About Us

Copper Rose Zambia (CRZ) is a youth-led and youth-focused organization working towards the empowerment of youth and women in Zambia. We exist to create a conducive environment for young people to thrive in all aspects of their lives as we envision a world in which every young person is happy, healthy, and living to their full potential. We are currently implementing around 3 thematic areas namely,

1.     Health and Wellbeing,

2.     Gender Equity

3.     Youth Development and Leadership. 

Job purpose

The lay counsellor will play a key role in the implementation of the USAID Zambia Integrated Health Project (ZIH). The goal of the project is to improve health outcomes for Zambians through equitable access to high-quality, client centred HIV, TB/HIV, maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH), and family planning/reproductive health (FP/RH) services, products, and information; and to strengthen the integration of services when applicable. The lay counsellor will be responsible for coordinating and monitoring project activities to ensure that they are delivered on time, within budget, and to a high quality. The lay counsellor will work closely with the project coordinator, facility incharge, ART incharge, and other stakeholders to achieve project objectives.

Requirements

Key Responsibilities

• Performing counselling activities for patients using local languages.
• Conduct HIV testing services with a high level of confidentiality both in pre-and post-counselling sessions.
• Reporting all activities and figures of key performance indicators achieved daily to the professional counsellor and project coordinator.
• Communicating daily statistics collected with the strategic information associates.
• Compiling and storing regular reports relating to USAID ZIH – supported HIV services as required by USAID Zambia Integrated Health management and site management.
• Tracking of missed appointments/steps to care lost to follow-up (SLTF) clients and linking them back to care.
• Offering enhanced adherence counselling (EAC) to all clients who are virally unsuppressed.
• Tracking of HIV exposed infants and making sure that they are tested and if found positive they are linked to care.
• Build up rapport between patients and community.
• Identifying and reporting barriers to ART drug adherence.
• Participating in community awareness and education initiatives and being a link between family, community, patient, and clinic.
• Offering health talks to clients on preventive measures such as PrEP, VMMC, FP, condom use.
• Reaching out to the key population (SW, adolescent girls/boys) with HIVST kits and distribution of condoms.

Qualifications And Experience

• Basic Counselling qualification.
• Basic HIVAIDS training
• Ordinary level (GCSE)/ Grade Twelve Certificate

Experience

• Two years’ experience in HIV and TB screening, counseling, and testing services.
• Knowledge of HIV and AIDS, including the UN AIDS 95-95-95 strategic targets, and of TB management.
• Knowledge of the HTS testing, proficiency testing, and quality assurance standard operating procedure (SOP).
• Familiarity with the HTS register and HTS module on TIER.Net is essential, and with HIV self-screening protocols and processes would be an advantage.
• Solid experience in and knowledge of conducting HIV testing using high-yield modalities, including index case contact testing and partner notification techniques.
• Knowledge and skills in conducting proficiency testing and rapid test quality improvement initiative activities.
• Competence in HTS register data recording.
• Previous work experience in NGOs or funded programs will be an advantage.

Other Attributes

• Problem solving skills
• Ability to perform TBHIV counselling and testing.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Ability to show empathy and upholding of the FIVE Cs of counseling.
• Good interpersonal skills and ability to assist patients in making informed decisions.
• Ability to communicate in local languages.
• Ability to perform TBHIV counseling.