Linkage to Care Officer

**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**:

- **Buffalo City - Eastern Cape**

**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 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