Community-Facility Linkages Officer

Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) seeks to recruit the following position.

TUNAWEZA Project

TUNAWEZA is a 5 year U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded program providing support and assistance to indigenous Kenyan organizations working in HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment. The project is designed to provide organizational systems development support and technical assistance.

The project aims to build, expand the quality of HIV /AIDS, and improve outcomes of HIV/AIDS services and the sustainability of HIV/AIDS interventions of local Kenyan organization including the Ministry of Health Structures.

Activities include organizational systems strengthening, technical capacity building in provision of evidence based HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment services, and provision of grants. Particular emphasis is placed on expansion and sustainability of quality of HIV/AIDS interventions.

Job Title: Community-Facility Linkages Officer
Job Ref: TW/CLFO/TUR/2010
Location: Lodwar -Turkana District
Reporting To: District Coordinator

Position Objective:

The Community-facility Linkages Officer will provide technical expertise in designing and implementing interventions to sensitize and engage community, create community-facility linkages and implement psychosocial support activities to adults and children to support adherence to the continuum of care and retention at all project supported sites.

Purpose of Position

The Community-Facility Linkages Officer will work to provide technical assistance and capacity building to community volunteers and health care workers in support of community HIV prevention, care and treatment support activities.

S/he will provide oversight to the community involvement components in health facilities and maintain psychosocial support groups and community units in support of the community strategy.

Duties and Responsibilities

Management 20%

* Identify, develop , document and share various psychosocial and treatment support models and their effectiveness
* Provide on the job training to field officer , volunteers and implementing partners staff,
* Ensure project activities comply with national guidelines and policies for HIV/AIDS and ART.
* Integrate evidence-based techniques and strategies to ensure quality programming

Technical 20%

* Assess health facilities for readiness to initiate Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) adherence programs
* Assess quality of community adherence support activities relating to ART in and around potential Care and treatment sites
* Assist health facilities in developing their adherence programs.
* Identify training needs, plan trainings and facilitate training sessions on adherence for ART and psychosocial support.
* Develop and distribute appropriate job aids and education materials for treatment support staff and adherence counselors at the sites
* Play key role in Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement of psychosocial support and adherence interventions in Tunaweza project sites.

Monitoring , Evaluation and Reporting 10%

* Identify, document and share key lessons learnt on adherence from health facilities.
* Monitor the performance of adherence and community involvement activities at partner facilities
* Perform any other functions set out by the deputy project director.

Linkages Networking and Integration 30%

* Facilitate partnership meetings between key adherence staff, project technical staff and community staff at each health facility to enable the sharing of information and peer learning between various health facilities.
* Network with local organizations involved in adherence to ART and promote linkages between Health facilities and organizations providing HIV support services in their community.
* Work with the field officers to educate the community on available services for persons living with HIV, their families and other community members, how to access these services and importance of sustaining interventions for better quality of life
* Work with other Tunaweza project teams and partner health facilities to establish and strengthen adherence systems within health facilities for improved quality of patient care
* Work with other Tunaweza Project technical staff, facility health care workers and facility health committees to establish and maintain community units ensuring that these units link communities with facilities and maintain chalk boards

Supervision 20%

* Coordinate and carry out regular technical assistance visits on treatment adherence and psychosocial support to the Tunaweza project partner facilities.
* Coordinate technical program activities of community liaison officers to ensure regular contact with the Tunaweza sites

Desired Qualifications:

* Public Health, Community health, Nursing, Epidemiology, counseling or a health related field diploma. A university degree will be an added advantage.
* HIV/AIDS knowledge and related experience.
* Experience in adherence and factors associated with non adherence
* Background in community development activities
* Computer literate

Specific skills required for performance of the work

* Teaching skills
* Counseling skills
* Prior experience in capacity building, such as planning and facilitating trainings and providing technical assistance
* Ability to transfer knowledge to diverse audiences through training, mentoring, and other formal and non-formal methods;
* Good interpersonal, organizational and written / verbal communication skills, including in cross-cultural settings;
* Willingness to travel and work in hardship region. Experience in Turkana a
* Ability to work effectively under pressure and to organize and prioritize competing activities;
* Ability to work effectively in a team oriented environment;
* Flexibility, patience, dedication and creativity
* Computer skills (MS Word, MS Excel, MS Power Point)

Application and Contact Details:

Interested qualified candidates are requested to submit a letter, a resume and names of three references to kenyarecruitment@pedaids.org by 4th November 2010.

To ensure timely review of your credentials, please insert the job reference number in the subject line of the email.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

EGPAF is mainly funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The TUNAWEZA Project is funded by CDC.

EGPAF is an equal opportunity employer.

Please visit our web site www.pedaids.org for more details on the Foundation.

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