Linkage Officer

Anova is an NGO that empowers people and changes lives. Good health and quality of life is what motivates us to provide healthcare solutions and support for those who need it most.- We are looking for a Linkage Officer who will be farm-based, to provide HIV testing service and ART linkage services to the farming community, as a hard-to-reach area and high transmission area. The responsibilities include providing health education about HIV, STI, TB, MSM, condom use, VMMC and behavioural change. The incumbent will also support effective HIV testing uptake, ART linkage, retention, and provision of comprehensive prevention package._

**Key duties and responsibilities**:
***Health Education and Promotion**
- Establish regular, positive relationship with farm manager and owner, farm community leaders, farm workers and farming families as well as local community gathering.
- Communicate with affiliated PHC facilities and mobile clinics on daily/weekly basis about community linkage officer activities in the farming community including booking any clients who need to be linked to care or retention (decanting/external pick-ups).
- Keep updated record of clients tested positive and linked into care.
- Refer STI clients to affiliated primary health care clinic or mobile clinic.
- Prepare and educate all clients testing HIV negative for prevention interventions.
- Provide regular TB screening to all farm workers and their Family members, linking those who screen positive to diagnostic and care where tested positive for TB.
- Provide mental health screening and linkage to care where clients are concerned (depression, anxiety, PTSD, substance use).
- Provide health education to clients on HIV, ARVs, Adherence to ART, viral load monitoring, TB screening.
- Link all clients previously on ART back to treatment.
- Provide HIV testing services (HTS) to clients.
- Attend Anova and/or DoH training and related meetings.

**Any other tasks as agreed with line manager.**

**Minimum qualifications, experience and skills required**:

- Grade 12 (Matric).
- Training in Basic HAST, HIV Counselling and adherence counselling.
- Certificate in couple counselling, RTQII, Disclosure on pediatric.
- Knowledge of DoH HCT guidelines & protocols.
- Minimum 2 years’ experience working as an HTS counsellor/adherence facilitator /linkage officer.
- Proficiency in local languages (Sepedi/Xitsonga) will be an added advantage.

**Closing date: 01 March 2023**

In accordance with our Employment Equity goals and plan, preference will be given to suitable applicants from designated groups as defined in the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998 and subsequent amendments thereto. Preference will be given to persons with disabilities.