Request for Proposal (RFP): Counselor for provide counseling session

Organization: EpiC Thailand Project, Family Health International (FHI 360)

Job Details:

• Position: counselor for provide counseling session
• Period of Performance: March 2024 to September 2024 (in person and online counseling session)

Background:

The USAID Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control (EpiC) Project managed by FHI 360 is a global project with specific scopes of work in multiple countries. In Thailand, EpiC focuses on interventions to reduce HIV transmission among men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM), male sex workers (MSW), and transgender women (TGW) populations and to improve the quality of life of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Thailand. Most interventions are implemented through community-based organizations (CBOs) in ten different parts of the country, namely Bangkok, Chonburi, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phitsanulok, Song Khla, and Ubonratchathani, and include reach-recruit-test-treat-prevent-retain (RRTTPR) interventions such as targeted online interventions on social media, differentiated service delivery for HIV testing, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, and antiretroviral treatment including telehealth services, and cross-cutting issues of stigma and discrimination reduction and policy advocacy.

EpiC Thailand, a program dedicated to HIV prevention and treatment in Thailand, has encountered a pressing issue among its staff. Over the past couple of years, employees from one of their implementing partners have experienced severe burnout and emotional stress due to the demanding nature of their work. Burnout, often stemming from a complex mix of individual, organizational, and societal factors such as heavy workloads, limited control over tasks, inadequate social support, and misaligned values, has taken a toll on the dedicated professionals. In response, EpiC Thailand is now taking proactive measures to address these mental health concerns by planning counseling sessions specifically designed for the staff of community-based organizations partnering with EpiC. These sessions aim to equip individuals with stress management techniques and emotional support, fostering a resilient and mentally healthy community within the EpiC Thailand program.

Purpose and Details:

• Deliver 50 individual online counseling sessions to Community-Based Organization staff, utilizing a variety of communication channels such as video calls, telephone calls, chats, and more.
• Provide a counseling session for Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) is a critical service that aims to enhance the overall well-being of staff members.
• Addressing individual mental health challenges and attitudes through counseling therapy to foster a healthy and productive work environment for staff, with a particular emphasis on catering to the specific requirements of individual clients.
• Provide mental health screening for staff who will join this activity for finding a staff who need to use counseling session.
• Conduct mental health screenings for staff participating in this activity to identify individuals who may benefit from counseling sessions, and to assess their stress levels as part of pre- and post-testing.
• Provide evaluation form for counseling session and client satisfaction.
• Implement an online booking system for appointments available from 10 am to 9 pm.

Deliverables and required outputs:

• Summary counseling sessions in both Thai and English for all clients participating the activity in the EpiC project. These sessions should address mental health issues, common challenges, and develop tailored improvement plans aimed at enhancing overall mental well-being within the EpiC program.

Vendor Qualifications:

• Educational Background: the ideal candidate should hold master’s degree in psychology, demonstrating a strong foundation in the field of counseling.
• Extensive counseling experience: A minimum of 5 years of professional experience as a counselor is required. This tenure signifies a comprehensive understanding of counseling techniques and a proven ability to effectively support individuals facing mental health challenges.
• Organizational counseling proficiency: the candidate should possess practical experience in counseling within an organizational context, including expertise in addressing issues related to mental health, stress management, and burnout. This knowledge is vital for understanding and meeting the specific needs of the staff within community-based organizations.
• Flexible availability: the counselor must be adaptable in terms of counseling session times, accommodating appointments between 10 am to 9 pm. This flexibility is essential to meet the diverse scheduling needs of clients, including online booking for convenience.
• Counseling session in Thai language.

Evaluation

Evaluation will be based on past experiences, expertise on workshop facilitation especially on mental health services, payment condition and price.

Reserved Rights

All RFP responses become the property of FHI 360, who reserves the right in its sole discretion to:

• Disqualify any offer based on offeror failure to follow solicitation instructions.
• Reserve the right to award based on the initial evaluation of offers without discussion.
• FHI 360 will not compensate vendors for preparation of their response to this RFP.
• Issuance of this RFP is not a guarantee that FHI 360 will award a purchase order.

Disclaimers

The vender to be selected to perform this work is subject to all the terms and conditions set forth at this web location[https://www.fhi360.org/partner-us/business-opportunities]. Consultant/ Supplier’s delivery of products, performance of services, or issuance of invoices in connection with this purchase order/consultant agreement establishes Consultant/Supplier’s agreement to the Terms, including, the safeguarding policy [ https://www.fhi360.org/about-us/compliance-office.

How to apply

Submission documents

1. Proposal in Thai or English demonstrating the skills and knowledge to provide this service or similar past experiences e.g. individual/organization profile or portfolio, implementation plan, price, payment condition and other necessary information.
2. All-inclusive prices including budget breakdown of labor, and all relevant activities costs.

Response deadline and format:

1. Response to this RFP should be submitted by email to 2 email addresses.
   1. Email to procurement team at: procurement.epic.th@fhi360.org.
   2. Email to EpiC Thailand CST at: EpiC.Thailand.CST@fhi360.org
2. All files in pdf format.
3. The proposal submitted should be valid at least 30 days (or more) from the submission date.
4. The deadline for submission is 22 February 2024 at 17.00 (Thailand time). Any proposal received after the deadline will not be accepted.