State Referral Linkage Officer (Sokoto) at Project Hope

State Referral Linkage Officer (Sokoto)

• The State Referral Linkage Officer (RLO) responsible for ensuring the strengthening of community facility linkages and bi-directional referrals to support the ACE projects’ HIV care, treatment, and support services across the focal States. The State Referral Linkage Officer will lead and coordinate the community based HTS referral and linkage services at State/LGA level by working closely with CBOs, health facilities and community resource persons. S/He will support the coordination of referral coordination meetings and other community engagement platforms to ensure effective HTS and linkage to care for PLHIVs and OVC beneficiaries. 
• In collaboration with the M&E and quality assurance teams of the project, s/he will be engaged in improving data quality and quality improvement interventions related to HTS, referrals and linkages. The Referral Linkage Assistant is expected to work with other project staff to strengthen targeted HTS and improve linkages to care, treatment and support services

Specific Responsibilities 

• Actively participate in the capacity building efforts of the project to state level community structures on HIV service referrals and linkages.
• Provide technical assistance and oversight for implementation of HIV testing and linkage Services to CBOs and other relevant community resource persons. 
• Work with other project staff to develop standard operational procedures, job aids, reference materials for community based targeted HIV testing (conventional and HIVST), referral and linkage services.
• Support the adaptation of training material for local partners on community targeted HIV testing, referral, and linkage services. 
• Develop/Adapt community level awareness creation materials for targeted HIV testing services.  
• Assist to adapt or develop different screening tools for identifying key and priority population for HIV testing. 
• Provide assistance to standardize and re-package community to facility bi-directional referral system and tools to ensure closed-loop referral service.
• Participate in the review and evaluation of existing HIV testing and ART service delivery policies including related service platforms and associated policies.
• Work closely with the state committees established to oversee the testing, referral, and linkage to care support services 
• Provide overall guidance and support to CBOs regarding community HIV testing services (conventional and HIVST), referral and linkage to HIV care and treatment Services.
• Develop strategies for delivery of community based targeted HIV testing through conventional and HIVST (both assisted and unassisted) and linkage services.
• Undertake program supervision, monitoring and evaluation on community based targeted HIV testing and linkage services.
• Work with State Community Services Advisor to provide capacity building support for local partners through providing TOT on HTS and Linkage services and supporting them to provide basic trainings for service providers. 
• Prepare and submit regular program work plans and reports on community based HTS and linkage services.
• Work with other regular staff of Project HOPE to strengthen the implementation of integrated HTS and linkage services.
• Provide assistance for the integrated implementation of other community-based HIV services.
• Monitor all the relevant Community HTS including quality control activities.
• Collaboration with other relevant stakeholders to ensure successful implementation and monitoring of the 95-95-95 cascade
• Prepare monthly and quarterly reports to submit to State Community Services Advisor
• Together with other technical teams, work to strengthen the facility and community collaboration.
• Participate in support supervision of HTS and other community-based services.
• Perform any other duty assigned by the Supervisor.

Minimum Qualifications

• Minimum of bachelor’s degree in health or relevant social sciences 
• Specialized knowledge: Training in HIV counselling, Adherence Counselling, Couple Counselling and Community HIV testing, and counselling required. Up to date with latest developments in HIV prevention, care, and treatment programming in Nigeria
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in providing and managing HIV testing, counselling, and referral services.
• Ability to prioritize work according to importance and deadline while meeting conflicting work demands.
• Good interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to work effectively in a team and support others in their work.