Mentor Mother at Heartland Alliance

by

Position: Mentor Mother

Job Type: Full Time

Qualification: OND, Secondary School (SSCE)

Experience: 0 – 2 years

Location: Bayelsa

Job Field: NGO/Non-Profit

Job Summary:

As a Mentor Mother, you will play a crucial role in providing adherence support, education, and counseling to pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV, as well as their HIV-exposed infants (up to 18 months of age). This position is focused on supporting ACE-6 sites, spoke sites, and community structures, with the ultimate goal of eliminating Mother-to-Child Transmission (MTCT) of HIV within the designated LGAs/State.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Act as a peer supporter for pregnant and breastfeeding women with HIV, offering counseling on safe practices to prevent HIV transmission to infants.
  • Provide education and psychosocial support to pregnant and breastfeeding women with HIV, their partners, and families, linking them to care and support services.
  • Remind and encourage pregnant and breastfeeding women with HIV about their appointments and involve them in support group sessions.
  • Advocate for the demand creation of Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) and Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) services at various service delivery points.
  • Engage in health talks during Antenatal Care (ANC), immunization clinics, health facility training sessions, and monthly data review sessions.
  • Ensure that all pregnant and breastfeeding women in the project receive comprehensive PMTCT services, identifying and addressing gaps in the continuum of care.
  • Support case identification at both facility and community levels for all ANC attendees, partners, and children of positive pregnant or breastfeeding women.
  • Assist in HIV retesting of pregnant/breastfeeding women at community and facility levels.
  • Follow up with pregnant and breastfeeding women to ensure they receive all services within the PMTCT package of care, including viral load testing and monitoring during pregnancy.
  • Conduct routine monitoring, tracking, and follow-up of mother-baby pairs for Early Infant Diagnosis sample collection and cotrimoxazole prophylaxis.
  • Ensure timely and accurate documentation of all services provided in both community and facility settings, using patient monitoring and management tools.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must possess the following:

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

  • Ability to collaborate effectively with healthcare workers in facility and community settings.
  • Good knowledge of quality PMTCT, ANC, and HIV service provision.
  • Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, demonstrating flexibility and multitasking.
  • Motivated, organized, and solution-focused.
  • Excellent verbal communication skills, including the use of smartphones.
  • Ability to maintain confidentiality.

Education and Experience:

  • Knowledge and experience in PMTCT/Pediatrics HIV implementation preferred, with at least one year of experience working with HIV+ populations or populations at high risk for HIV infection.
  • Minimum of SSCE; OND/BSC will be an added advantage.
  • Proficient in English, Pidgin English, and/or common local dialects.

Other Competencies:

  • Time management: Prioritize tasks and complete projects in a fast-paced environment.
  • Quality management: Seek ways to improve and promote quality; demonstrate accuracy and thoroughness.
  • Written communication: Clearly and informatively convey information; edit work for spelling and grammar.
  • Adaptability: Adjust to changes in the work environment and manage competing demands.
  • Cultural sensitivity: Respect the cultural environment and avoid behavior offensive to the local community.
  • Non-discriminatory: Do not discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity, age, preferred jobs, or behavioral habits.

Language Skills:

  • Excellent oral and written English communication skills.
  • Knowledge of local languages preferred.
  • Demonstrated competency in public speaking.

Computer Skills:

  • Proficient in Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, Outlook/Exchange, Windows operating systems, PowerPoint, and other software routinely used by HALG.

Work Environment:

  • Moderate noise level in the work environment.
  • Co-locate with local partners in the same office.
  • Regular travel to often insecure and limited-resource environments.

Method of Application:

Interested and qualified candidates should [apply here](link to application form).

 

APPLY NOW