HIV/TB Patient and Community Support Advisor (m/f)

The Medical Department (MED) is composed of polyvalent medical staff working in operational cells under the responsibility of the Operation Medical coordinator and composed of health advisors working in technical units under the responsibility of the Technical Strategic coordinator. The water, hygiene and sanitation unit (WHS) , the Operational Research Unit and the medical expatriates pool managers are integrated in the department.

The health advisors are covering the following fields: epidemiology, nutrition, pharmacy, vaccination, hospital management, hygiene, sterilization, nursing care, malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, mental health, laboratory, medical logistics, operational research, WHS, sexual reproductive health, health promotion, medical anthropology, biomedical, surgery, anesthesiology, gynecology-obstetrics, emergency care and medical training

The role of the MED is to provide technical support and strategic guidance on medical issues to the Operation Department (OPS). This also implies open-mindedness to innovative approaches.

HIV/TB Patient and Community Support covers all the activities aiming at empowering patients and their environment in front of their illness and treatment, beyond the purely medical aspects of care. Patient Support covers educational, emotional and social support activities.

HIV/TB Patient and Community Support is a disease-specific approach for mental health and health promotion activities in HIV/TB projects within MSF-OCB.  As such, the HIV/TB Patient and Community Support advisor is closely linked to the mental health and health promotion advisors within the OCB medical department.

The HIV/TB Patient and Community Support advisor functions as part of the Southern Africa Medical Unit (SAMU), but for practical reasons is based inBrussels. The rationale for the link with SAMU is based on the key role of SAMU in coordinating medical technical and strategic support to HIV/TB programs for OCB.  The post holder will collaborate closely with the mental health and health promotion advisors, based inBrussels.

The HIV/TB patient support MIO has been giving direct field support from August 2010 till January 2012, leaving little time for capitalization. A 2-year HIV/TB patient and community support advisor position is created to respond to a current need of further capitalization of field experiences and promotion of innovative patient support approaches, further development of training and mentoring on patient support, general and direct field support as well as promotion of operational research on patient support.

1. Work on specific technical subjects

• Revision of framework and development of recommendations on community based activities and models of care in collaboration with other advisors
• Development of technical recommendations on patient support for adolescents, mental health within HIV/TB projects, long-term/stable patient care, hepatitis C in collaboration with other advisors
• Collation, adaptation and dissemination of existing tools (guidelines, visual aids etc) to ensure inclusion of latest evidence and WHO guidelines (ie PMTCT, CD4 criteria, treatment as prevention). Current priorities are (DR)TB, PMTCT, treatment failure, mobile populations, and children.

2. Further development of training and mentoring on patient support

• Development of Patient Support Coordinator track within the international Patient Support, Education and Counselling training
• Development of mentoring approach for Patient Support on field level

3. General technical support

• To give remote field support on Patient and Community Support
• To develop and lead further the MSF OCB vision regarding the HIV/TB Patient and Community Support component
• To lead the development, promotion and implementation of a HIV/TB Patient and Community Support policy and strategy in MSF-OCB operations. 
• Give quality support to medical polyvalent in the cells and field staff through briefings and debriefings
• Participate in medical department meetings and activities with HQ and SAMU  medical advisors

4. Direct technical fiel support through short term fiel visits

• Assess HIV Patient Support component: strategy, activities, tools, HR, and integration
• Analyze project challenges in the implementation of PS
• Ensure the implementation of the patient support package, adapted to the reality of the field, in collaboration with the PS responsible
• Ensure short national and expatriate field training on PS
• Produce after each field visit a report of work carried on and recommendations

5. Promotion of operational research on patient support

• Propose subjects for Operational Research  to the field and the OR advisors and collaborate with them.

• University degree in Human Sciences: sociology, anthropology, psychology or educational sciences.
• MSF field experience of at least 2 years.
• Previous experience in MSF HIV/AIDS projects in patient support.
• Languages: good oral and written skills in English and French. 
• Good communication capabilities, ability to work as a team
• Flexibility to carry out field visits. 

conditions

• HQ Contract, definite-term contract for 2 years
• Full time position based in Brussels, with maximum 40% of field visits
• Starting date: ASAP
• Reporting to: HIV/TB Unit coordinator of SAMU

CV + motivation letter to be sent before February 10th 2012 to Caroline Maes, 94 Rue Dupré, 1090 Brussels or to caroline [dot] maes [at] brussels [dot] msf [dot] org