Case Manager HIV/Counseling and Testing

Albany Medical Center•Albany, NY

19d•$70,068 - $108,605•Onsite

About The Position

The HIV Counselor and Retention Specialist provides crucial counseling and testing services for HIV, both on-site and within the community. This role is vital for engaging, re-engaging, and linking new and existing patients, as well as those at risk, to care. The specialist will conduct pre- and post-test counseling, recognize signs of sero-conversion, and act as a liaison with community agencies. A key responsibility is ensuring patients with newly positive HIV tests are linked to care within 30 days of their confirmatory test, coordinating with internal and external teams to facilitate this process. The role also involves tracking patient data for funders, adhering to testing guidelines, and providing comprehensive education on HIV, testing, and risk reduction. Post-test counseling includes discussing results, reinforcing harm reduction, and providing referrals for medical and support services. The retention aspect of the role focuses on supporting patients with new HIV appointments and those at risk for retention issues by conducting screenings, providing reminders, assessing barriers, and monitoring patient engagement in care until successful retention is achieved.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology or sociology
Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, proportions, and percentages.
Good computer and typing skills
Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions.
Ability to read and understand medical information, knowledge of medical terminology is helpful.
Fluency in written and oral English.
Spanish is a plus.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience working in a healthcare setting preferred

Responsibilities

Provides HIV counseling testing services onsite and in the community.
Provides engagement, re-engagement, linkage, referral, and other services to new patients and patients who have fallen out of care (and patients at risk for falling out of care).
Provides counseling and testing at approved community events, according to established procedure.
Participates in outreach/ publicity events, as needed and approved by supervisor.
Provides out-patient HIV pre- and post- test counseling for scheduled or walk-in clients according to established procedure.
Recognizes signs of HIV sero-conversion and notifies medical provider to assure best practice is followed.
Serves as liaison to community agencies regarding counseling and testing.
Maintains stock of charts, documents, educational materials, and related paperwork for clients being tested and related paperwork.
Facilitates provider completion of HIV reporting/Partner Notification forms and forwards appropriate copy to NYS DOH.
Follows guidelines for clients with newly positive HIV tests (internal).
Assures confirmatory test.
Arrange appointment with medical provider for client to receive confirmatory test.
Follows up to assure confirmatory test is received prior to provider appointment.
Links patients into HIV care within 30 days of confirmatory test.
Coordinates with community and internal care team to facilitate access to HIV care.
Collaborates with internal multidisciplinary team and staff from community agencies to link newly positive HIV patients to care at AMC DHIVM within 14-30 days of HIV confirmatory test.
Tracks information on patients with new diagnoses (those tested by DHIVM as well as those referred to HIV medicine) to monitor timeliness of linkage to care and retention in care as required by funders.
Follows NYS HIV testing guidelines and AMC policy when conducting pre- and post-testing.
Conveys information regarding the benefits of HIV testing, the relationship between HIV and AIDS, modes of HIV transmission, testing options (anonymous vs confidential), testing procedures, purpose of the test, meaning of the results, and the window period.
Provides risk/harm reduction education and counseling relevant to the patient’s individual behavioral context (i.e. condom use, needle cleaning).
Adapts counseling technique to suit the patient’s developmental level and personal circumstances.
Responds to patient’s questions and concerns in a satisfactory manner.
Assesses patient’s ability to cope with the HIV test results, and the availability of supportive resources in the patient’s immediate living environment.
Assesses patient’s capacity to consent to HIV testing and obtains appropriate consent to perform testing.
Conveys HIV test results including discussion of the meaning of the results and addresses patient’s immediate concerns and questions.
Meets the needs of patients with negative test results: Discusses the possibility of HIV exposure during the “window period” and assists the patient in determining if/when to get re-tested. Reinforces risk/harm reduction strategies relevant to the patient’s personal situation.
Attends to the needs of patients with positive test results: Discusses the availability and importance of medical care and follow-up services. Provides education regarding behavior change to prevent transmission of HIV to others. Encourages partner/contact notification and offers assistance. Provides referrals for HIV testing of partners and children, as needed. Provides referrals to medical and support services and other services, as needed (within AMC and the community).
Utilizes knowledge of AMC and community resources to advocate for the needs of the patient.
Complete Pre-Intake Screening on new patients to prepare patients for first HIV appointment, identify barriers to care, and facilitate referrals, if needed.
Provide reminder calls to patients with new HIV appointments.
Assist with new patient intakes, as directed by supervisor.
Contact patient post-new visit to assess patient understanding of medical plan and identify potential barriers to care.
Assure quarterly follow up with patient to assess for needs, barriers, and understanding of medical plan.
Establish case load of patients without HIV medical appointments in previous 6 months and/or patients with consecutive no show visits.
Thoroughly review medical records and collaborate with care team to identify other methods to reach patients, if contact information is not sufficient.
Attempt to contact patient every 2-4 weeks to express concern, identify/address barriers, schedule appointment.
Notify team of patient’s retention status to identify additional interventions.
Enlist assistance from community agencies if authorizations for disclosure of information are active.
Contact patient one week prior to appointment to remind of appointment and re-assess for conflicts/barriers. Encourage patients to consider future services from community (release required).
Meet patient at medical visit, if possible.
Check in with patient following appointment (or following NS).
Provide reminder call/assessment for barriers one week prior to next medical visit.
Continue to monitor until patient is successfully retained in care.
Close pt once successfully retained in care or all avenues for contacting patient have been exhausted. Closures are to be reviewed and approved by the supervisor.
Complete Ryan White Eligibility Forms on patients.
Enter all counseling/testing, retention, care coordination and other patient services to the AIRS data base, as directed by supervisor.
Enter intake information to the AIRS database as directed by supervisor.
Enroll patients to specified AIRS programs as directed by supervisor.
Close patients from AIRS programs as directed by supervisor and in accordance with policy.
Maintain spreadsheets as assigned.
Documents all client/patient encounters and care coordination activities in paper chart (counseling and testing) or electronic health record (retention).
Uses DIP (data, impression, plan) format to document encounters/care coordination activities.
Keeps note’s objective and concise.
Ensure impressions/opinions are supported by objective information.
Assure us each note includes information to support corresponding entry of services in AIRS.
Utilizes EHR tasking feature to communicate with care team.
Copies tasks to note or separate documents communications with care team.
Additional duties may be assigned by supervisor or management staff.