Community Health Volunteer- Jbeil Mechmesh/CDCS

Amel Association International (Amel) is a Lebanese and non-sectarian NGO created in 1979. Amel works through 30 centers, 6 mobile medical units, 2 mobile education units and 1 mobile protection unit, and for more than 40 years has supported the poorest regions of Lebanon, from Beirut and its South Suburbs to Mount Lebanon, Bekaa and South Lebanon. Amel offers accessible services for all in the following fields: food security, health, education, protection, child protection, gender-based violence, livelihood, promotion and protection of human rights and rural development.Amel is committed to diversity and welcomes applications from qualified candidates regardless of disability, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, race, color or ethnic and national origins, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.

Amel has a Zero Tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse, and sexual harassment: Candidates will not be considered for employment with Amel if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts.

1. GENERAL OBJECTIVE

The Community Health Volunteer (CHV) is selected by their community leaders and stakeholder such as (but not limited to) PHCCs and municipalities according to the CHV Selection Criteria. CHVs can also be identified from community health clubs. The CHV promotes healthy lifestyles in the community, encourages appropriate use of health services, and refers common health-illness conditions to the closest Amel supported PHCC.

The CHV is accountable to their community and authorities from the nearest Primary Health Care Center (PHCC), while also being technically accountable to the health field officer. The CHV is responsible to organize and deliver community health clubs in assigned catchment areas.

Role and Responsibilities

A. Community Collaboration, Health Education and Health Promotion

• Develop a map of the catchment area (community map) identifying the most vulnerable to prioritize interventions.
• Support national initiatives at the village level and actively participate in all campaigns/activities e.g., Hand Washing day, Immunization Days and other activities such COVID-19 national & PU-AMI response).
• Promote healthy behaviors and practices through community health clubs and awareness raising including (but not limited to: Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Family Planning, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), pregnancy and lactation related topics.
• Disseminate information and health messages through various means including WhatsApp messages.
• Collaborate with complementary community based initiatives, internal and external, to promote health integrated with other topics (protection, GBV, Inclusion, etc.)

B. Direct Service

• Identify and enroll participants in community health clubs.
• Deliver and facilitate community health clubs and awareness sessions.
• Create awareness among the community on how to prevent selected communicable diseases and non-communicable diseases.
• Refer suspected communicable and non-communicable diseases cases to PHCC supported/designated health facility.
• Communicate the importance of services such (but not limited to) antenatal and postnatal care, immunization, child and maternal care among other services encouraging the community to make use of services delivered at the PHCC.
• Mobilize families and community members to encourage participation in the promotion of health and wellbeing by delivering awareness sessions and information about hygiene, nutrition, and wellbeing among other topics based on needs of the community.
• Identify and refer beneficiaries to supported PHCCs based on needs, as well as to other services upon the service mapping provided by Amel in collaboration with health field officer/Nurse/Midwife.
• Take part in the initiative that aim to promote psychosocial well-being and mental health in the community.
• Raise awareness about importance of inclusion of Persons with Disabilities.
• Collaborate with and support Inclusion Social Workers’ activities in the catchment area, including health promotion, along with identification and referral of Persons with Disabilities to supported PHCCs.
• Collect feedback on PHCCs services and disseminate Complaint & Response Mechanism at the center.

C. Management

• Meet regularly with health field officer /Nurse/Midwife to propose ideas, develop, implement, and monitor community action plans for health promotion and community health clubs.
• Meet regularly with the supervisor to review reports and action plans, receive plans and for in-service training.
• Regularly complete and submit reports/data to the supervisor 
• Inform the supervisor of any disease outbreaks.
• Attend trainings and prepare activities as advised by the supervisor.
• Aid the supervisor in the distribution of non-food items and other kits.

• As per selection criteria: the selection of the CHVs will be done through meetings with the community’s members, qualification (social recognition), experience and interest of the person. 
• The CHV should have basic literacy and numeracy skills.