AEGiS-14IAC: Increased recognition and support for structured supervision and building a model of suprvision to prevent HIV/AIDS Counsellor burnout.

14th International AIDS Conference


Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

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Increased recognition and support for structured supervision and building a model of suprvision to prevent HIV/AIDS Counsellor burnout.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. ThOrF1411)

Benno M, Paranthaman N, Nanmozhi VR
South India AIDS Action Programme, Chennai, India

ISSUE: Structured Supervision in the field of Counselling as a concept is new in India, owing to workload and emotional drain counsellors get burnt out and space to ventilate is limited, therefore building structured supervisory system and establishing a cadre of trained supervisors is inevitable.

DESCRIPTION: - Affiliation with supervisory training organisation - Structured training design specific to the context of HIV/AIDS Counselling intervention in South India - A total of 21 supervisors wee trained to support 55 counsellors working the district government hospitals of Tamil Nadu - Site Supervision of counsellor at work place, discussion with Medical and paramedical staff - Individual Supervision with counsellor, to ventilate feelings, clarifications etc. - Structured peer supervision in small groups - Periodic review and restructuring of programme with counsellors

ISSUES: - Enhanced professional counselling skills in counsellors and significant reduction in feelings of burnout - Significant fall in counsellor drop out - Increased motivation of counsellors to seek advanced trainings to improve capacity and skills - Efficiency of counsellor enhanced being a member of the medical and paramedical team - Increased co-operation from medical and paramedical staff - Training guidelines for supervisory practices in South Indian context available - Increasing availability of trained supervisors

RECOMMENDATIONS: - Policy to include supervisory training as part of VCTC training - Policy to incorporate structured supervision in institution based counselling services and government based VCTCs - Easier access to supervisory training and supervision for counsellors

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Counseling, HIV Infections, HIV Seropositivity, Recognition (Psychology), Anxiety Disorders, Health Personnel, Education, Pharmacy, Continuing, Workload, Mental Disorders, Greece, India, Education, organization & administration

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ThOrF1411

Copyright © 2002 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.