Terms of Reference (TOR) Psychotherapist / Psychosocial Support Specialist
1. Background
Care to Action implements several programmes in the urban areas of Vijayawada aimed at supporting children, adolescents, women and vulnerable families, with a focus on:
• access to education
• child protection
• psychosocial wellbeing
• prevention of school dropout
• support to vulnerable families, particularly women
Schools, community centres and project staff have increasingly highlighted the need for professional psychosocial support to address complex situations involving students, families and women facing social and emotional challenges.
For this reason, Care to Action intends to recruit a Psychotherapist / Psychosocial Support Specialist who will support multiple programmes and locations for one year starting from April 2026.
2. Objective of the Position
The Psychotherapist will provide professional psychosocial support to children, adolescents, women and families, while also strengthening the capacity of teachers, community workers and project staff to manage complex cases.
3. Duty Stations / Places of Work
The professional will work across different project locations, including:
• 8 Government schools (3 primary and 5 secondary) supported by Care to Action in 5 urban slums of Vijayawada
• 1 Child Care Center located in an urban slum of Vijayawada
• 1 Women’s House in Kandrika
• 1 residential facility hosting 26 vulnerable children (7–17 years old)
• Community settings within urban slums
Care to Action also operates two support offices, which will serve as operational bases for the professional:
• one located within the residential facility for children
• one located in Kandrika inside the Women’s House
Both locations provide equipped and private spaces suitable for psychological counselling sessions.
The position will therefore require regular travel within the urban project areas.
4. Key Responsibilities
Individual psychosocial support
• Provide individual and group counselling to children, adolescents and women in vulnerable situations
• Support children experiencing learning difficulties, behavioural problems or emotional distress
• Provide counselling to families facing social or relational challenges
Support to the 8 Government Schools
• Work with school principals, teachers and tutors to address behavioural and emotional issues among students
• Help develop strategies for managing complex student situations
• Organize a weekly counselling desk (support service) in each school
• Support Care to Action staff in preparing the content of awareness campaigns and educational activities, including topics such as:
o children’s rights, child protection and environmental awareness
o prevention of substance abuse and addiction
o safe use of social media and digital technologies
o emotional wellbeing and the development of social, emotional and civic skills
Case management
• Identify and support critical cases among project beneficiaries
• Collaborate with project staff to design individual support plans
Capacity building
• Train project staff, tutors and community workers on:
o basic psychosocial support
o identifying vulnerable cases
o referral mechanisms
Staff support
• Provide guidance and supervision to CTA staff when dealing with difficult or sensitive situations involving beneficiaries
Coordination and reporting
• Work in coordination with project managers and field teams
• Prepare short periodic reports on activities, challenges and recommendations
5. Expected Outputs
• Psychosocial support services established across project locations with a clear monthly activity schedule
• Individual and group counselling sessions conducted
• Support plans developed for critical cases
• Training sessions delivered to staff and educators
• Regular monitoring and activity reports produced
6. Required Qualifications
• Degree in Psychology, Psychotherapy, Counselling or related fields
• At least 3 years of experience in psychosocial support
• Experience working with children, adolescents and vulnerable communities
• Experience working with NGOs or community-based programmes will be considered an asset
7. Skills
• Strong interpersonal and counselling skills
• Ability to work in multicultural and community contexts
• Experience in child protection and family support
• Ability to coordinate with schools, NGOs and community stakeholders
• Strong aptitude for working with children and adolescents, demonstrating empathy, kindness, compassion and open-mindedness
8. Duration
Initial contract: 12 months (full-time), renewable based on project needs and performance.
Please send your CV to : venkataswamy.rajarapu@caretoaction.in