Health Assistant

Job Details

Function

The Health Assistant will engage, equip, enable and empower individuals to achieve successful personal health outcomes. The Health Assistant will interact with the public, Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) staff, community leaders and other partners in order to undertake activities related to HIV and TB screening and testing, treatment linkages, ongoing care coordination, retention in treatment, PMTCT activities, and linkage to other health services, and to generate required reporting data as deemed necessary by MoHSS. The Health Assistant will apply case management functions and processes and will provide support for adherence to set guidelines of Rapid HIV testing and counselling, and linkage to HIV care services. The Health Assistant will ensure close linkages between health facilities and the community.

Responsibilities:

• HIV Testing, Treatment, Case Management and Counselling
  • Ensure timely HIV index follow-up, testing and linkages to ART.
  • Conduct Rapid HIV testing and counseling outreaches coordinated with project activities.
  • Continuous participation in Proficiency Panels to maintain certification in HIV Rapid Testing.
  • Conduct case management care activities with clients using standard case management functions and processes.
  • Coordinate linkage to health, TB and HIV care and treatment services, including escorting PLHIV for same-day ART initiation.
  • Support establishment and ensure regular meetings of CAGs.
  • Monitor and review outcomes of health and social interventions jointly with clients.
  • Conduct interruption in treatment and defaulter tracing activities for individuals under case workload.
  • Solicit and discuss with stakeholders patient-identified stigma, discrimination and quality of care issues experienced by clients.
  • Actively work with Health Care Workers at facilities within the catchment area to coordinate care for target and priority populations.
  • Verify all the linkages to care with the facility and collect all the bi-directional referral forms.
  • Record and investigate all unknown outcomes in the community (moved, refusals, wrong address).
• Reporting
  • Monitor and prepare timely periodic reports on case management interventions in relation to access, retention and adherence in TB and HIV care and treatment.
  • Prepare periodic program reports in line with stipulated deadlines for reporting.

Profile

ducational:

• Grade 12
• HIV Counseling and testing Certificate

Experience:

• Demonstrate satisfactory proficiency in counseling skills, case management processes, rapid HIV testing and ethics.
• Demonstrate proficiency in TB screening, TB prevention, sputum collection and treatment.
• At least 3 years of work experience linking health facilities and communities to ensure timely provision of TB and HIV services.
• Collaboration/coordination experience with the Ministry of Health and Social Services staff, community leaders, the public, and other partners.

Special Requirements:

• Willingness and ability to travel and to work independently with stakeholders of the organization.
• Willingness to assist the organization in accepting to take on other additional responsibilities in the limit of personal competencies and capacities should the need arise.
• Willingness to work overtime as required.

Knowledge and Skill:

• Demonstrated proficiency in counselling skills, case management processes, Rapid HIV Testing and ethics.
• Demonstrated proficiency in TB screening, TB prevention, sputum collection and treatment.
• Ability to take initiative, plan and monitor activities flow and outcomes.
• Capacity to manage difficult working situations.
• Ability to analyze, interpret and solve difficult problems in diverse cultures.
• Ability to handle multidisciplinary responsibilities and priorities.
• Capacity to work under pressure in achieving set goals/objectives.
• Fluency in English. Ability to communicate in at least one indigenous language will be an advantage.
• Excellent computer skills: windows XP, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet, and E-mail use).