Sessional Clinical Psychologist (Key Populations Programme) Transgender (Wits RHI)

Main purpose of the job:

• To provide gender-affirming health care services for adult trans and gender-diverse clients within a comprehensive HIV prevention, care, and treatment package
• 1 x 5-hour sessions at the clinic (Maximum working hours of 5 Hours per week)

Location:

• Nelson Mandela Bay – Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)

Key performance areas:

• Attend a 1.5-hour on-boarding workshop conducted by the (TG) technical consultant to improve trans-competent health service delivery
• Attend a 1.5-hour small group mentoring and case conferencing sessions led by the (TG) technical consultant
• Create a safe and affirmative space for the trans and gender-diverse clients accessing services

Address primary mental health needs of transgender people including:

• Creating a trauma-informed space and assessing for maladaptive coping mechanisms and behavior within a trauma-informed framework
• Ongoing risk assessment for non-lethal self-harm, suicidality, and risk to others
• Exploration of gender identity. This includes determining what one's gender identity is, coming to terms with this gender identity, self-acceptance, and individuation, and exploring individual-level ways to actualize this identity in the world. This may also include preparation and assessment for various gender-affirming treatments and procedures
• Coming out and social transition. This includes coming out to family, friends, and co-workers, dating and relationships, and developing tools to cope with being transgender in a sometimes-transphobic world
• Identify and address general mental health issues, possibly unrelated to gender identity, the variety of mental health concerns that could be experienced by a transgender person which includes mood disorders, generalized anxiety, substance abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder

Conduct mental health evaluation for the initiation of hormone therapy entailing:

• Evaluation of gender dysphoria/gender incongruence as defined by the diagnostic criteria
• Identifying current transition aims and expectations. Excluding a differential diagnosis
• Confirm the client’s ability to provide informed consent
• Identify any serious mental health issues to be addressed prior to hormone therapy
• Assess psychosocial factors: Employment, domestic situation, risk factors, sexual history, recreational drug or street hormone use, social support systems, the social transition needs, and need for supportive counseling
• Help establish and maintain a multi-disciplinary network of private and public gender-affirming health care and associated professionals
• Provide a 3-5-page quarterly report to the Site Manager on service delivery challenges and mitigation approach

Required minimum education and training:

• MA/MSocSc Clinical Psychology
• Competency in transgender health and HIV care
• Registered with the HPCSA or SACSSP

Required minimum work experience:

• 3 to 5 years experience working in an NGO/community setting

Desirable additional education, work experience, and personal abilities:

• Previous work experience with LBBTQI community members
• Understanding of the challenges facing key population members in the health context; prior sensitization and/or hormone provision and monitoring experience or training desirable
• An ability to communicate and work well with Key Population members; prior counseling experience with key populations is desirable
• Previous experience in Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) services and ART adherence support
• Knowledge of national, provincial, and district health and social service structures
• Able to prioritize own workload and work towards deadlines
• Self-motivated, able to work independently, take initiative, and works as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Pro-active, able to exercise discretion and independent decision making
• Able to speak South African languages
• Attention to detail
• Report writing skills

TO APPLY:

• Only if you do meet the minimum job requirements and experience as mentioned above, you may submit a detailed updated CV.
• Please Apply Online and complete your registration on Ditto Hire (our application tracking system) to enable and protect you as a candidate to accept the new POPIA terms and conditions. This will then create your permanent profile with which you can apply for all jobs as advertised by AJ PERSONNEL. However, you may remove your profile from AJ PERSONNEL when you are no longer in the job market.
• AJ Personnel is fully POPIA Compliant.
• Please take note that the applicants who do not adhere to the above criteria will not be considered for the respective position.
• The closing date for all applications: 20 October 2022.
• Wits Health Consortium will only respond to shortlisted candidates.
• Candidates who have not been contacted within two weeks of the closing date can consider their applications to be unsuccessful.

Please note:

• Our Client, WHC - RHI, maintains mandatory Covid-19 requirements, and as such only Covid-19 vaccinated incumbents will be considered for positions.
• WHC, in accordance with its Employment Equity goals and plan, will give preference to suitable applicants from designated groups as defined in the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998 and subsequent amendments thereto.
• AJ Personnel is only responsible for advertising the advertisement on behalf of their client Wits Health Consortium.
• AJ Personnel does not have any salary or other information regarding the position.