Unaccompanied Children and Youth Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Services Consultancy

Saint Andrew’s Refugee Services, Cairo

Call for Applications: Unaccompanied Children and Youth Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Services Consultancy

Founded in 1979, StARS is a refugee service provider in central Cairo that works to enhance the quality of life for refugees and vulnerable migrants through five broad program areas: education, psychosocial, legal, community outreach and unaccompanied youth and children support services. We provide high-quality services meeting the unaddressed needs of refugees, and we provide a safe and inclusive space for displaced people to come together as a community. We work for refugees, with refugees, to make rights recognition a reality.

StARS’ Mission: Driven by a commitment to solidarity and human dignity, StARS works both as displaced people and for displaced people to support the resilience and leadership of individuals and communities in their pursuit of an enhanced quality of life.

StARS’ Vision: StARS envisions a future where displaced people and the societies they join stand in solidarity, recognizing the strength and leadership of refugees. In this world, the displaced thrive with dignity, claiming their rights and enriching our shared human experience.

Standard of Professional Conduct: StARS and all its staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in StARS’ Code of Conduct, Child Safeguarding Policy, and PSEAH policy.

Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: StARS is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. StARS expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.

We serve people from many places, including Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

To learn more please visit our website: www.stars-egypt.org or our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/standrewsrefugeeservices?fref=ts

Program Description: Unaccompanied Children and Youth Department

StARS’ Unaccompanied Children and Youth Department provides comprehensive services to refugee unaccompanied children and youth within Cairo, addressing medical, mental health or social needs, such as shelter, security, community support, education, and general well-being and integration in Cairo. The department consists of six programs and one project:

1. 1. The Unaccompanied Children and Youth Intake and Emergency Response Program is screening unaccompanied children and youth approaching StARS Naimo Center and referring them to the appropriate services such as legal, medical, mental health, or psychosocial case management. The program also ensures that unaccompanied children and youth facing emergency situations are responded to in an appropriate way, and responds to general emergencies that may happen on-site;
   2. The Unaccompanied Children and Youth Psychosocial Program provides one-to-one casework and psychosocial support to children and youth in Egypt without their parents or other family;
   3. The Unaccompanied Youth Bridging Program, runs both academic and psycho-educational classes for unaccompanied children and youth who are not in formal education;
   4. The Direct Assistance Program distributes direct assistance, including food and hygiene boxes, financial assistance, baby supplies, and other items;
   5. The Groups and Activities Program runs a range of groups and workshops with refugee individuals and communities, including unaccompanied children, adults, and families;
   6. The Young Mothers Psychosocial Program works with unaccompanied pregnant girls and young mothers to provide them with extra support and consideration in form of material assistance for their babies, specialized case-management and lactation consultancy sessions;
   7. The Youth Development Project works to develop structures, support, and professional development opportunities for unaccompanied youth who are employed at StARS.
   8. Unaccompanied Children and Youth Mental Health Program works with unaccompanied children and youth experiencing mental health and/or substance abuse issues to provide them with specialized counselling and psychiatric interventions, as deemed appropriate. This program is in the process of being established.

The Unaccompanied Children and Youth Department works in close coordination with all other departments at StARS.

Project Description: Unaccompanied Children and Youth Mental Health Program

The Unaccompanied Children and Youth Mental Health Program seeks to provide tailored mental health services for unaccompanied and separated children and youth in Cairo, in particular, but not exclusive to, those currently experiencing severe trauma-like symptoms from experiencing violence, as well as those suffering from addiction. The proposed project seeks to expand the targeted services StARS provides to unaccompanied and separated children and youth in its dedicated Unaccompanied Children and Youth center (Naimo Center). The project will do this through hiring a consultant experienced in working with this group of children and youth, to help set up the team and co-design the activities, training and structures around it and ensure that the team has the necessary support during the set up and beginning of the implementation phase. The staff, which will also include mental health specialists such as psychologists and a psychiatrist, will work on ensuring a multi-level MHPSS approach for these unaccompanied and separated children and youth including talking therapies, one to one and group counselling and where necessary partnership with psychiatric hospitals for in- and outpatient services. Through establishing a dedicated Unaccompanied Children and Youth Mental Health Program, housed in the Naimo Center, StARS hopes to improve access to mental health services given the increase in complex mental health cases identified in the unaccompanied and separated children and youth population, and thus also strengthen StARS and its staff’s response to these needs.

