After military officers deposed the president of Mali in March 2012, rebels seized control of the northern parts of the country, and declared independence. The resulting political instability and insecurity in northern Mali has led to mass displacement of the population to the southern parts of the country. Local and international agencies have agreed to work together to develop a coherent and pragmatic psychosocial response to the crisis. Since June 2012, a group of Malian psychosocial professionals meet regularly to coordinate this immediate response. They have established a psychosocial task force, started to map and organise activities to assist affected people, and to strengthen the local capacity of other helpers. The authors highlight the importance of building on local expertise in order to develop appropriate and sustainable mental health and psychosocial support services in response the current crisis in Mali.