Job Detail

Job Description

The Professional Counsellor (PC) will ensure that all SAFE supported health facilities and their surrounding catchment populations receive continuously improving and high quality HIV Testing and Counselling services. Once diagnosed, the PC will ensure that persons living with HIV (PLHIV) are actively linked to services that are critical for their own health, as well as services to prevent HIV transmission to uninfected sex partner(s) and children. The PC will also be responsible for the daily supervision and assignment of duties to all SAFE supported Community Based Volunteers (CBVs) whose duties include Counseling and Testing, Indexing and PNS, Linking PLHIV to care and Patient Tracking evidenced by clear records in all the registers related to their duties.  The PC will work with the CBVs under their charge to triangulate patient records to ensure that all clients are linked to and are receiving all services due to them. Further, the PCs shall ensure that all CBVs under their charge are adequately trained and mentored in high quality HIV Counselling and Testing Services focusing on high yield strategies. The incumbent will report directly to the SAFE team lead at the health facility and the facility in.

Position Title: Professional Counsellor (2)

Position Type: Fixed Term

Location: Copperbelt

Primary Responsibilities and Duties:

• Provide high quality HIV Counselling and Testing Services at SAFE supported facilities and their catchment areas
• Provide intensive hands-on technical supportive supervision and Mentorship to all SAFE supported volunteers involved in HTS to ensure that they are implementing high yield strategies (i.e. indexing and PNS);
• Ensure that all SAFE supported volunteers are well trained and possess the appropriate skills mix for their duties.
• Ensure that the rules of confidentiality are adequately enforced in all HIV Counselling and Testing Services.
• Actively link all persons living with HIV (PLHIV) to services that are critical for their own health, as well as services to prevent HIV transmission to uninfected sex partner(s) and children.
• Facilitate testing for HIV exposed Infants and ensure strict adherence to testing schedule
• In collaboration with Strategic Information Assistants and Community Based Volunteers, conduct triangulation of registers to ensure that all clients are linked to and are receiving all services due to them.
• Create demand for HIV services including Viral Load (VL) Analysis and ensure quality enhanced adherence counselling is provided
• Collect, collate and submit program data on priority HTS interventions through appropriate reporting channels while ensuring that all records related to their duties are always kept up to date.
• Ensure that HTS SOPs are available and strictly adhered to by all Health Facility staff and volunteers;
• Ensure integration of HTS into other health services including FP, MCH, TB, OPD, Inpatients Departments, other specialized clinics.
• Work with the ART clinicians and providers to ensure that clients are linked to treatment, care and prevention services, including Pre Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention.
• In collaboration with other facility staff, both SAFE and MoH supported staff, attend and actively participate in the daily data review meetings to ensure that timely decisions are made based on data that is generated at facility level.

Required Qualifications/Competences

• Bachelor’s Degree/Diploma in health related field or its equivalent
• Candidate must possess a Psycho – Social Counselling Certificate from any Institution accredited by the Zambia Counselling Council (ZCC), be fully registered and in possession of a current practicing license.
• Not less than 2-years work experience with knowledge and Skills in HIV Testing and Counselling Services.
• Good oral and written communication skills

Desirable Attributes/Competences

• Trainers Certificate in HIV/AIDS Counselling
• Experience in providing intensive HTS supportive supervision;
• Ability to facilitate learning among volunteers involved in HTS and other HIV prevention services;
• Computer literate especially in word, excel and Power point and internet;
• People centered change agent and unifying player in teams.

Also, we would like to emphasize that JSI/Zambia and its partners do not ask for money in exchange for employment.

Skills Required

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