Welcome to MPact’s online training for health professionals in Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. The online training is a nine week training that covers the needs of gay and bisexual men, including community empowerment, service delivery approaches, barriers to health, ethics and bias, sex and sexuality, creating a welcoming environment, positive communication, taking a sexual history, evidence-based interventions, and advance clinical knowledge. This online course seeks to:
- Increase knowledge, skill and sensitivity needs among health professionals;
- Arm health professionals serving gay, bisexual and trans men with the necessary competencies;
- Frame gay/bi men’s health away from the disease model, and instead centers on a health promotion and harm reduction framework; and
- Impact healthcare providers’ level of knowledge, attitude and skill.
We will be using the newly revised and updated handbook developed by MPact in partnership with Johns Hopkins University that aims to arm health professionals serving gay men with the necessary competencies. The online training leverages the strengths of and draws from the most up-to-date and emerging research and clinical guidance on gay men’s health issued by the agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO). With a strong focus on sex positivity, the online training strives to frame gay men’s health away from the disease model, and instead centers on a health promotion and harm reduction framework. Organized across nine distinct modules, the online training is designed for easy use to impact healthcare providers’ level of knowledge, attitude and skill on a range of clinically relevant topics.
The table below includes the due dates, assignments, handouts and links to reading material and videos. Throughout the online training, you will be engaged with mentors to participate in group sessions and one-one-one mentorship. Your participation will require reading material, attending live webinars, attending group sessions, watching videos, interacting with your mentor, and completing quizzes.
A note on mentors: You are expected to work with a mentor by attending group sessions and accessing one-on-one mentoring sessions.
Course FormatThis table provides information on reading material and assignments. All assignments will be posted and updated in this space. |
|
WEEK ONE |
To understand the principles of community empowermentTo identify and review a broad range of HIV-related health interventions for gay men |
| Session: Live Webinar | Attend 2 hour session on 2nd September 2020 |
| Reading | Handout 1 – MSMIT’s Community Empowerment (download pdf)
Handout 2 – MSMIT’s Healthcare Service Delivery (download pdf) |
| Homework assignment | Watch any 2 videos from this list
1.1 Defining Community Empowerment Watch any 2 videos from this list 4.1 HIV Prevention, Care and Treatment Continuum 4.2.2 Sexual and Other Risk Taking 4.3 HIV Care & Treatment Approaches 4.3.2 Alcohol, Drugs & MSM |
WEEK TWO |
To understand the barriers to health for gay men |
| Group session one with mentor | Barriers to health for Gay men |
| Reading | Chapter 3 , MPact Handbook – Barriers to health for Gay men (download PDF) |
| Homework assignment one | Click here to complete the homework assignment for week two. |
| Homework assignment two: Self-Evaluation | Mentee-Mentor Relationshop Self-Assessment |
WEEK THREE |
To reflect on ethics and bias in the context of delivering services for gay men |
| Group session two with mentor | Understanding gay men |
| Reading | Chapter 1, MPact Handbook |
| Homework assignment | None |
WEEK FOUR |
To review gay men’s sexual health needs |
| Group session three with mentor | Sex and Sexuality |
| Reading | Chapter 2, MPact Handbook |
| Home- Work Assignment | Complete online |
WEEK FIVE |
To identify strategies for establishing a safe and welcoming clinical environment |
| Community empowerment project | TBD |
| Group session four with mentor | Creating a friendlier environment |
| Reading | Chapter 4, MPact Handbook |
WEEK SIX |
To review positive communication skills and strategies for history taking with gay men |
| Group session five with mentor | Taking a sexual history |
| Reading | Class Handouts |
| Homework assignment | Taking a sexual history |
WEEK SEVEN |
To review evidence-based interventions in sexual health – I |
| Group session six with mentor | HIV & STI Prevention |
| Reading | Chapter 8, MPact Handbook |
| Home- Work assignment | Complete online |
WEEK EIGHT |
|
| Group session seven with mentor | HIV & STI Treatment |
| Reading | Chapter 9, MPact Handbook |
| Home- Work assignment | Click on link to complete online |
WEEK NINE |
To review advanced clinical knowledge in gay men’s health |
| Live Webinar | Clinical Knowledge |
| Reading | Class Handouts |
| Action Plan | Submit online |
Important Information
Schedule
The course will be offered only once and will run for a duration of 9 weeks. It is scheduled to begin September 2, 2020 and will end around November 4, 2020. Since this is a pilot training and it’s a time of COVID, participants may take an extra 2-3 weeks to review the materials and finish assignments.
Live Webinars
The required, live webinars will be scheduled on a weekday and after 4 PM and will last two hours each.
Required Reading
MPact’s New Handbook on Gay Men’s Health. More information will be provided for each reading assessments, including links to material and videos. Check the course format for up-to-date information and links.
Grading and Certificate
A 60% grade is needed for passing. The community empowerment project and action plan are counted as requirements, but they are not graded. All those who pass the course will receive a certificate of successful completion.
More questions
Contact Brian Macharia bmacharia12@gmail.com for more questions.
