Job Title: Professional Counsellor (3 positions)
Reports to: Nurse In Charge
Duty Station: All PIH –Lesotho Facilities
Engagement Period: 9 month’s contract
Purpose of the Job: Provision and maintenance of high quality Counselling and SBCC services for purposes of providing psychosocial support to the patients, enhancing their adherence to medication, and promoting positive behavior change among the patients and their communities. The Counsellor is also responsible for coordinating HTS activities in the Health Center; mentoring and supervising PIH supported Lay Counsellors at the facility and communities.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Provide routine and ongoing counselling to patients in line with professional and ethical standards.
- Develop and maintain healthy professional and ethical relationships with the patients.
- Monitor patients on treatment using standard tools and identify those who may not be adhering to their medication.
- Provide enhanced adherence counselling to patients on ART, TB treatment, and all others who need it.
- Provide group counselling sessions to patients and their caregivers.
- Conduct home visits to assess the social circumstances of the patients, their adherence to treatment, and develop appropriate interventions.
- Maintain accurate and complete records of the patients’ mental health status and response to treatment.
- Protect patients’ data from access by unauthorized persons.
- Provide health education talks/promotions that benefit the patients, their care givers, and the communities at large.
- Implement and closely monitor approved SBCC interventions at individual and community levels.
- Supervise and ensure provision of Provider Initiated Testing and Counselling (PITC) and CITC at all entry points in the health facility.
- Be a Focal person of HIV Testing Services, Index Testing and Partner Notification at Facility level and make sure that the targets are met.
- Implement Quality Assurance and Improvement interventions for HIV Testing to ensure quality of HIV testing program.
- Provide training, mentorship and supportive supervision to Lay Counsellors and community volunteers in HIV Testing Services.
- Ensure proper documentation in HTS and other registers that link with HTS register.
- Collaborate the other teams to implement community outreach services; ensuring that HIV testing and partner notification is done professionally.
- Oversee and coordinate HIV Self Testing (HIVST) at the facility and ensure its integration within the existing HIV Testing Services.
- Implement HTS, patient tracking and patient initiation services in line with national standards.
- Coordinate with other teams at the health center and ensure effective linkages and integration of HTS services with SRH, STI, TB and other service delivery points within the facility.
- Ensure availability of IEC materials and condoms in all relevant areas within the facility; promote and educate patients and caregivers on their use.
- Establish and coordinate patient support groups for HTS and psychosocial service clients.
- Prepare monthly reports on all services provided and people reached.
Minimum Requirements:
- Degree in psychology, education, community development, or related sciences,
- Specialized training in counselling.
- Work experience of at least 3 years in a closely related position.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Training and facilitation experience.
- Fluency in Sesotho.
- Computer literacy.
- Willingness to work and live in the rural areas
- Job Title: Covid-19 Contact Tracers: (7 positions)
Reports to: Nurses in Charge
Duty Station: All PIH –Lesotho Facilities
Engagement Period: 9 month’s contract
Purpose of the Job: Under the supervision of the facility Nurse in Charge, the Contact tracer will work in the communities of the site’s catchment area to trace the contacts to patients with Covid-19 and refer them to facility for further screening, care and referral of suspects to district hospitals.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Identify members of the community who are exposed to patients with Covid 19.
- Interviewing traced contacts, assessing symptoms and referring them to facility for testing.
- Conduct public awareness on Covid-19 to the communities around facility catchment area through outreach services.
- Collaborate with Covid-19 Screeners and Nurse in charge of the facility for follow up of contacts identified at facility.
- Participate in facility managerial meetings to share updates.
- Share monthly reports with the in charge of the facility.
- In collaboration with the nurses in charge, facilitate referral of suspect cases to the district for testing and isolation where necessary.
- Collaborate with Facility TB screeners for TB sputum collection to those contacts who may show signs of respiratory infections.
- Liaise with community chiefs and community councilors through HCC meetings for support in cases of resistance.
Minimum Requirements:
- Must be a certificated Trained Nursing Assistant
- Must be registered with the Lesotho Nursing Council
- Must have basic computer appreciation skills
- Ability to communicate in both English and Sesotho
- Willingness to stay in the remote mountain areas of Lesotho
Please e-mail your applications and detailed CV’s to [email protected] not later than 4th September 2020. Hand delivered applications will not be accepted. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.