Role

Under the supervision of the Director and Deputy Director of Unaccompanied Children and Youth Department (hereafter Director of Unaccompanied Children and Youth Department), the consultant will analyze the current context for unaccompanied refugee youth in Egypt who suffer from mental health and/or substance use disorder issues and develop a targeted mental health program that responds to the needs of this population. The consultant’s role is to help set up the team and co-design the activities, training, guidelines and structures around the newly established Unaccompanied Children and Youth Mental Health Program and ensure that the team has the necessary support during the set up and beginning of the implementation phase. The consultant is required to create deliverables, such as a report with recommendations on setting up the program including safeguarding recommendations. The consultancy is programmed to last three months.

The goal is to develop the following:

• Mental Health and addiction-sensitive policies, procedures, and protocols targeting unaccompanied children and youth.
• Recommendations on mental health programming for Children Formerly Associated with Armed Forces and Groups.
• Designing intake tools that screen simultaneously for substance use, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns.
• Awareness materials and training for staff dealing with mental health and addiction cases tackling the following (understanding addiction mechanisms, managing returnees with substance use vulnerabilities, practical addiction counselling skills, Crisis management, Safe referral pathways).
• An applied research report consolidating findings and recommendations for programming and partnerships with organizations and mental health and rehabilitation centers
• Awareness sessions materials for unaccompanied children and youth in collaboration with the External Partnerships and Training Program and the Groups and Activities Program, in addition to developing re-integration groups for ex-drug abusers.

Responsibilities

All duties are carried out under the supervision of the Director and Deputy Director of Unaccompanied Children and Youth Department.

Analysis of current mental health program, procedures, and site assessment

• Review all existing internal documents, tools, policies and procedures of the currently existing mental health program.
• Assess existing practices: gaps in screening, referral, management, confidentiality, safety, and prevention.
• Carry out site assessment to provide recommendations on building adjustments to ensure greater safety of its facilities for staff and clients, in line with its safeguarding policies.
• Provide recommendations on how to improve current tools, policies and procedures and how to adapt these to a Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Program for unaccompanied children and youth.

Research, networking, and partner mapping

• Substance Mapping: Identifying which substances are most prevalent (e.g., alcohol, pills, local synthetic drugs) and their supply sources.
• Identify partners capable of providing: detoxification, psychiatric care, and psychological counselling for unaccompanied children and youth.
• Map Mental Health and Rehabilitation Centers with their prices and their capacities as well as exploring possible collaboration pathways.
• Collaborate with StARS Groups and Activities Program on developing structured, non-specialized group activities including sports, art, or storytelling to rebuild social connections.

Set-up of the Unaccompanied Children and Youth Mental Health Program

• Co-design the activities, training, guidelines, and structures for the Unaccompanied Children and Youth Mental Health Program.
• Participate in the hiring process of the Unaccompanied Children and Youth Mental Health Coordinator and Senior Psychosocial Caseworker.
• Provide support to the Unaccompanied Children and Youth Mental Health Coordinator during the set up and beginning of the implementation phase.
• Alongside the Unaccompanied Children and Youth Mental Health Program Coordinator develop job descriptions for all positions situated in the Unaccompanied Children and Youth Mental Health Program.
• Develop evidence-based, trauma-informed interventions tailored to the experiences of unaccompanied children and youth without caregivers, including Children Associated with Armed Forces and Armed Groups.
• Contribute to the design and adaptation of child protection responses to key protection risks, including former Children Associated with Armed Forces and Armed Groups.
• Develop training and awareness materials for psychosocial caseworkers on dealing with Children Associated with Armed Forces and Armed Groups.
• Design intake tools that screen simultaneously for substance use, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety, depression and other mental health concerns.
• Develop a Risk Assessment Framework to identify self-harm risk, relapse risk, and risk to others.
• Develop intake screening questions to better capture mental health issues and substance use disorders
• Work closely with the Unaccompanied Children and Youth Mental Health Program Coordinator to develop intake criteria for mental health and / or substance use disorder treatment.
• Work closely with the Coordinator to develop tailored case management procedures for unaccompanied children and youth supported through the Unaccompanied Children and Youth Mental Health Program.
• Develop care pathways that treat addiction and mental health concurrently, rather than as separate issues.
• Develop and facilitate specialized training for staff on mental health issues and substance use disorder among unaccompanied children and youth (including but not limited to Children Associated with Armed Forces and Armed Groups).
• Develop training for staff to lead support groups and discussion for unaccompanied children and youth on mental health and addiction topics.
• Developing practical program packages, toolkits, and best practices for mental health interventions for unaccompanied children and youth.

