Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioner

• PositionMental Health and Wellbeing Practitioner
• CompanyRainbow International School Uganda (RISU)
• LocationKansanga, Kampala, Uganda
• Job TypePart-Time (3 Days a Week)
• CategoryEducation Jobs in Uganda
• IndustryPrimary and Secondary Education
• DepartmentStudent Wellbeing & Counselling
• DeadlineFriday, 16 October 2026

Rainbow International School Uganda (RISU) is a co-educational day and boarding school located on an expansive 11-acre campus in Kansanga, off Ggaba Road, in the Makindye Division of Kampala. Founded in 1991 by Darshna Kotecha, the school began with just 29 pupils and has grown into one of Uganda’s most respected international institutions, now serving approximately 800 students representing over 60 nationalities from Early Years Foundation Stage through to Pre-University (ages 2 to 19).

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioner will provide essential mental health support and guidance to students across the entire school, from Early Years to Pre-University (ages 3 to 19), promoting their emotional wellbeing and academic success. This is not a behind-the-desk position: the practitioner will be deeply woven into the fabric of whole-school life, tailoring therapeutic and preventative approaches to meet a wide range of developmental needs.

Beyond direct student support, the successful candidate will serve as a vital resource for families and staff, helping build a cohesive, empathetic, and resilient school community. The role involves delivering confidential counselling, designing wellbeing workshops, advising parents, providing staff professional development, and contributing to school-wide wellbeing strategy and policy. This is a part-time position covering 3 days per week.

• Deliver confidential short-term individual counselling and group interventions for students across all year groups.
• Support students dealing with anxiety, mood challenges, social difficulties, identity issues, academic pressure, and grief.
• Conduct risk assessments, safety planning, and reintegration support for students returning from crisis situations.
• Maintain confidential records and refer students to external providers when appropriate.
• Design and deliver workshops and assemblies on resilience, emotional literacy, stress management, digital wellbeing, healthy relationships, and transitions.
• Contribute to the Personal Development and wellbeing curriculum and school-wide awareness campaigns.
• Promote student voice and peer wellbeing initiatives across the school.
• Advise parents on adolescent emotional health and facilitate parent workshops.
• Deliver staff professional development sessions on wellbeing, safeguarding, and mental health awareness.
• Support culturally sensitive communication with RISU’s diverse international families.
• Contribute to wellbeing strategy, policy development, and evidence-informed practices.
• Analyse trends and emerging student needs to inform school-wide approaches.

Required Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in Psychotherapy, Social Work, Health and Wellbeing, or a related field.
• Professional registration and certification with a recognised body.

Work Experience

• Three or more years of experience working as a mental health professional within an educational setting.
• Experience with neurodiverse learners, crisis intervention, and vulnerable children risk assessment.

Additional Requirements

• Strong understanding of child and adolescent development.
• Ability to assess student needs and develop appropriate intervention plans.
• Willingness to undergo appropriate child protection screening and rigorous background checks, including contacting previous employers.
• Valid National ID card (for Ugandans) or passport (for non-Ugandans).
• Recent ICPC/Interpol check and equivalent police Certificate of Good Conduct from country of current residence or employment.
• Notarised copies of relevant academic documents.

Technical Skills

• Counselling & Psychotherapy: Proficiency in delivering short-term individual counselling and group therapeutic interventions for children and adolescents across a wide age range (3 to 19 years).
• Risk Assessment: Ability to conduct thorough risk assessments, safety planning, and reintegration support protocols for vulnerable students.
• Curriculum Development: Skill in designing and delivering wellbeing workshops, assemblies, and contributing to Personal Development curricula.
• Record Keeping: Maintaining confidential clinical records and managing appropriate referrals to external mental health providers.

Soft Skills

• Empathy & Patience: A genuine, demonstrable drive to improve the mental health and wellbeing of children, underpinned by compassion and sincere commitment to student welfare.
• Versatility: The ability to pivot effortlessly from play-based therapeutic approaches for Early Years children to teenage-focused guidance for secondary students.
• Cultural Competence: Open-mindedness and the ability to connect with families from over 60 nationalities, fostering an inclusive environment that respects differences.
• Collaboration: Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to build trust quickly and work effectively alongside teachers, parents, and administration.
• Professional Integrity: Sound judgement to balance student confidentiality with safeguarding duties, accurately discerning when to escalate to the Designated Safeguarding Lead.
• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills for engaging with students, parents, staff, and external professionals.

While the advert does not list a specific benefits package, Rainbow International School Uganda is known for offering competitive terms within the international education sector. Based on the school’s recruitment profile, staff at RISU typically benefit from working in a COBIS-accredited institution with strong professional development opportunities, including access to Educare online courses and COBIS webinars. The school’s multicultural environment, with students and staff from over 60 nationalities, provides a uniquely enriching professional experience. As a part-time role (3 days per week), this position also offers flexibility for practitioners maintaining private practice or other professional commitments.

• Join one of Uganda’s most established and respected British international schools, with over 30 years of excellence in education.
• Work in a genuinely multicultural environment with students from more than 60 nationalities, gaining diverse professional experience.
• Make a direct impact on student welfare across the full age range, from Early Years (age 3) through Pre-University (age 19).
• Benefit from a part-time schedule (3 days per week) that offers work-life balance while contributing meaningfully to school life.
• Operate within a COBIS-accredited school with strong safeguarding frameworks and professional standards.
• Access continuous professional development opportunities, including UK-based training, Educare courses, and COBIS webinars.
• Be part of a school leadership team that places student wellbeing at the heart of its educational philosophy.
• Work on an 11-acre campus with outstanding facilities in the vibrant Kansanga suburb, just 20 minutes from Kampala city centre.

Interested candidates should email their application to applications@risu.sc.ug, addressed to the Principal. Only emailed applications will be considered. Please combine your application letter and CV into a single PDF file. Your CV must include a passport-sized photo at the top of the first page and the names and contact details of three professional referees (recent and current line managers, Headteachers, Principals, or Heads of School). The closing date for applications is Friday, 16 October 2026. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Rainbow International School Uganda is a safer recruitment school committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

• Combine your application letter and CV into a single PDF as instructed; separate documents may not be considered.
• Include a passport-sized photo at the top of the first page of your CV as specifically requested by RISU.
• Highlight your experience working with children and adolescents across multiple age groups, as this role spans Early Years to Pre-University.
• Demonstrate your experience with neurodiverse learners and crisis intervention, both of which are explicitly listed as requirements.
• Emphasise your cultural competence and experience in international or multicultural settings, given RISU’s community of over 60 nationalities.
• Address your application letter to the Principal and explain how your approach aligns with RISU’s values of holistic education and safeguarding.
• Ensure your three referees are senior professionals (line managers, Headteachers, or Principals) as specified in the advert.