HIV Counseling Certification

If you are working for your state's public health department, you are required to be certified in HIV counseling, typically specializing in prevention and education.

Phase I

Successful completion of Phase I starts with a three-day training course in HIV Medical and Legal Basics. You are then required to complete a five-day workshop on the Fundamentals of HIV Prevention Counseling Training. After that, you are given an experience period lasting about six months where you are required to acquire HIV pre- and post-counseling experience at your funded site.

Phase II

In Phase II, you will be required to attend between three and five coaching sessions to ensure that your Phase I training is being used. During this time you will be expected to get as much experience as possible using the Centers for Disease Control' ix Steps of Prevention Counseling.

Phase III

In Phase III you will undergo a roleplay test of an HIV pre-test and post-test counseling scenario in front of a committee. You will then receive a Provisional Certificate of Training, which will give you six months to repair any counseling mistakes and then go before the committee again or an Active Certificate of Training.

References

• The State of Connecticut: Prevention Counselor Certificate of Training Program