Professional Counsellor x05

Job description

Q U A L I F I C A T I O N S     A N D     E X P E R I E N C E

Minimum Required Qualifications and Experience:

Grade 12 Certificate
Diploma in Social Sciences, Counselling, or HIV/AIDS Training
Project Management training
At least 3 years of relevant experience

Desirable Qualifications and Experience:

Degree in Project Management, Public Health, or Communication
5 years of experience in similar work

T E C H N I C A L     A N D     B E H A V I O U R A L     C O M P E T E N C I E S

Accountability & Adaptability
Good Communication skills
Respect for Varied Backgrounds
Innovative Problem-Solving
Planning & organizing
Professional Conduct
Results Orientation
Team Collaboration

K E Y     P E R F O R M A N C E     A R E A S

Coordinate client management for ongoing and new ART clients (Tx_Curr and Tx_New)
Identify and address barriers to appointment adherence.
Disseminate educational materials at facility and community levels.
Monitor and support quality counselling to promote treatment retention.
Collaborate with peer educators and community-based staff on client linkage and retention strategies.
Ensure all clients diagnosed in the community are linked to care promptly.
Provide professional, confidential, and non-judgmental counselling before and after HIV testing.
Conduct risk and IPV assessments.
Guide clients in making informed health decisions and connect them to further support where needed.
Educate individuals and groups on HIV, TB, ARVs, adherence, and viral load monitoring.
Case Identification: Strengthen targeted testing approaches and client flow processes to enhance identification of HIV-positive clients.
Initiation: Work closely with clinical teams to ensure timely ART initiation by addressing referral bottlenecks and facilitating immediate linkage to treatment
Retention: Maintain updated appointment records, track early and missed visits, and conduct pre-appointment follow-ups through phone calls or home visits
Analyze client behavior trends and use appointment tracking tools to plan targeted follow-up for those at risk of loss to follow-up.
Collaborate with technical teams using daily line-lists and data reviews to address care cascade gaps and implement innovative retention strategies.
Ensure that all client interactions, services, and outcomes are fully and accurately documented in paper-based registers and electronic systems in real-time.
Track ART collection trends and implement defaulter tracing protocols to promptly reconnect clients who miss scheduled pickups.
Conduct routine verification of linkage and reconnection data, focusing on clients classified under MISAP (Missed Appointment) and IIT (Interruption in Treatment) categories.
Strengthening bi-directional referral networks between community-based services and health facilities to ensure continuity of care.
Prepare, analyze, and submit weekly and monthly retention, linkage, and defaulter management reports to the HTS Coordinator and M&E team.
Participate in facility data review meetings to identify service delivery gaps and recommend evidence-based interventions.
Support quality improvement initiatives by using monitoring data to drive client-centered service enhancements.
Mentor and coach Lay and Retention counsellors and on proper documentation and reporting standards to ensure consistent data quality across service delivery points.
Maintain and routinely update client locator tools and appointment management trackers, both manually and electronically, to ensure seamless client follow-up.
Submit complete and accurate statistical updates to the Line Manager and M&E Officer by the 15th of each month.
Collaborate closely with the M&E team to generate, validate, and file all required project reports, including MMR (Monthly Monitoring Reports), HTS (HIV Testing Services) reports, and Professional Counsellor (PC) reports.
Review data for consistency and completeness, flagging discrepancies and working with relevant teams to resolve data quality issues promptly.
Support preparation for internal and external data quality assessments (DQAs) and program audits by ensuring that all service delivery records are audit ready.
Participate in regular facility data review and feedback sessions to improve service delivery strategies based on client trends and program performance.
Build the capacity of Lay and Retention counsellors, CBHSPs, and other frontline workers on proper data entry, confidentiality standards, and ethical reporting practices.
Demonstrate initiative, reliability, and professionalism always.
Work independently while maintaining accountability to team objectives.

A P P L I C A T I O N     P R O C E E D U R E

Applications in the form of a cover letter and CV must be submitted to Vacancy24@righttocare.org
All applicants are required to complete an online competency assessment accessible using this link – https://my.assessio.com/right-to-care-professional-counsellor—luapula
Only applicants that complete the two steps above will be considered.