4 Project Officers- HIV Prevention & Community Linkages Job Opportunity at AIDS Support Organization (TASO Uganda)

Vacancy title: 4 Project Officers- HIV Prevention & Community Linkages

Type: FULL TIME.

Category: Administrative & Office

Jobs at: AIDS Support Organization (TASO Uganda)

Deadline of this Job: 19th September 2019

Duty Station:   Within Uganda , Napak, Nabilatuk, Nakapiripirit and Amudat , East Africa

 

JOB DETAILS:
VA No.TASO-2019-HRH5
(External Candidates are highiy encouraged to appiy -and ptease note that only Karamojong Natives shall be considered for the avaitabie vacancies under this advert)
The AIDS Support Organization (TASO Uganda) was founded to contribute to a process of preventing HIV infection, restoring hope and improving the quality of life of persons, families and communities affected by HIV infection and disease. TASO is implementing a five (5) year project (2017-2022), funded by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the Centerfor Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to support The Government of Uganda accelerate epidemic control in Soroti and Karamoja Region. The goal of the project is to Achieve Epidemic Control through attainment of the 95-95-95 UNAIDS targets by 2020 and strengthening health systems in Soroti and Karamoja Region. TASO also received a grant under the Key Population Investment Fund (KPIF) from PEPFAR through CDC to implement activities! interventions that will contribute to increased demand, access to and continuous utilization of high-quality, high impact health interventions with the purpose of improving KP targeted testing, strengthening data capture and enhancing prevention and clinical cascades to achieve 80% coverage of KPs in Soroti Region. Therefore, in an effort to meet the envisaged goal and objectives, TASO requires the services of dedicated, competent, result oriented and innovative individuals for employment on a contract basis for the post below;
Job Title – REF: TS/HR/DPMCD 01: Project Officer- HIV Prevention & Community Linkages (04)
Classification : Contract-full time
Reporting to : Cluster Team Leader and functionally to the Community Systems Strengthening Adviser
Salary : Commensurate with training and experience
Duty Station : Napak, Nabilatuk, Nakapiripirit and Amudat Districts
Directly Supervises : None
Main Purpose of the Job: The Project Officer-HIV Prevention and Community Linkages will provide technical assistance to project and Health facility staff, Facility-Community-Based Linkage Facilitators and District Health Teams (DHTs) to ensure effective linkages and referrals for quality accelerated HIV/AIDS epidemic control through evidence-based high impact prevention, care, treatment and support responses in the Cluster areas. .

