Linkage to Care Officer (HIV/GBV) Contract (Wits RHI) Lejweleputswa

Main purpose of the job:

• Reporting to the Linkage to Care Project Manager, the Community Linkage Officer will play a fundamental role in ensuring that the DREAMS functional bi-directional linkage systems between schools, communities, clinical services, and social service providers are strengthened through the implementation of comprehensive, HIV prevention and inclusive case management
• This role will support the Community Services and Linkage Manager and the Linkage to Care Project Manager in the integration of community and clinical service delivery with a focus on improving results towards the “95-95-95” strategy in addition to supporting the prevention of GBV
• The Community Linkage Officer will be responsible for ensuring that proper linkage to clinical care of all beneficiaries/clients is done according to DoH guidelines

Location:

• Lejweleputswa – Free State

Key performance areas:

• Manage community profiles and mapping linkage systems of beneficiaries/clients from the community to the facility and vice versa
• Identify community structures to provide ongoing support to beneficiaries and facilitate linkages to these as required
• Build strong working relationships with Integrated School Health Programme and school structures and DREAMS implementing partners to ensure proper utilization of risk and vulnerability criteria and provide effective bidirectional linkages
• Link clients/beneficiaries to DREAMS services to ensure layering with other prevention, OVC, post-violence care services, care, and treatment services depending on identified specific needs
• Facilitate linkages for beneficiaries/clients to local NGOs, FBOs, CBOs, and any other relevant support systems as appropriate
• Daily review of the clinical files to ensure that all beneficiaries/clients identified with needs are tracked for linkage to appropriate care and support services including follow-ups to ensure clients attend their scheduled appointments
• Provide individualized support for beneficiaries/clients accessing mobile services in the communities, including follow-up contact through phone calls or SMS
• Provide information to beneficiaries/clients and ensure that they have a good understanding of the HIV prevention and care pathways
• Ensure linkage to care of all HIV-positive clients and same-day treatment initiation through the 'handshake' approach with anchor facilities
• Liaise with DOH facility staff and district support partners to overcome barriers to navigating ART initiation pathways
• Assist beneficiaries/clients with making appointments for first or follow-up visits
• Ensure beneficiaries/clients testing negative for HIV and interested in PrEP have access to other prevention resources, as appropriate, prior to PrEP initiation and at follow-up visits while they are actively taking PrEP
• Capacitate and equip Case Navigators to facilitate appropriate linkages to care and support systems between schools, communities, and facilities
• Supervise the activities of Case Navigators to ensure all beneficiaries/clients needing care and support are appropriately linked as necessary and reported correctly and timeously
• Participate in health promotion campaigns, demand creation activities, and facilitate health talks, including holiday programs and youth events. These will occasionally occur on weekends
• Distribute condoms and IEC material to beneficiaries/clients and general community members
• Motivate individuals and groups to bring their partners and children for HIV testing
• Work with data personnel to collect, collate, verify, and keep track of linkage data
• Together with the clinical team retrieve files of beneficiaries/clients to confirm missed appointments and make follow-ups
• Generate daily reports of all beneficiaries/clients linked to care and the attempts that were made for those not yet linked to care
• Support quality improvement processes to strengthen linkage approaches and identify and document good linkage practices
• Timeously escalate to the Linkage to Care Manager and District Manager any challenges encountered during service provision
• Take ownership and accountability for tasks and demonstrates effective self-management
• Follow through to ensure that quality and productivity standards of own work are consistently and accurately maintained
• Maintain a positive attitude and respond openly to feedback
• Take ownership of driving your own career development by participating in ongoing training and development activities

Required minimum education and training:

• Grade 12
• Training in Basic HAST
• HIV Counselling
• Adherence to counseling and understanding of psychosocial needs and services
• Experience with PEPFAR 3.0 funded project will be an added advantage
• Excellent training skills in working with adult learners, particularly at the community level; experience in an appreciative approach a plus
• Able and willing to work flexible hours as needed and without constant or close supervision
• Must be a South African national or permanent resident with fluency in English and in at least one local indigenous South African language
• Must have a valid South African driver’s license and be willing to travel

Required minimum work experience:

• Previous demonstratable tracking and tracking experience in a health or community-based organization as a linkage officer or HTS counselor
• At least 1-year administrative experience in a health facility or experience working with CBOs and NGOs and multiple stakeholders
• Demonstrated role in strengthening coordination and linkages between clinical and community stakeholders, health, and social service workforces; and operationalizing integrated service delivery models

Desirable additional education, work experience, and personal abilities:

• Working knowledge of DoH HTS guidelines & protocol, patient movement in a mobile clinic and health facilities, referral system, and linkage to care roadmap within a health system

TO APPLY:

• Only if you do meet the minimum job requirements and experience as mentioned above, you may submit a detailed updated CV.
• Please Apply Online and complete your registration on Ditto Hire (our application tracking system) to enable and protect you as a candidate to accept the new POPIA terms and conditions. This will then create your permanent profile with which you can apply for all jobs as advertised by AJ PERSONNEL. However, you may remove your profile from AJ PERSONNEL when you are no longer in the job market.
• AJ Personnel is fully POPIA Compliant.
• Please take note that the applicants who do not adhere to the above criteria will not be considered for the respective position.
• The closing date for all applications: 24 August 2022.
• Wits Health Consortium will only respond to shortlisted candidates.
• Candidates who have not been contacted within two weeks of the closing date can consider their applications to be unsuccessful.

Please note:

• Our Client, WHC - RHI, maintains mandatory Covid-19 requirements, and as such only Covid-19 vaccinated incumbents will be considered for positions.
• WHC, in accordance with its Employment Equity goals and plan, will give preference to suitable applicants from designated groups as defined in the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998 and subsequent amendments thereto.
• AJ Personnel is only responsible for advertising the advertisement on behalf of their client Wits Health Consortium.
• AJ Personnel does not have any salary or other information regarding the position.