Deadline: 18-Jun-2026
UNICEF has launched a Call for Expression of Interest to strengthen Mental Health and Psychosocial Support services for children aged 6–18 years in selected districts of Chhattisgarh. The initiative will focus on school-based MHPSS, child protection systems, community awareness, referral pathways, and capacity building of teachers, frontline workers, and child protection staff. The project will be implemented over an initial 18-month period in Bastar, Bijapur, Kondagaon, Dhamtari, and Kabirdham.
Overview
The United Nations Children’s Fund, also known as UNICEF, has launched a Call for Expression of Interest to improve Mental Health and Psychosocial Support services for children in Chhattisgarh.
The initiative aims to improve emotional wellbeing, resilience, and protection outcomes for children through integrated education, child protection, health, and community-based interventions.
The programme will be implemented in selected high-vulnerability districts, with a focus on tribal, remote, and marginalized communities.
Key Focus Areas
The initiative focuses on strengthening child mental health, psychosocial wellbeing, and protection systems.
Key focus areas include:
- Mental Health and Psychosocial Support for children
- Emotional wellbeing and resilience among children aged 6–18 years
- School-based MHPSS interventions
- Child protection systems
- Identification and response to psychosocial distress
- Teacher professional development and mentoring
- Capacity building of frontline workers
- Training for Anganwadi workers, ASHAs, teachers, and child protection staff
- Community awareness on mental health
- Reduction of stigma around mental health
- Gender-sensitive approaches
- Inclusion of tribal and marginalized communities
- Safeguarding and child protection measures
- Community participation and ownership
- Referral pathways for specialized mental health care
Purpose of the Initiative
The purpose of the initiative is to strengthen support systems for children experiencing emotional, social, or psychosocial distress.
The programme aims to help schools, communities, frontline workers, and child protection systems identify children in need of support and connect them with appropriate care.
It also seeks to build long-term local capacity so that MHPSS services can continue within schools, government systems, and community structures.
Project Location
The project will be implemented in five districts of Chhattisgarh.
The selected districts are:
- Bastar
- Bijapur
- Kondagaon
- Dhamtari
- Kabirdham
The programme will focus on high-vulnerability areas, tribal and remote communities, and education-poor blocks.
Target Groups
The programme primarily targets children aged 6–18 years.
Priority groups include:
- At-risk children
- School-going children
- School dropouts
- Children involved in child protection systems
- Children from tribal communities
- Children from marginalized communities
- Children living in remote and high-vulnerability areas
The programme will also engage key adults and institutions that support children.
These include:
- Teachers
- School principals
- School staff
- Anganwadi workers
- ASHAs
- Child protection staff
- Child Welfare Committees
- District Child Protection Units
- NGOs
- Parents and caregivers
- Community-based organizations
What is MHPSS?
Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, or MHPSS, refers to services and activities that protect and promote emotional wellbeing, psychological resilience, and social support.
For children, MHPSS may include safe school environments, counselling support, socio-emotional learning, positive parenting, peer support, referral to specialized care, and child protection services.
The goal is to help children cope with stress, build confidence, stay connected to school, and receive timely support when they experience distress.
School-Based MHPSS Activities
A major component of the initiative is the implementation of MHPSS activities in schools.
School-based activities will include:
- School implementation planning
- District-level action plans
- School-level action plans
- Teacher training
- Mentoring support for teachers and school staff
- Establishment of Communities of Practice
- School counselling services
- Documentation of good practices
- Creation of supportive learning environments
These activities are designed to help schools become safe and supportive spaces where children’s mental wellbeing is actively promoted.
Community-Based Support Activities
The programme will also work with communities to increase awareness and reduce stigma around mental health.
Community-based activities will include:
- Awareness activities on child mental health
- Parent and caregiver engagement
- Parenting programmes
- Promotion of positive caregiving practices
- Adolescent group activities
- Socio-emotional skills building
- Community participation in child wellbeing
- Activities that reduce stigma and encourage help-seeking
These interventions aim to make families and communities more supportive of children’s emotional and psychosocial needs.
