HIV Advocate (Linkage to Care)

The Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada•Las Vegas, NV

About The Position

The HIV Advocate (Linkage to Care) provides leadership, case management, and care coordination to connect people living with or at risk for HIV with essential services, support treatment adherence, and promote HIV prevention and care. The role oversees outreach, facilitates education, and supervises peer navigators to help ensure participants receive comprehensive, compassionate support. The position also addresses substance misuse and opioid overdose prevention and helps connect participants to medical care, treatment, housing, and other services.

Requirements

2–3 years of experience working with marginalized populations, such as people who use drugs, people living with HIV, sex workers, people with mental illness, homeless individuals, or formerly incarcerated individuals.
Knowledge of the health and human services industry, including HIV care and prevention.
Strong understanding of harm reduction, substance misuse, HIV prevention and care, and public health strategies.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, EHR systems, and online search engines.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills and ability to build relationships with clients, providers, and community programs.
Ability to manage conflict and provide crisis intervention.
Strong organization, creativity, collaboration, interpersonal skills, and a positive attitude.
Ability to work occasional weekends and evenings.
Reliable transportation.
Availability for home visits and to meet clients at the agency or in their homes.
Enthusiasm for working with current substance users and diverse communities.
Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and integrity.
Experience in supportive counseling and group facilitation.
Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Psychology, Sociology, or a related field; alternatively, an associate’s degree in a related field with 2 years of case management experience, or 4 years of case management experience in lieu of a degree. Experience with youth experiencing homelessness is preferred for the in-lieu-of-degree pathway.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with social media and marketing platforms.
Case management experience with youth experiencing homelessness, for candidates qualifying in lieu of a degree.

Responsibilities

Oversee care coordination from program intake and assessment through treatment adherence.
Assess participant risks, health service needs, and HIV prevention or treatment requirements.
Coordinate support for individuals seeking medical care, substance misuse treatment, and HIV-related services.
Liaise with medical providers to support access to and retention in healthcare, including HIV care and treatment.
Supervise peer navigators who promote community services and provide one-on-one participant support.
Help participants schedule and attend physician appointments, arranging escort or transportation as needed.
Provide crisis intervention and supportive counseling when necessary.
Educate participants about HIV prevention, transmission, treatment, PrEP, and PEP.
Develop and deliver educational messaging on HIV testing, treatment adherence, and wellness.
Facilitate onsite educational sessions and support groups about HIV prevention, treatment, and post-care services.
Advocate for equitable access to healthcare, housing, and other essential services for individuals living with HIV.
Collaborate with local HIV prevention and care programs to improve service delivery and outreach.
Build relationships with community organizations and connect clients with needed resources.
Plan and oversee community activities and events that connect clients with service agencies and promote HIV awareness.
Lead research, planning, and execution of weekly street-based and park-based outreach activities.
Provide agency and community briefings on treatment initiatives, harm reduction, and HIV prevention.
Conduct peer-to-peer and evidence-based community training on HIV prevention and substance misuse.
Facilitate education and support groups concerning substance misuse treatment, hepatitis C treatment, and overdose prevention.
Educate participants on injection drug use, overdose prevention, HCV prevention and treatment, and HIV transmission and prevention.
Facilitate discussions and workshops to reduce stigma related to HIV and substance misuse.
Maintain and disseminate administrative and medical documents needed to coordinate care.
Help participants obtain documents required to begin or continue care, including HIV-related services.
Document all services in the EHR system and Access Database in an audit-ready manner.
Collaborate with the Assistant Director of Care Coordination on program reports and service utilization.
Participate in weekly care coordination meetings and team discussions about service quality and effectiveness.
Work with team members, medical consultants, and interns on services, programming, needs assessments, and evaluations.