Administration and Reporting

• Inception Report (within 2 weeks)
• Assessment of StARS site for unaccompanied children and youth and provide recommendations in line with its safeguarding policies.
• Develop screening tools, questionnaires, and case management procedures
• Training materials and session reports
• Final report summarizing achievements and recommendations aligning with StARS’ approach and values.

Consultancy outputs summarized

Month 1

• Inception Report
• Draft site assessment and recommendations on building adjustments to ensure greater safety of its facilities for staff and clients, in line with its safeguarding policies.
• Draft center safety guidelines to be utilized and followed by all Unaccompanied Children and Youth Department staff members
• Draft initial version of Screening Tools and Questionnaires

Month 2

Final versions of:

• Site Assessment and recommendations
• Screening Tools and Questionnaires
• Centre Safety Guidelines
• Draft training curriculum for Unaccompanied Children and Youth Mental Health Program staff

Month 3

• Mapping of suitable Mental Health and Rehabilitation Centers delivered
• Training packages finalized
• Awareness materials produced
• Final Report (including a clear structure of the Unaccompanied Children and Youth Mental Health Program)

Qualifications and Experience

The ideal candidate will have a background in mental health and substance use disorder programming. In addition, they will have experience of working with Children Associated with Armed Forces and Armed Groups. They will have demonstrated a firm commitment to the needs and interests of children and youth, particularly unaccompanied refugee youth, and to gender equality. This role requires a high level of responsiveness and flexibility to set up a highly sensitive program in a challenging context.

• Maturity and discretion, ability to uphold StARS confidentiality policy.
• Advanced degree in Clinical Psychology, Psychiatry, Public Health, MHPSS, Addiction Studies, or related fields.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in mental health, addiction management, or psychosocial programming.
• Experience with migration, reintegration, or humanitarian settings required.
• Strong knowledge of substance uses disorders in displaced contexts.
• Experience in Egypt is an asset.
• Proven ability to translate research into operational tools.
• An understanding of the impact of different cultural factors on professional work and an ability to work in different multi-cultural environments.
• Experience training multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent analytical, writing, and communication skills.
• Ability to be very organized, to prioritize work, to multi-task and to meet deadlines.
• English being the official language of StARS’ office, the consultant must be fluent in both spoken and written English. Arabic is an advantage. If no Arabic skills are prevalent, the consultant must have experience working with interpreters.

Billing and payments: The consultant is responsible of filling and keeping their timesheets to record hours worked. The timesheet should be submitted and attach to each invoice.

Compensation: 10,000 USD. The consultancy is programmed to last three months. This amount includes costs for airfare and accommodation.

Closing date for applications: 20 June 2026

Anticipated Starting date: Early July 2026 for three full months

To apply: Please send your Cover Letter and CV to applications@stars-egypt.org using the subject line “Unaccompanied Children and Youth Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Services Consultancy”. All applications should provide contact information for two professional/academic reference (referees will only be contacted after interviews).

Note: Only short-listed applicants will be contacted for an interview.

Compensation: 10,000 USD. The consultancy is programmed to last three months. This amount includes costs for airfare and accommodation.

Qualifications and Experience

The ideal candidate will have a background in mental health and substance use disorder programming. In addition, they will have experience of working with Children Associated with Armed Forces and Armed Groups. They will have demonstrated a firm commitment to the needs and interests of children and youth, particularly unaccompanied refugee youth, and to gender equality. This role requires a high level of responsiveness and flexibility to set up a highly sensitive program in a challenging context.

• Maturity and discretion, ability to uphold StARS confidentiality policy.
• Advanced degree in Clinical Psychology, Psychiatry, Public Health, MHPSS, Addiction Studies, or related fields.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in mental health, addiction management, or psychosocial programming.
• Experience with migration, reintegration, or humanitarian settings required.
• Strong knowledge of substance uses disorders in displaced contexts.
• Experience in Egypt is an asset.
• Proven ability to translate research into operational tools.
• An understanding of the impact of different cultural factors on professional work and an ability to work in different multi-cultural environments.
• Experience training multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent analytical, writing, and communication skills.
• Ability to be very organized, to prioritize work, to multi-task and to meet deadlines.
• English being the official language of StARS’ office, the consultant must be fluent in both spoken and written English. Arabic is an advantage. If no Arabic skills are prevalent, the consultant must have experience working with interpreters.