Child Protection System Strengthening
The initiative will integrate MHPSS into child protection case management systems.
This means that child protection actors will be trained to identify psychosocial distress, respond appropriately, and connect children to services.
Activities will include:
- Training for Child Welfare Committees
- Training for District Child Protection Units
- Training for NGOs
- Integration of MHPSS into case management
- Development of referral pathways
- Identification of children experiencing severe distress
- Referral to specialized mental health care where needed
This approach helps ensure that children in protection systems receive both safety support and psychosocial care.
Capacity-Building Activities
Capacity building is a key part of the project.
Training modules will be developed for:
- Teachers
- School principals
- Anganwadi workers
- ASHAs
- Child protection staff
- Frontline service providers
The training will be supported by ongoing supervision and mentoring.
This will help improve service delivery, strengthen institutional capacity, and ensure that trained workers can continue supporting children after the project period.
Referral and Specialized Care
The programme will strengthen referral systems for children who require advanced mental health support.
Referral-related activities will include:
- Mapping available mental health services at district level
- Strengthening linkages with the District Mental Health Programme
- Facilitating referrals for children in severe distress
- Connecting schools and child protection systems with specialized care providers
- Improving coordination between education, health, and child protection systems
This will help ensure that children receive the right level of care based on their needs.
Implementation Approach
The project will be implemented through a convergence-based approach.
Key government and community partners will include:
- Education Department
- Women and Child Development Department
- Health Department
- Local NGOs
- Community-based organizations
- Child protection institutions
- School systems
- District-level service providers
The programme will follow a phased model, beginning with pilot interventions and progressing toward scale-up.
Project Duration
The initial implementation period for the project is 18 months.
During this period, the programme will pilot, strengthen, and scale MHPSS interventions across selected districts.
Expected Outcomes
The initiative is expected to improve child wellbeing, school systems, and community support for mental health.
Expected outcomes include:
- Improved emotional wellbeing among children
- Stronger coping skills among children aged 6–18 years
- Increased school attendance
- Improved school retention
- Functional teacher learning networks
- Enhanced capacity of teachers and frontline workers
- Improved identification of children experiencing distress
- Stronger referral pathways for mental health support
- Reduced stigma around mental health in communities
- Better integration of MHPSS into child protection systems
- Increased community ownership of child wellbeing interventions
Sustainability Plan
Sustainability will be promoted by embedding the programme into existing systems.
Sustainability measures include:
- Institutionalization of MHPSS within school systems
- Integration into government training platforms
- Capacity building of local stakeholders
- Strengthening district-level systems
- Building teacher networks and Communities of Practice
- Supporting government department convergence
- Encouraging community participation and ownership
- Developing long-term referral mechanisms
These measures are intended to ensure that the benefits continue beyond the initial 18-month implementation period.
Who Can Participate or Benefit?
The initiative is designed to benefit children, schools, families, communities, and frontline systems in selected districts of Chhattisgarh.
Primary beneficiaries include:
- Children aged 6–18 years
- At-risk children
- School dropouts
- Children in child protection systems
- Children from tribal and marginalized communities
Secondary participants include:
- Teachers
- Parents and caregivers
- Anganwadi workers
- ASHAs
- School staff
- Child protection workers
- NGOs and community-based organizations
- Government departments involved in education, health, and child protection
Applicant eligibility for the Call for Expression of Interest is not fully detailed in the provided text. However, implementation will involve partnerships with local NGOs and community-based organizations, along with relevant government departments.
Why It Matters
This initiative matters because children’s mental health is closely linked to learning, safety, protection, social development, and long-term wellbeing.
Children living in high-vulnerability areas may face stress linked to poverty, school dropout, family challenges, violence, marginalization, trauma, or lack of access to services.
