSS implementation plans.
• Support the implementation of current grants, including a research grant from the National Institute of Health that is active through May, 2026.
• Lead technical assistance and support to existing and future community partners implementing MHPSS programming for adults and children.  This includes;
• Leading trainings with community partners
• Identifying partners for training of trainers to continue local implementation
• Supporting and monitoring local implementation plans
• Ensuring proper data collection for all trainings and programs
• Analysis of programmatic data and reporting back to partners

Grant Management and Reporting (25%)

• Lead the subgrating process for community partners, utilizing a Salesforc