Linkage Assistant (Benue, Cross River and Anambra) at AIDS Healthcare Foundation

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is an international not for profit NGO, with its Headquarters based in Los Angeles, California. AIDS Healthcare Foundation is registered in Nigeria as Foundation for AIDS Care Prevention and Advocacy but collectively referred to as AHF Nigeria. AHF Nigeria works in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health to provide free HIV/AIDS services; HIV prevention and treatment (ART), capacity building and advocacy in resource constrained settings.

AHF-Nigeria currently operates in 7 states including; Benue, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nasarawa, Kogi, Cross River, Anambra, Akwa Ibom and supports numerous clinics country wide. The organization now seeks to hire highly competent, dynamic and experienced persons to fill the following regular full-time positions:

Reports to:                 Linkage or Prevention Coordinator

Location:                   States

Job Summary:

The position of Linkage Assistant is an important service based in the clinic setting and will working with a multidisciplinary team to ensure routine linkage and retention operations or activities are implemented as per the standard operating documents/guidelines:

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Work closely with the HIV care/treatment and HIV testing teams to reach out to HIV positive clients encourage them to come into care and monitor their linkage and engagement in medical care.

• He/ She will make phone calls, arrange home visits and work with community structures to reach newly diagnosed HIV positive clients that haven’t been linked to care and treatment.
• He/ she will make notes and regularly update the appropriate linkage and retention tools when they contact the client.
• Work with the clinic team to identify, follow-up and support clients that miss clinic appointments and those that disengage from care.
• In conjunction with Community Tracers, conduct community follow up of clients that cannot be reached on phone.
• Support the clinic team to trace, contact and bring to care those clients that are urgently required to return to the clinic e.g., those with unsuppressed viral load, positive TB test etc.
• Monitor the clinic phoneline for calls that come in during non-operation and operation hours and effectively respond.
• Identify and document barriers clients experience in accessing HIV Care and other services and work with the client using a strength-based approach to identify solutions and overcome the barriers.
• Reach out to partners of clients that recently test HIV positive and invite them to the clinic for HIV counseling and testing services.
• Arrange appointments with other peer clients, counselors and other staff, CBO with the client when necessary.
• Reinforce treatment goals that clients develop with medical care providers during one-on-one or group counseling sessions.
• Document linkage and navigation data from client encounters.
• Assist with liaising clients and community-based case management providers once they are successful re-engaged in medical care.
• Assist with reporting requirements including documenting data for reports, preparing reports and submitting data to line managers.
• Assist with program wide activities including attending meetings.
• Assist with other AHF activities as requested and to perform other duties as may be assigned.
• Ensure that >90% of newly tested positives are linked to care while >90% of all clients both new and old are retained into care.

Education and Experience:

• Must possess a Diploma or its equivalent in either of the following disciplines Psychology, counseling and guidance, social works and administration, social sciences, Nursing 
• A minimum of 2 years’ experience working with clients in public health institutions, community services or medical setting.
• Must have experience working with people living with HIV, and /or other chronic illness, substance users, and persons with mental diagnoses.
• Should have strong interpersonal and communication skills both verbal and written.
• Ability to function under dynamic circumstances and proficiency in computer skills.
• Have undergone at least a short course training in HIV Care and management
• Must be proficient in MS Office