By strengthening MHPSS through schools, communities, and child protection systems, the project can help children build resilience, stay in school, seek support early, and access specialized care when needed.
The focus on tribal and marginalized communities also helps ensure that children facing greater barriers are included in mental health and psychosocial support services.
How the Programme Works
The programme will use a phased and integrated implementation model.
The key steps include:
- Identify high-vulnerability areas and target groups in selected districts.
- Develop district and school-level MHPSS action plans.
- Train teachers, school principals, Anganwadi workers, ASHAs, and child protection staff.
- Establish school-based MHPSS activities and counselling support.
- Create Communities of Practice for teachers and school staff.
- Implement parenting programmes and adolescent group activities.
- Integrate MHPSS into child protection case management.
- Map mental health services and build referral pathways.
- Strengthen links with the District Mental Health Programme.
- Monitor progress, document good practices, and support scale-up.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Implementation Proposals
Organizations responding to the Call for Expression of Interest should avoid weak or unclear proposals.
Common mistakes include:
- Not clearly explaining how the intervention supports children aged 6–18 years
- Ignoring tribal, remote, and marginalized communities
- Not linking MHPSS with education and child protection systems
- Treating mental health as a standalone activity without referral pathways
- Not including teacher mentoring and supportive supervision
- Failing to include community awareness and stigma reduction
- Not integrating gender-sensitive approaches
- Not including safeguarding and child protection measures
- Providing a weak sustainability plan
- Not showing coordination with government departments
- Not explaining how outcomes will be measured
Tips for a Strong Expression of Interest
A strong EOI should be practical, child-centred, and systems-focused.
Useful tips include:
- Clearly explain experience in child protection, education, mental health, or community-based programming.
- Show understanding of the local context in Bastar, Bijapur, Kondagaon, Dhamtari, and Kabirdham.
- Include a clear approach for school-based MHPSS.
- Explain how teachers and frontline workers will be trained and mentored.
- Include community awareness activities to reduce stigma.
- Show how tribal and marginalized children will be reached.
- Include safeguarding and child protection protocols.
- Explain how referral pathways will be developed.
- Demonstrate coordination with education, health, and child protection departments.
- Include a strong sustainability plan linked to local systems.
FAQ
1. What is the UNICEF Chhattisgarh MHPSS Call for Expression of Interest?
It is a UNICEF initiative to strengthen Mental Health and Psychosocial Support services for children across selected districts of Chhattisgarh through education, child protection, community awareness, and referral interventions.
2. Which districts are covered?
The project will be implemented in Bastar, Bijapur, Kondagaon, Dhamtari, and Kabirdham.
3. Who are the main beneficiaries?
The main beneficiaries are children aged 6–18 years, especially at-risk children, school dropouts, children in child protection systems, and children from tribal, remote, and marginalized communities.
4. What activities will be implemented in schools?
School-based activities include teacher training, school implementation planning, mentoring, district and school action plans, Communities of Practice, school counselling services, and documentation of good practices.
5. How will the programme support communities?
The programme will conduct awareness activities, parenting programmes, adolescent group sessions, stigma reduction efforts, and community participation activities focused on child mental health and wellbeing.
6. How will children with severe distress receive support?
The project will develop referral pathways, map district-level mental health services, strengthen linkages with the District Mental Health Programme, and facilitate referrals for specialized care.
7. What is the project duration?
The initial implementation period is 18 months.
Conclusion
UNICEF’s Call for Expression of Interest in Chhattisgarh aims to strengthen child mental health and psychosocial support through schools, communities, child protection systems, and district-level service networks.
The initiative will support children aged 6–18 years in Bastar, Bijapur, Kondagaon, Dhamtari, and Kabirdham, with special attention to vulnerable, tribal, remote, and marginalized communities. Strong implementation will require integrated planning, trained frontline workers, school-based support, community awareness, referral pathways, safeguarding measures, and long-term sustainability through government systems and local ownership.
For more information, visit UN Partner Portal.
