Peer Counselor

Position Overview:

The HIV Peer Counselor is responsible for assessing and coordinating care for program participants, ensuring they receive the necessary services to improve their physical and mental wellness. This role involves working closely with program participants, their support networks, and healthcare professionals to develop and implement tailored care plans. The Peer Counselor also coordinates with the Non-Medical Case Manager, Social Worker, Physician, or the Medical Case Manager who also plays a key role in monitoring program participant progress, providing peer counseling or intervention when needed, and performing outreach activities as part of the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) or Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI) initiatives.

Key Responsibilities:

Peer Counseling & Support:

• Facilitate individual therapeutic sessions with program participants, drawing on personal experience with similar issues to provide guidance and support.
• Assist program participants in implementing treatment goals and objectives, including adherence to prescribed therapeutic regimens, medications, and medical procedures.
• Provide emotional support and encouragement to help program participants manage their health and well-being.
• facilitating peer counselor-led client support groups.

Client Education & Empowerment:

• Educate program participants about the Ryan White service delivery system, helping them navigate available resources and services.
• Offer information and training on self-care practices that align with program participants' treatment goals.
• Empower program participants to take an active role in managing their health by fostering a supportive and understanding relationship.

Client Interaction & Monitoring:

• Maintain regular contact with program participants through face-to-face meetings, phone calls, and home visits.
• Monitor program participants' progress in adhering to their treatment plans and provide ongoing support to address any challenges or concerns.
• Document interactions and progress, ensure accurate records are kept for each program participant.

Collaboration & Coordination:

• Work collaboratively with healthcare providers, case managers, and other professionals to ensure a comprehensive approach to program participant care.
• Participate in team meetings and case conferences to discuss program participant progress and strategies for continued support.
• Coordinate with other services and resources to meet program participants' needs effectively.
• 30% of the Ryan White Service category is dedicated to these services by contract.

Outreach & Linkage Activities

• HIV Testing and Linkage

Qualifications:

• High school diploma or equivalent; some college coursework in social work, psychology, or a related field is preferred.
• Personal experience with a similar health condition or challenge as the clients being served.
• Strong understanding of the Ryan White service delivery system and available resources.
• Excellent communication, empathy, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Commitment to supporting clients in a compassionate, non-judgmental manner.
• Maintains HIV 500/501 testing certificates. 
• Meaning: Successfully completing the HIV 500 and 501 courses, including all pre- and post-requisites.
• Observing a minimum of one pre-test counseling session, one HIV-negative post-test counseling session, and one HIV-positive post-test counseling session (role play is acceptable on a case-by-case basis for the HIV-negative and positive post-test counseling sessions).
• Performing a minimum of one pre-test counseling session, one HIV-negative post-test counseling session, and one HIV-positive post-test counseling session under the supervision of staff with at least one year of experience in providing client-centered HIV counseling, testing, and linkage services (role play is acceptable on a case-by-case basis).
• Completing the entire training, with emergency course completion arrangements made at the instructor's discretion if necessary.
• Completing post-training requisites within 60 days of class completion.
• Participating annually in the Department-approved HIV 501 Update curricula for recertification to continue HIV testing.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: This job has no supervisory responsibilities but must work with other staff and volunteers.

COMPETENCIES: To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:

Program participant Service - Manages difficult or emotional program participant situations; responds promptly to program participant needs; responds to requests for service and assistance; meets commitments. strong sales and negotiation skills.

Interpersonal Skills - Sophisticated social media, networking and interpersonal skills. Focuses on solving conflict, not blaming; keeps emotions under control; remains open to others' ideas and tries new things.

Oral Communication - Excellent communication skills. speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; listens and gets clarification; listens to others without interrupting; responds well to questions.

Written Communication - Writes clearly and informatively; able to read and interpret written information. design and writing of promotional materials

Diversity - Shows respect and sensitivity for cultural differences; Promotes a harassment-free environment.

Ethics - Treats people with respect; keeps commitments.

Motivation - Sets and achieves challenging goals, Measures self against standard of excellence.

Planning/Organizing - Prioritizes and plans work activities; uses time efficiently; plans for additional resources.

Professionalism - Approaches others in a tactful manner; reacts well under pressure.

Quality - Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; monitors own work to ensure quality.

Quantity - Completes work in a timely manner, work quickly.

Safety and Security - Observes safety and security procedures; follows all driving rules, regulations and laws; reports potentially unsafe conditions; uses equipment and materials properly.

Adaptability - Adapts to changes in the work environment; manages competing demands; changes approach or method to best fit the situation; able to deal with frequent changes, delays, or unexpected events.

Attendance/Punctuality - Is consistently at work and on time; ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent; arrives at meetings and appointments on time.

Dependability - Follows instructions, responds to management direction; takes responsibility for own actions; keeps commitments; completes tasks on time or notifies appropriate person with an alternate plan.

QUALIFICATIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE: High School Diploma or equivalent required. Bachelor’s degree highly preferred. At least two years’ experience with peer work type experience. Knowledge of standards and ethics is associated with the position.

LANGUAGE SKILLS: Ability to read and comprehend instructions, correspondence, and memos. Ability to write correspondence. Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to program participants, clients, and other employees of the organization. Bi-lingual preferred.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS: Ability to add and subtract two-digit numbers and to multiply and divide with 10's and 100's. Ability to perform these operations using units of American money and weight measurement, volume, and distance. Development of Standards. Analyzing Information. Dealing with Complexity. Data Entry, Reporting Research Results. Confidentiality. Detail-oriented.

REASONING ABILITY: Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions. Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations.

COMPUTER SKILLS: To perform this job successfully, an individual should be proficient with MS Office: Excel and Word, Outlook, database programs, point of sale software, internet. Online HR and payroll access, Point of Sale and inventory software.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and talk or hear.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environmental characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to smell or airborne particles, some toxic or caustic chemicals used in cleaning and risk of electrical shock when moving/relocating equipment. The employee may be exposed to risk of radiation through sunlight and vibration through operating machines. The employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions (non-weather); working near moving mechanical parts; outdoor weather conditions; extreme cold (non-weather) and extreme heat (non-weather).

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Approved by: _TSP_    Date: 01.03.2025

                                 Thomas Pietrogallo, Chief Executive Officer

Acknowledge Receipt: ______________________________           Date: ______________________

                                                   Employee Signature Employee and Print Name: __________________________________________