Nurse Counselors (2 Positions)

Background:

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is a global not-for-profit organization operating with the mission of ‘cutting edge medicine and advocacy regardless of ability to pay’. Since 1987, AHF has cared for thousands of people living with HIV and AIDS worldwide. As we create and implement unparalleled programs in new communities globally, we expand delivery of healthcare and influence over policy with the sole aim of saving more lives. Currently AHF is providing HIV treatment and care to more than 1.8 million patients in 45 countries worldwide. Headquartered at Los Angeles, California, USA, AHF is striving to replicate such achievements to countries like Ethiopia so that needy citizens get the chance to benefit from the program.

AHF-Ethiopia has been supporting the Ethiopian Government in the effort to improve access by delivering a comprehensive HIV prevention, care and treatment services through its standalone clinic and outreach HIV testing sites. Moreover, in consultation with the FMOH, it has expanded its operation to government and other NGO HIV care facilities. Currently, AHF-Ethiopia is providing care to more than 52,500 HIV positive patients in all the 16 sites it is supporting and conducts more than 100,000 HIV rapid tests on annual basis.

To deliver the said services effectively and efficiently, AHF-Ethiopia wishes to recruit a dynamic, skilled, committed, self-driven, and result-oriented professionals to fill required positions.

Objective:

AHF-Ethiopia is currently working with MoH, RHB and partners hand in hand in comprehensive and client centered HIV Prevention, care and treatment services. To continue supporting the MoH and RHB in HIV prevention, testing, treatment, linkage, and retention as well as advocacy, qualified candidate with diverse experience is highly required.

Position Summary:

The Nurse Counselors in AHF-Ethiopia Prevention team based at Yekatit 12 and Menelik II Hospitals are responsible for the activities of HIV testing programs, and related activities including community-based initiatives. S/he will primarily be responsible to involve, ensure and coordinate different HTS approaches (VCT, PITC, ICT and others) and HIV Prevention intervention (Condom Promotion and Distribution, STI Prevention, Screening, and Treatment) as appropriate. S/he will be also responsible for optimal linkage of all identified HIV positives to care and treatment service (those who are identified in the facility and referred from other health facilities) through establishing strong referral linkage mechanism and regular follow up till all are started their treatment along with their retention in care.