Key Outputs
• Implement HIV Case Identification Approaches in the community and facility setting.
• Implement and monitorAdherence and Disclosure guidelines in community setting.
• Implement and monitor patient tracking Iogbooks and interventions to bring those lost to follow
• up back into care through SMS, phone calls or home visits.
• Implement child and adolescent and adult PLHIV tracing and retention in the HIV care system.
• Ensure stronger collaboration between the linkage officer and facility community Linkage Facilitators.
• Provide technical support in community based adherence clubs to ensure clients adherence plans.
• Work with HCWs to implement Differentiated service delivery model and community support programs in collaboration with health facilities.
• To apply Quality Improvement approaches in improving linkage to care so as to reach the UNAFDS 90-90-90 target
• Assist Family Support Groups, Peer Support Groups, Expert Clients agd other community structures develop action plans which are aligned to the 90-90-90 strategy and the key result areas of the project focusing on accelerated epidemic control.
• Compile monthly and quarterly stats and narrative reports.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
• Provide technical assistance to Local Implementing Partners in HIV case identification, linkages to care and Treatment as well as Retention strategies.
• Work with the local CBOs and Community-Facility Linkage Facilitators to conduct community educationfrnobilization to generate demand for HIV services and ensure the uptake of HIV Counselling and Testing Services for children, adolescents and adults in a child-friendly manner at community level.
• Link up with other HIV Testing and counselling partners to facilitate conduct Household and community based HIV testing where necessary. .
• Support family testing and safe disclosure for households of index patients enrolled at the facilities.
• Coordinate and monitor the referral system between the community and the Health Facilities.
• Supervise the peer educators, expert clients and linkage facilitators conduct referrals, follow ups and defaulter tracing.
• Facilitate initiation to care and treatment of all identified HIV positive individuals, including children and adolescents.
• Work with the local CBOs to establish new and strengthen existing psychosocial support groups (PSSGs} at community level to promote retention.
• Coordinate quarterly joint support supervision in collaboration with DHTs and CBOs on project activities.
• Work with the TB! Capacity Development Advisor to organize and coordinate community trainings as per National Curricula.
• Prepare comprehensive monthly and quarterly reports of all activities carried out as per the work plan.
• Strengthen linkages into care and treatment in both facility settings and testing done in the community level targeting children and adolescents age target 0 age to 18 years and adults.
• Improve linkage to the care system with a stronger focus on case finding and client indexing.
• Strengthening the multidisciplinary linkage coordination at the facility and Community levels.
• Design, monitor and report on key activities related to scale-up of HIV/AIDS prevention interventions in Karamoja Region.
• Support mentoring activities for HC‘-Ns in relation to HIWAIDS prevention services in Karamoja Region especially those targeting improvements along the cascade oi care and treatment.
• Support roll out of the revised HIV Testing Services guidelines and implementation manual in Soroti Region
• Provide Technical Assistance for the handling of complicated cases.
• Support Continuous Community Quality Improvement approaches for HIV/AIDS prevention, care, treatment and support services in Karamoja region.
• Provide technical assistance in planning related to HIWAIDS prevention and community linkages services in Karamoja region.
Minimum Academic Qualifications
• Bachelors degree in any of the following fields; Social’ Sciences, Education, S‘-NASA, Development Studies, Community and Adult Education, Community Psychology, Public Health, Guidance and counselling, BSc. Nursing, clinical medicine or a related field. A post graduate qualification in any of the above added advantage.
• Evidence of having attended specialized training in HIV/AIDS.

Required Experience and Skills
• At least 2 years‘ experience in providing technical assistance and me hip of HCWs in IDS prevention and community linkages.
• Comprehensive knowledge and experience in HIV/AIDS management, prevention and community referral and linkages as perthe national community referral and linkages framework.
• Good working knowledge of HIV/AIDS prevention programs, strategies, processes and techniques used to plan, develop, implement and evaluate results of HIV/AIDS programs.
• Excellent interpersonal skills including the ability to work effectively in a team.
• Ability to communicate in Ngakaramojong and knowledge of the local area project scope based on the preferred Cluster is a MUST.
• Knowledge of USG programming policies and regulations, MoH and district procedures and practices.
• Specialized knowledge and experience in Community Health and stakeholder engagement skills and attributes
• Proven ability to ride a motor cycle is a MUST and willingness to work in rural settings.
• Computer proficiency in MS Office Applications.
Other Qualities/Attributes: Integrity, Emotional control, Confidentiality and Openness, Team player, Ability to work under mental and physical stress and Empathy
Job Education Requirements: Not Specified

Job Experience Requirements: 2 years

Job application procedure
Only qualified candidates who meet all the above requirements are invited to submit their resume, copies of certified academic certificates, testimonials and three referees, two of which should be professional referees including their telephone and email contacts.
N.B TASO staff and fomler staff must attach a signed recommendation letter from the respective Center Program Manager.
All interested Candidates MUST fully fill the TASO Online Job Application Form, scan and save all the relevant documents in one folder and forward online applications with the relevant credentials to:
https://www.cognitoforms.com/TASO1/THEAIDSSUPPORTORGANJSATIONTASO  .
Please note that only applications received online shall be considered,
Posting Date: 12thSeptember 2019
Closing Date: 19th September 2019 at 11:59 pm
While TASO appreciates all the interested applicants, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews. in case you do not hear from TASO Uganda One (01) month after the closing date, please consider yourself unsuccessful.