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Tanzania Health Promotion Support (THPS) is an indigenous NGO established under nongovernmental organization act No 24 of 2002 in 2011. THPS works in partnership with the Ministries of Health Community Development Gender Elderly and Children (MoHCDGEC) Regional Administration and Local Governments (PORALG), Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) and Ministry of Health in Zanzibar. THPS’ goal is to ensure accessible high-quality health care services to Tanzanians; through strengthening of health systems.
THPS, has been awarded by CDC/PEPFAR to implement the five (5) years project AFYA HATUA (Sustain Treatment, Enrolment and HIV Prevention- STEP). Through AFYA HATUA, THPS will deliver client centered, comprehensive facility and community-based HIV prevention, care, and treatment services for general, key and vulnerable populations in Pwani, Kigoma and Shinyanga regions, and contribute to the country’s epidemic control. Based on the Government of Tanzania’s (GoT) National Multisectoral Strategic Framework (NMSF) IV, Health Sector HIV Strategic Plan (HSHSP) IV, and PEPFAR COP21 priorities, AFYA HATUA will extend best practices and lessons learned from THPS’s 10+ years of implementing HIV programs in Tanzania. THPS will partner with all LGAs in the 3 regions, faith-based health facilities, and community-based, key population (KP)-led organizations to achieve the project goals.
Position Title: Community Services Technical Advisor
Reports to: Community Services Program Lead
Location: Dar es Salaam with 50% travel to Pwani, Kigoma and Shinyanga
Job Summary:
The Community Services Technical Adviser will serve as the THPS technical team lead for all activities relating to HIV community-based interventions including linkage and retention of PLHIV identified from community to ART services. S/He will provide technical leadership, to support effective referrals and follow-up of key and vulnerable (KVP) clients between surrounding communities and health facilities through the entire HIV cascade, to improve ART adherence and insure continuity of treatment among clients in care and treatment. Oversee adaptation of innovative and evidence-based service delivery models by district teams,
community services field officers, and community expert clients/volunteers, and health care workers to manage the implementation of planned activities for targeted sub populations and clients on ART. This position is part of a multidisciplinary, cohesive team and requires excellent communication and problem-solving skills.
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Provide technical support to community services team to support health care providers (HCPs), community expert clients/volunteers other relevant actors to implement community-based HIV initiatives for clients on HIV care and treatment program and targeted sub populations.
- Ensure regional/district community coordinators, field officers, expert volunteers and HCWs participating in HIV community-based services are appropriately trained and oriented on initiatives strategies to ensure continuum of care
- Lead implementation of community-based service delivery models (SDM) for HIV interventions in supported regions, including index and social network testing, HIV self-testing, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), same day ART initiation, linkage case management (LCM) & retention
- Develop and facilitate innovative strategies to reduce treatment interruptions among key and vulnerable PLHIV identified from community settings
- Design retention interventions targeting different sub populations to ensure treatment continuity
- Take leadership in design, training and distribution of relevant job aids and materials related to adherence counselling and assessment in line with the MOHCDGEC guidelines for community health services
- Provide technical leadership in implementing COVID 19 prevention through health education and infection prevention measures within community settings
- Conduct supportive supervision and mentorship in collaboration with community services team members to HCP, PE, LC and sub granted NGOs by applying mentorship skills and methods in order to improve quality of services
- Review scope of work, reports, plans and performance of the community services sub- grantees on quarterly
- Collaborate with Adherence, Psychosocial support and Retention TA to ensure formation of active Adolescent and youth groups/clubs and other initiatives to improve adolescents’ adherence, retention and viral suppression across communities to promote HIV knowledge and psychosocial support to this age
- Maintain relationship with MOHCDGEC CSSU unit, HBC unit, R/CHMTs and subgrantee NGOs responsible for HIV community-based interventions
- Represent THPS in national TWG/meetings on issues related to HIV community-based services and retention of key and priority populations living with HIV.
- Strengthen multi-sectorial collaboration with Council HIV and AIDS community coordinators (CHACC) and other partners including linkages with CBOs.
- Provide technical support and best approaches on how to improve referrals and follow- up of clients in the community to prevent miss appointments and tracing clients with treatment
- Lead the development of community services annual work plans and implement data- based performance review
- Review annual and quarterly regional work plans and supervise implementation at community level to ensure all targets are met
- To prepare reports and other technical papers and provide periodic progress reports and monitor progress through weekly, and monthly
Qualifications, Experience and Skills:
- Sociology or health related disciplines (nurse, clinical officer, MD or equivalent) with extensive field experience.
- Masters Degree in Ppublic Hhealth or equivalent
- Minimum 5 years’ demonstrated experience working with community-based HIV prevention, care and treatment programs including key and vulnerable
- Experience with PEPFAR-funded HIV programs is an advantage
- Minimum 3 years’ supervising a multidisciplinary team as part of a technical assistance
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with fluency in English
- Strong computer skills (MS Excel, Access, Word, and PowerPoint at minimum;
- Ability to provide high quality technical assistance to regional teams and lead diverse teams
- Familiarity with Tanzanian cultural context; fluency in Kiswahili required
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and strong problem-solving
How to apply:
Interested applicants should send an email recruitment@thps.or.tz attaching their application cover letter one page maximum and CV four pages maximum by September 23rd 2021 with a position title as a subject line, for example: “Community Service Technical Advisor’’.
Only short-listed applicants will be contacted. Please do not attach any certificates when submitting online.
THPS is an equal opportunity employer; women, people living with HIV/AIDS and people living with disability are encouraged to apply.