The employee will work in close collaboration with other Prevention Team, Clinical Department and Advocacy/Marketing staff at AHF Country Office to contribute for the achievement of the country’s prevention intervention and the three 95 targets through supporting the facility s/he is assigned to achieve their targets. The employee will be assisting in designing different strategies based identified implementation challenges/gaps implement & follow planned activities that support improved access to HIV prevention, testing, care and treatment in Ethiopia to achieve HIV epidemic control.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Perform the day-to-day counseling and testing activities with guidance from the Prevention and Advocacy Coordinator and Prevention, AU Liaison and Advocacy Manager.
• Ensure that all relevant materials and equipment for HCT are adequately in place at the facility
• Regularly work on recording and registration of HCT Data on the respective registration and client intake forms
• Assist the Prevention and Advocacy Coordinator and Prevention, AU Liaison and Advocacy Manager in improving the quality of AHF’s HCT, HIV prevention and advocacy activities
• Take the initiative to improve the hospital HCT activity together with the Prevention and Advocacy Coordinator
• Check the recording and registration of HCT data on the respective registration (ICT, HRST, OPD Abstract Register, VCT…….) and client intake forms, ICT follow up tool and provides corrective measures as necessary
• Ensure continuous HIV Risk Screening Tool (HRST) availability and optimal utilization at the hospital
• Assist the Collection of monthly HRST Cascade performance, analyze on site, develop performance improvement plan by sites and give to the focal person
• Identify targeted testing using HRST orientation, ICT and PITC training gaps at facility and provide onsite/on job orientation for HRST and communicate training need for AHF-Country office timely
• Work as Prevention Focal Person in making sure that the universal precautions procedures are in place within the facility
• Establish/ strengthen newly diagnosed HIV positives address documentation at VCT clinics to enable tracking of those identified HIV positives who may leave the facility before linkage
• Develop & implement strategies to minimize repeat testers at VCT clinic. Ensure post-test counseling wall chart is available in every SDPs & utilized by HCWs during post-test counseling
• Ensure nationally endorsed referral slips are available and utilized with in and out of supported health facilities to refer newly diagnosed HIV positives
• Ensure availability and proper utilization of non-ART started patients follow up form at the hospital and those patients are followed till they started ART
• Utilize Longitudinal newly diagnosed HIV positive patient linkage and retention status tracking tool at the hospital, analyze the data and present for site MDT/PMT team
• Ensure new HIV positives who declined linkage are filled decline checklist, reasons are analyzed, individual improvement plan is developed and implemented to reduce declined patients at the hospital
• Ensure daily/regular tracing and tracking of the final linkage status of HIV positive clients who referred to other health facilities, declined, lost before ART started… at the hospital
• Collaborate with medical team to support missed appointment and interrupted in treatment timely identification and tracking with proper documentation on appropriate registration book at the hospital
• Monitor and follow regularly, the recording and registration of ICT Data on the respective registration, client intake forms and correct timely at the hospital
• Ensure updated ICT follow up tool insertion to all patients charts at the hospital
• Ensure daily-based updating of the ICT follow up tool based on index patients and their contacts information at the hospital. This will include follow up with transcription of index patients and their contacts information from other tool to ICT follow up tool and updating on ICT performance improvement tool.
• Support the facility to identify all patients on treatment with their pool of elicited contacts by risk category with their test status (Know HIV Positive, Documented Negative, and untested contacts.
• Prepare and implement strategies on how to test all those elicited contacts but note tested to improve ICT Performance of the facility. Closely work with the facility data clerks and testing team, take corrective actions as required or report to the Prevention and Advocacy Coordinator and Prevention, AU Liaison and Advocacy Manager when necessary.
• Assists in other activities including ART service provision, linkage and retention, adherence support, etc. to fill gaps whenever there is a demand from AHF Ethiopia team
• Provide assistance in other outreach HCT activities as deemed necessary, especially in support of HIV prevention events, campaigns, mass testing, mobilization, etc.
• Ensure there is regular patients screening for STI and OPDs including ART/PMTCT and those diagnosed with STI at MOPDs are treated for ST, tested for HIV with their sexual partners at AHF-Addis and supported health facilities
• Conduct weekly/monthly internal mentorship with medical team, summarize the feedback, provide the feedback for the staffs involved in the mentorship and discuss on MDT/PMT
• Ensures proper condom distribution and education to targeted population at the hospital
• Conduct regularly follow the availability of adequate prevention and testing supplies, identify, and flag any shortage of prevention, testing supplies (HIV Test kit, condom, lancet, glove, capillary tube,) and devise timely intervention mechanism before service interruption at facility
• Involve and ensure temporary staff who fulfill the requirement as per the JD are registered; Standard questions are prepared and examined in collaboration with appropriate facility and staffs
• Work with temporary AHF Staff assigned at the facility on daily basis, provide follow up and support for them on the areas they are assigned
• Analyze facility HTS performance by approaches (VCT, ICT, HRST, PITC….) by indicators from cascade and target, identify reason for any performance gap and present on weekly/Monthly site level MDT/PMT
• Based on identified HTS approaches optimal implementation gaps, develop PIP, and follow up with its implementation
• Take part in the preparation of AHF-Ethiopia’s country HIV prevention and advocacy program plan in joint with AHF-Ethiopia HIV Prevention Team
• Submit all the require report per due date to the responsible persons
• Execute any related additional duties assigned by Prevention and Advocacy Coordinator and Prevention, AU Liaison and Advocacy  Manager

Number of Vacancies: Two (2)

Duty Station: Yekatit 12 Hospital Medical College and Menelik II Comprehensive Specialized Hospital

Education, Qualification, and Experience

• Minimum of Degree in Clinical Nursing from a recognized institution; having additional qualification like Psychology education or Social Science background is an added advantage
• At least three years’ experience in HIV program service delivery, with particular emphasis on HIV counseling, in a similar NGO or developmental agency
• Training and skills on HCT would be a necessity; additional training on PMTCT, ART, TB/HIV, Nutrition in HIV… is an advantage
• Further education in HIV related courses is an advantage
• Proficient in basic computer programs including MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, internet skills, and knowledge on data base
• Excellent written, verbal, and inter-personal communication skills with good command of English and Amharic languages
• Effective time management and meeting deadlines maintaining quality
• Must be highly organized and demonstrate multi-tasking ability
• Flexible, proactive, and able to organize work independently with minimum supervision
• Excellent interpersonal interaction skills and keen to work with good team spirit

Core Competencies and Specific Skills:

• Excellent written, verbal, and inter-personal communication
• Proficient in computer and internet skills, including word processing, database, and presentation software; experience with MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and statistical analysis programs
• Effective time management and meeting deadlines maintaining quality
• Must be highly organized and demonstrate multi-tasking ability
• Flexible, proactive, and able to organize work independently with minimum supervision
• Excellent interpersonal interaction skills and keen to work with good team spirit