Counsellor at Maryland Global Initiatives Corporation Nigeria (MGIC)

Duration: Six Months with the possibility of renewal subject to the availability of funds

Duties and Responsibilities

• The HIV counsellor will ensure informed consent are administered as at when due.
• S/he will conduct pre- and post-test HIV counselling for all participants who consent to the survey.
• The counsellor will ensure ethics are adhered to on the field and confidentiality of survey participants is protected.
• Receives respondents’ consent to be tested and offers pre- and posttest counselling for all participants who consent to the survey
• Directs participants to lab technicians for testing
• Discloses result to respondents
• Assists in the referrals of HIV infected individuals to CBOs for linkage to treatment and care
• S/he will serve as an interviewer if need arises
• S/he will assist in the team lead in resolving conflicts and difficult disclosure scenarios on the field.

Minimum Qualifications
Education/Experience:

• A tertiary education is required
• Participation in the 10-day core training based on the Nigerian National Guideline on HIV counselling will be an added advantage
• Has had 3-month supervised service delivery and has been evaluated by a trained counsellor-tester supervisor.
• Additional training in home-based counseling is an added advantage
• An understanding of HIV/AIDS surveys in resource constrained settings.

Knowledge, Skills, and Attributes:

• Knowledge of and practical experience in HIV community-based research and ethical requirements. Previous participation in conducting surveys is an added advantage.
• Excellent (fluent) English written and verbal communication skills. Excellent (fluent) in a local language of the zone is essential. Knowledge of another local dialect will be an added advantage.
• Should have strong interpersonal skills (active listening, empathy, social awareness, emotional awareness) and the ability to resolve different disclosure scenarios during the survey.
• Should be knowledgeable in the culture of the zone of data collection
• Flexible, willing to travel to any part of zone and work weekends during the survey implementation period.