Linkage Facilitator at The Center for Clinical Care and Clinical Research

About the Project

• The Integrated Child Health and Social Service Award ICHSSA 1 is a newly awarded five-year agreement by USAID, commenced on December 19, 2019. ICHSSA 1 is implemented by the Center for Clinical Care and Research Nigeria.
• The project will ensure that Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) are cared for, and protected by their households, communities, and local and state government to reduce their vulnerability to HIV.

The project expected results are highlighted as follows:

• Households have increased access to basic services and care for OVC
• Communities ensure that OVC secure their rights
• Local and HIV-positive environments deliver basic services, detect and respond to child rights violations.
• Prioritized target HIV-positive for specific OVC subpopulations delivered

Job Description

• S/he ensures that all children living with HIV (CLHIV) and adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) on ART are enrolled on OVC program
• S/He facilitates assisted referral for HTS by providing Community Case Workers / Community Volunteers (CCW/CVs) with updated mapping of HTS service providers and directories
• S/he is to provide access to HIV care by ensuring prompt linkage of newly identified clients to ART in collaboration with the facility enrolment staff
• S/he collaborates with CCWs/CVs to follow up and track identified HIV-positive clients (ALHIV , CLHIV) not linked to ART
• S/He collaborates with CCWs/CV to ensure that all HIV-positive clients (CLHIV, ALHIV) are virally suppressed
• Ensures that index testing is offered to all children of PLHIV in the facility and coordinates with the CCW to ensure home-based index testing
• Ensures that appointment register and appointment diary is effectively used
• Ensures prompt tracking of patients who missed appointment and prompt documentation in the tracking register
• S/He works with appropriate facility staff to share weekly line-list of missed appointment and defaulters and monthly line list of IIT with CCWs/CVs for tracking and Care & Support specialist
• Collaborates with facility DOT officer to improve TB referral services and ensure TB positive patients are commenced on anti TB drugs
• Collaborate with the PMTCT focal persons to ensure all HIV-positive pregnant adolescent clients are enrolled on OVC program and follow up on the exposed infant till final outcome
• Ensures continued collaboration with the PMTCT focal persons to enroll HIV positive multiparous mothers with children on the OVC program
• Work with the facility’s M&E staff to generate VL eligible list quarterly in advance and share with CCWs/CVs for follow-up and care and support specialist
• Ensure eligible patients are sent for VL sample collection and documented in the care cards
• Populates viral load tracking template monthly/as required and share with the HIV care and support specialist

Minimum Qualifications and Experience

• A minimum of 4 years relevant experience in implementing HIV prevention, care and support programs both in the community and facility level
• Demonstrate ability to effectively collaborate and facilitate linkage between health center and community
• Good knowledge of Government of Nigeria HIV Care and Treatment guidelines
• Familiarity with PEPFAR OVC programming and principles
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and computer skills(MS office including Word, Excel and power point)
• Lives within the community and in close proximity to the facilities
• Ability to multi-task and meet deadline