Part 1: Policies, operational procedures, and protocols

Agencies planning to use the social networks testing strategy should develop and implement quality assurance, training, and technical assistance procedures. Agencies should develop and maintain written policies, operational procedures and protocols for all activities performed in their social networks programs including the following:

• Ensuring accessibility of services
• Ensuring appropriateness and acceptability of services to client needs
• Ensuring appropriateness of services and materials to clients’ culture, language, sex, sexual orientation, and age
• Ensuring staff adherence to program guidelines and performance standards
• Providing all program services including
  • Orienting, interviewing, and coaching recruiters
  • Supporting and following-up on recruiters
  • Locating and contacting network associates and recruiting them for HIV CTR
  • Conducting HIV prevention (risk reduction) counseling
  • Conducting HIV testing, including obtaining informed consent for testing
  • Assessing client needs and successfully referring clients for appropriate services
• Ensuring staff adherence to written protocols for provision of service to individual clients
• Ensuring staff performance and proficiency
• Supervising staff
• Ensuring safety in the field
• Using appropriate recordkeeping procedures
• Protecting client privacy and confidentiality
• Providing data management, including data collection and entry, transmission, analysis, and security
• Conducting HIV counseling, testing, and referral, including collection, handling, and storage of specimens and ensuring laboratory safety
• Assessing staff training needs and providing training
• Assessing program technical assistance needs and acquiring technical assistance
• Monitoring and evaluating the program
• Collaborating with health departments and other relevant agencies and organizations

Policies and procedures should be kept up-to-date and easily accessible to program staff. Program staff should be trained and periodically re-trained on all policies and procedures relevant to their work.

Go to Section 3 part 2