A Survey of HIV/AIDS Counselors in Botswana: Satisfaction With Training and Supervision, Self-Perceived Effectiveness and Reactions to Counseling HIV-Positive Clients

Abstract

A total of 181 HIV/AIDS counselors in Botswana, Africa, were surveyed about their satisfaction with their training and supervision, self-perceived clinical effectiveness as counselors, social stigma encountered, emotional and psychological reactions to counseling HIV-positive clients, and barriers to effective counseling. The majority of HIV/AIDS counselors indicated satisfaction with the quality of the training received, perceived themselves as effective counselors, were relatively untroubled by social stigma issues, and perceived few barriers to effective counseling. A large percentage of the counselors received 8 weeks or less of formal training, generally received little or no in-service supervision, and experienced stress and burnout. Many counselors also felt that they had too many clients to be effective and that they had inadequate access to learning materials. Recommendations included the need to provide regular and clinical in-service training experiences, training for clinical supervision, and the development of uniform counseling standards.