Part-time HIV Counselor, Congreso de Latinos Unidos

Posted by Congreso de Latinos Unidos on October 3, 2016

Congreso de Latinos Unidos, Inc. is currently seeking a Part-time HIV Counselor for their Health Promotion and Wellness Division (HPW). The HIV Counselor is responsible for providing emotional support, counseling, crisis intervention, education, and advocacy for clients throughout the process of testing for HIV infection. The HIV Counselor will link newly diagnosed HIV positive individuals to medical care and to medical case management services. The HIV Counselor will conduct outreach in
the community and provide advocacy and interpretation services as necessary and may work nontraditional business hours. The HIV Counselor must be certified in PA to conduct HIV rapid tests and
must maintain certification throughout employment. Bi-lingual (English/Spanish) skills are preferred.
The HIV Counselor has internal contacts with the entire administrative staff and external contact with clients, government agencies, neighborhood churches, families, and the community. This position has access to sensitive Congreso information and is expected to handle such information with integrity and professionalism. This position has regular contact with members of the community and is expected to represent Congreso in a professional manner.

The HIV Counselor will report directly to the HIV Prevention Coordinator and participate in department activities as necessary.

About Congreso
Congreso is a multiservice nonprofit organization whose mission is to strengthen Latino communities through social, economic, education, and health services; leadership development and advocacy. Founded in Philadelphia in 1977, Congreso has grown into a national thought leader on nonprofit performance management with an expert focus on the Latino community. Congreso is anchored by its innovative Primary Client Model (PCM™), and provides direct services to residents of the Philadelphia region while providing consult to other nonprofits and government systems nationally.

Essential Functions
1. Provide clients with a comprehensive explanation of HIV, AIDS and STD’s and its implications via the program’s policies and procedures.
2. Obtain and maintain certification to conduct HIV rapid tests.
3. Conduct an accurate risk assessment with the client and thoroughly explain the implications of risk behaviors in regards to HIV infection.
4. Provide emotional support, counseling, crisis intervention, and advocacy for clients throughout the process of testing for HIV infection.
5. Provide comprehensive information on the pros and cons of HIV testing and provide a thorough explanation of the testing process.
6. Provide client with all aspects of post-test counseling, including but not limited to: actual test results, direct referrals, counseling and emotional support.
7. Refer all clients testing HIV positive and those at high risk for HIV infection for proper medical care follow-up.
8. Maintain accurate up to date client records.
9. Submit proper documentation to Program Supervisor for review.
10. Submit monthly statistical/narrative reports as required to the Program Supervisor for review.
11. Regularly attend and actively participate in staff meetings and staff training sessions.
12. Promptly report to Program Supervisor any incidents, or conflicts with the clients, or difficulties in accessing clients to resources.
13. Advocate and interpret for clients as needed.
14. Responsible for conducting outreach with the entire team. This includes, but not limited to; Canvassing multicultural neighborhoods, bars, housing projects, clubs, dance halls, churches, welfare offices, etc., to inform high-risk individuals about HIV/AIDS and STI prevention and available services.
15. Keep abreast of all updated HIV/AIDS and STD information.
16. Comply with all confidentiality regulations and universal precautions for health care workers.
17. Properly store and dispose of all bio hazardous materials as dictated by Pennsylvania Health Department.
18. Maintain a good driving record and up-to-date driver’s license in order to perform mobile van duties, as applicable.
19. Successfully meet work-plan goals. This position will be charged with reaching the very high risk populations. A target plan will be provided. The position entails the development and implementation of strategies to reach this population.

Experience, Education, and Licensure
Minimum Experience: prefer at least 1 year of experience providing direct services to clients; Experience working with Latino population; Familiarity with AIDS epidemic and its impact on the Puerto Rican/Latino community; Bilingual (Spanish/English) highly recommended.

Minimum Education: High School diploma or GED

A Career with Congreso: Your talent and passion + our mission = outcomes
Come grow our reputation. Employees come to Congreso because they hear the positive things our clients, employees, and supporters say about us. Congreso has served the neighborhoods of eastern North Philadelphia since 1977. We have built our reputation on trust and high-quality human service delivery. And now our expertise in client-centered, outcomes-informed service delivery is extending our reputation beyond local borders to regional and national renown.

Come serve the community. Employees come to Congreso because of their passion to work directly with members of a vibrant and diverse community towards greater self-sufficiency. We have grassroots in Philadelphia’s Puerto Rican community and a commitment to strengthen all who live in the communities we serve. Our campus is located in the heart of the Eastern North Philadelphia neighborhoods we serve and includes a charter school that houses college courses at night.

Come celebrate culture. Employees come to Congreso because of the diversity of our employees, clients, and community we serve. We seek to serve all clients through practices that show inclusion, empathy and understanding regardless of cultural identities.

Come be part of our “familia.” Employees come to Congreso for a working culture that reflects our family-centered service approach and our commitment to balance work and family. Our “mi casa es su casa” welcome extends to employees and all who seek services from us. Our employees value the feeling of being “like family” and the close and supportive relationships they have with co-workers.

Come grow professionally. Employees come to Congreso to gain experience, learn new skills, and grow professionally. Our Primary Client Model™ provides employees with continuous education and professional development in client-centered, data-informed, and culturally appreciative service delivery. We recognize supervisors as leaders and an essential link between retention and service quality. All supervisors engage in regular professional development and organizational strategy conversations with Congreso’s President/CEO. Congreso has a reputation for leadership development, with many former employees now in leadership positions at the local, regional and national level.

To Apply
To apply for this position please submit a cover letter, resume and salary requirements here.

https://workforcenow.adp.com/jobs/apply/posting.html?client=congresodl&jobId=25513&lang=en_US&source=CC3

For more information about Congreso and other career opportunities pleas go to http://www.congreso.net.

EEOC
Congreso is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Congreso is strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all employees and all applicants for employment. All employment decisions at Congreso are made without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, color, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability or military/veteran status, or any other protected class as set forth under applicable State, Local and Federal Civil Rights Laws.