Developing and Implementing Community Voluntary HIV Counseling and Testing (VCT) Programs
Based
on firsthand experience, African Services Committee is able to provide
in-depth technical assistance in developing and implementing in-house
VCT programs. An on-site VCT program is viable in the most
resource-constrained environments and within the greater context of
care and support programs, enhances and streamlines AIDS-related
service delivery.
For many community-based
organizations, existing staff can be trained as counselors and
phlebotomists (if needed). With these principles in mind, we tailor the
development of VCT programs to the need and resource realities of a
given community and organization.
Components of our VCT technical assistance include:
Assessing the feasibility of establishing in-house VCT
Training HIV counselors
Developing counseling and teting protocols
Documenting service delivery
Establishing an internal and external referral system
Managing data
Quality assurance, including confidentiality protocol
Linking to partner counseling and referral services
