About Project VIDA
Our mission is to improve the quality of life and reduce health disparities in underserved communities by promoting self-empowerment and providing holistic health education and direct services. Project VIDA was founded in 1992 to address the urgent needs of racial and ethnic minorities. Initially, the organization provided HIV education through street outreach services to area youth. Today, we have expanded our community scope by initiating a variety of programs: direct services for people infected or affected by HIV/AIDS and various prevention and health education programs. For more information about Project VIDA, go to https://projectvida.org
Job Summary:
Project VIDA’s adherence counseling program is aimed at enhancing adherence to medically prescribed treatments, including antiretroviral treatment (ART), to maximize treatment outcomes. The Adherence Counselor is responsible for conducting comprehensive social investigations to identify the social, emotional, and economic needs of people living with and those at risk for HIV and AIDS and initiating appropriate case management strategies. As one means of connecting with clients, the Adherence Counselor will leverage their specialized, culturally competent care-delivery training to deliver life-sustaining nutritional resources to clients facing transportation barriers and conduct brief, identity-safe, trauma-informed face-to-face wellness assessments during each home delivery encounter. Across their client engagements, they will observe and screen for emerging structural vulnerabilities within the home environment (such as housing instability, utility shutoffs, or cognitive barriers) and immediately initiate warm internal handoffs to Case Management or Behavioral Health services to stabilize the client. They will also be responsible for documenting all service delivery outcomes, observed barriers, and screening updates weekly within secure data systems to maintain data integrity and grant reporting compliance.
Job Duties:
- Supports clients in making informed choices on HIV treatment according to individual needs
- Assists in the Enhancement of clients’ ability to manage and maintain their treatment
- Determines treatment readiness of clients, characterizing potential and actual barriers to adherence
- Provides relevant treatment knowledge and educational interventions
- Establishes a trusting and caring relationship with clients to achieve a mutual understanding of the treatment goals
- Conducts adherence and general counseling sessions with clients, individually and in group settings, to carry out counseling for newly diagnosed clients
- Conducts ongoing assessments to track clients’ knowledge of adherence and their understanding of the treatment process and evaluates their readiness to initiate and adhere to their treatment regimen
- Conducts a thorough biopsychosocial assessment of potential and actual factors in clients’ lives that could influence drug adherence, including health status, social background, previous/ongoing trauma, substance use, and clients’ perception of illness and treatment
- Provides treatment information, covering the nature of combination therapy, its availability, effects, and the importance of adherence
- Develops individualized treatment care plan and medication schedule
- Discusses planned regimen with clients and obtains their agreement
- Reinforces patient’s drug adherence behavior
- Works with the client to identify a support system that can be utilized to reinforce adherence
- Monitors the drug adherence level of the client and manages adverse/side effects of medication
- Reviews client videos for medication adherence to the treatment regimen and medication schedule, and simplifies the regimen where necessary to better match the schedule to life patterns
- Prepares and maintains all required client records while maintaining confidentiality
- Facilitates internal and external client referrals for other essential supportive services
- Assists with enrollment in government benefit and entitlement programs as well as internal record maintenance (i.e., Medicaid, SNAP, etc.)
- Distributes and manages client incentives for the agency’s Adherence Program
- Collaborates with the agency’s cellular provider to activate, distribute, repair, replace, or terminate client cellular devices and/or services
- Transports and securely delivers boxed Food Pantry orders directly to clients' homes or designated locations
- Observes and screens for emerging structural vulnerabilities within the home environment (such as housing instability, utility shutoffs, or cognitive barriers) and immediately initiates warm internal handoffs to Case Management or Behavioral Health services to stabilize the client
- Documents all home delivery outcomes, observed barriers, and screening updates weekly within secure data systems to maintain data integrity and grant reporting compliance
- Facilitates or co-facilitates group-level interventions
- Performs other related duties as assigned
Qualifications:
- Fluency (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) in English and Spanish required
- BA/BS in Social Work, Sociology, Psychology, or Counseling required
- Master’s degree and/or pharmacy experience preferred
- At least one year of HIV care and management experience required
- Certified HIV/AIDS Tester or attainment of the credential within the first six months of employment required
- Valid driver’s license required
- Compassionate and able to relate to different clients with various needs
- Cultural/lifestyle sensitivity to Black, Latino, and LGBT populations required
- Confidential, open-minded, dependable, and non-judgmental
- Knowledge of HIV care and supportive services
- Willing to work some evenings and weekends
- Excellent communication and conflict-resolution skills
- Proficient at using Microsoft Office and navigating the internet
- Ability to analyze and solve problems
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Proficiency in the use of relevant computer applications
- Ability to work professionally and cooperate with team members and representatives of other agencies
- Lived experience with (e.g., substance use recovery, food insecurity, housing instability, navigating HIV/STI care, diverse identities, or being a member of a system-impacted community) is strongly preferred and will be granted meaningful consideration
Project VIDA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $50,000.00 - $60,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply
Education:
Experience:
- HIV/AIDS care: 1 year (Preferred)
- Microsoft Office: 2 years (Required)
Work Location: In person
