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Tenders are invited for Unaccompanied Children and Youth Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Services Consultancy Closing Date: 20 Jun 2026 Type: Consultancy Saint Andrews 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: 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; 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; The Unaccompanied Youth Bridging Program, runs both academic and psycho-educational classes for unaccompanied children and youth who are not in formal education; The Direct Assistance Program distributes direct assistance, including food and hygiene boxes, financial assistance, baby supplies, and other items; The Groups and Activities Program runs a range of groups and workshops with refugee individuals and communities, including unaccompanied children, adults, and families; 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; The Youth Development Project works to develop structures, support, and professional development opportunities for unaccompanied youth who are employed at StARS. 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 staffs 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 consultants 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, ar Tender Link : https://reliefweb.int/job/4215099/unaccompanied-children-and-youth-mental-health-and-substance-use-disorder-services-consultancy
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