HIV Prevention Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

Overview: The HIV Prevention Specialist supports Damian Family Care Centers, Inc. (DFCC) in providing comprehensive HIV prevention services, with a primary focus on Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), HIV testing, patient education, care navigation, adherence support, and retention in care.

Working collaboratively with medical providers, nursing, social work, behavioral health, pharmacy, and other members of the interdisciplinary care team, the HIV Prevention Specialist assists patients throughout the screening, enrollment, care coordination, treatment-support, and follow-up processes. The Specialist helps patients navigate barriers to care, access insurance and medication-assistance resources, coordinate appointments and referrals, and remain engaged in HIV prevention services. Services are provided in a confidential, culturally responsive, patient-centered, and nonjudgmental manner.

Essential Job Duties

• Conduct confidential screenings and assessments to identify patients' HIV prevention needs, barriers to care, and appropriate support services.
• Assist patients with accessing and navigating PrEP, PEP, HIV testing, and other appropriate HIV prevention and healthcare services.
• Coordinate initial and follow-up appointments and provide appointment reminders to support continuity of care.
• Conduct timely follow-up with PrEP and PEP patients to support medication adherence, completion of recommended clinical visits and laboratory testing, and continued engagement in care.
• Identify barriers that may interfere with patients' ability to access or remain engaged in HIV prevention services and collaborate with the interdisciplinary care team to address identified barriers.
• Assist eligible patients with navigating health insurance, medication-assistance programs, patient-assistance programs, and other available benefits and resources.
• Coordinate referrals to medical, behavioral health, social work, pharmacy, substance-use treatment, insurance, and other supportive services based on identified patient needs.
• Follow up on referrals to promote successful linkage and continuity of services.
• Communicate relevant patient needs and barriers to appropriate members of the interdisciplinary care team.
• Serve as a patient advocate while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries and adhering to patient-rights and confidentiality requirements.
• Provide accurate and culturally responsive education regarding HIV prevention, PrEP, PEP, HIV testing, medication adherence, risk reduction, and related healthcare services.
• Provide individualized adherence education and support consistent with established clinical protocols and within the scope of the position.
• Educate patients regarding the importance of routine follow-up appointments, laboratory testing, medication adherence, and continued engagement in HIV prevention services.
• Reinforce education and treatment plans established by licensed clinical providers.
• Identify patient questions or concerns requiring clinical assessment and appropriately refer or escalate them to a licensed member of the healthcare team.
• Maintain current knowledge of HIV prevention strategies, PrEP and PEP services, available patient resources, and applicable public-health guidance relevant to the position.
• Maintain an assigned caseload or patient tracking system to support timely follow-up and continuity of HIV prevention services.
• Monitor scheduled PrEP and PEP patients and conduct follow-up regarding missed or overdue appointments.
• Assist with re-engaging patients who have missed appointments or become disconnected from prevention services.
• Coordinate with providers and other members of the care team regarding patients requiring additional follow-up or intervention.
• Track completion of referrals, follow-up appointments, laboratory requirements, and other identified care needs.
• Support organizational efforts to improve patient retention and reduce gaps in HIV prevention care.
• Document patient contacts, screenings, interventions, education, referrals, follow-up activities, and outcomes accurately and timely in the Electronic Health Record (EHR) and other approved systems.
• Utilize the EHR and other approved technology to document, retrieve, and appropriately transmit electronic health information as required to perform assigned duties.
• Maintain accurate patient, referral, enrollment, adherence, and retention information in accordance with organizational and program requirements.
• Assist with tracking applicable program performance indicators, including referrals, PrEP/PEP engagement, appointment completion, linkage to services, and retention in care.
• Support preparation of program reports and data required for quality improvement, grants, audits, and other organizational requirements.
• Identify trends, barriers, or workflow concerns affecting patient access or retention and communicate findings to appropriate leadership.
• Participate in quality-improvement initiatives designed to strengthen HIV prevention services and patient outcomes.
• Maintain strict confidentiality of patient information and comply with HIPAA, DFCC policies, and all applicable privacy and security requirements.
• Provide services in a culturally responsive, respectful, inclusive, and nonjudgmental manner.
• Demonstrate sensitivity to individuals from diverse backgrounds and populations disproportionately affected by HIV and barriers to healthcare.
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries and perform duties within the established scope of the position.
• Complete all required organizational, compliance, and program-specific training within established timeframes.
• Participate in departmental meetings, interdisciplinary case discussions, quality-improvement activities, and training as assigned.
• Maintain effective and professional communication with patients, coworkers, healthcare providers, and external service organizations.
• Demonstrate respect for patient rights and support patient-centered decision-making.
• Support the mission, values, policies, and philosophy of Damian Family Care Centers, Inc.

Non-Essential Job Duties

• Perform other duties as assigned to support departmental and organizational goals.

Qualifications & Skills

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Public Health, Health Education, Social Work, Human Services, Psychology, Counseling, Community Health, or a related field preferred .. An equivalent combination of relevant education, training, and experience may be considered.
• Minimum of one (1) year of experience in HIV prevention, HIV care, sexual health, healthcare navigation, care coordination, patient education, case management, or a related healthcare or human-services environment preferred.
• Experience working with underserved, medically vulnerable, or diverse patient populations strongly preferred.
• Experience working within an FQHC, community health center, nonprofit healthcare organization, or similar healthcare environment preferred.
• Experience utilizing an Electronic Health Record (EHR/EMR) preferred.
• Bilingual English/Spanish skills strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of or demonstrated ability to learn HIV prevention principles, including PrEP, PEP, HIV testing, linkage to care, medication adherence, and risk-reduction strategies.
• Strong patient-engagement, care-navigation, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to communicate sensitive health information in a respectful, confidential, culturally responsive, and nonjudgmental manner.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to manage multiple patients, follow-up requirements, and deadlines.
• Ability to establish effective working relationships with patients, multidisciplinary healthcare professionals, and external service organizations.
• Ability to work independently while functioning effectively as part of an interdisciplinary healthcare team.
• Ability to maintain accurate, timely, and complete documentation.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality of patient, employee, and organizational information.
• Proficiency with computers, Microsoft Office/Microsoft 365, EHR systems, and other technology used for patient documentation and program tracking.
• Ability to adapt to changing patient, program, and organizational needs.

The physical and work requirements described below are representative of those necessary to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.

• Ability to perform duties in clinical and administrative healthcare environments.
• Ability to work at a computer workstation for extended periods.
• Ability to sit, stand, walk, bend, and reach as required to perform routine job responsibilities.
• Ability to communicate effectively with patients, staff, providers, and other stakeholders in person, by telephone, electronically, and through other approved communication methods.
• Ability to travel between Damian Family Care Centers locations when operationally required.
• Regular and reliable attendance is an essential function of the position.
• Occasional schedule flexibility may be required based on patient-care and program needs.

Employee Acknowledgment & Signature

I acknowledge that I have received, reviewed, and understand the duties, responsibilities, and qualifications outlined in this job description for the position of HIV Prevention Specialist . I understand that this description reflects the essential functions of the role but does not constitute a contract of employment, and that duties may change based on organizational needs.

I understand that I must be able to perform the essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation and agree to comply with all applicable policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.

Employee Name (Print): ______________________________

Employee Signature: _________________________________ Date: _____________________