AIDS Counselor: Job Description, Education, Skills and Abilities, Earnings and Outlook
Submitted by: paula
Job Overview Today, everybody is now familiar of the disease called AIDS. AIDS is an abbreviation for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. It is an infection induced immune system disorder caused by the HIV virus or Human Immunodeficiency Virus.It can be transmitted through body fluids that are contaminated by HIV more frequently through blood and blood products as well as semen. The most frequent mode of transmission is through sharing needles in drug sessions and unprotected sexual intercourse. At this point in time, there is still no cure for AIDS. This fact prompts the health organizations and the government to push programs to disseminate the information on the basics of AIDS, highlighting the ways of prevention. AIDS counselors play a huge role in providing information on this specific disease as well as instruct the public on the preventive measures that can be observed. In general, the give advice and provide assistance to the social groups at risk as well as to those who have been suffering from the illness.
Education, Knowledge and Trainings Required
To become a volunteer as an AIDS counselor, there is no specific trainings required to be taken. The most important in getting trained and proficient in accomplishing the tasks necessary in the job is to gain significant experience in this field. Psychology graduates and medical related course graduates have more advantages in getting in the, however. Those who aspire to become one must join organizations and promote AIDS prevention and support groups that help people with AIDS cope with the disease.
Skills and Abilities
It is important that the person who wishes to be an AIDS counselor has a genuine concern for people. He should have the teaching skills and helping skills as the task involves educating the public and helping out people at risk and AIDS infected patients through counseling. Patience is necessary in teaching and relating with people who are sick or terminally ill.
Duties
AIDS counselor are health workers who focus their studies and interventions on the tasks related to AIDS prevention and AIDS infected individuals. They are the ones who disseminate comprehensive information on the nature of the disease, the ways of transmission, the signs and symptoms that can be felt, the complications as well as the preventive and the supportive measures that can be observed.
In this case, they act as educators to the general public. To those patients who have been diagnosed positive of the test, they assist them psychologically and emotionally to cope with their illness. In this case, their goal is to live normally despite the presence of threatening infection. They also lead them to support groups and provide counseling sessions not only to the patients themselves but also to the families of the infected ones who also receive the social stigma associated with having the disease.
Job Outlook and Salary
The job outlook for the AIDS counselor varies depending on the incidence and prevalence of AIDS in the country. Those who have masters degree easily advance to administrative positions in different organizations concerned. Others advance to being a training specialist and therefore design programs for the volunteers and professionals. The median annual salary for an AIDS counselor points to around 34,820 U.S. dollars per annum.
Paula Hiz is a researcher and a human resource specialist who helps newly graduates, job applicants and post graduate professionals be aware of their job opportunities and available trainings for skills and practice upgrading.
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