Week 4: Disclosure Counselling for Children and Adolescents
Notes: Content in this week covers Module 7, Session 2 (pages 107-116), in the HTS for Children and Adolescents manual. Keep in mind that everyone has their own style of counselling. Some of the questions will ask you to write down your thoughts about different topics in your workbook and then “compare answer”. We have provided sample responses from experts. You may find that you have written something that is not listed. This does not necessarily mean your response is wrong.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this week, you will be able to:
- Describe the key principles of sharing information and counselling children and adolescents about their HIV status.
- Identify the key principles of supporting adolescents to make decisions about if, when, how, and to whom they should share information about their HIV status.
- Demonstrate counselling skills that assist children, adolescents, and families to disclose their HIV status.
Practice
This week pay attention to principles, skills, techniques, and strategies for counselling children and adolescents with regards to disclosure. You will have an opportunity to self-assess, share an experience with your WhatsApp partner, and commit to making a change about the way you provide disclosure counselling. Use your Action Plan to document your challenges and plans related to this week’s topic.
Learning Activities
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Podcast: Should I Tell Him? (5 min)
Instructions
Listen to this podcast from the book Red Ribbons and Roses, created by a group of HIV positive youth. In your workbook, write down your answers to the question below.
Credit: Africaid Zvandiri, ZimbabweQuestions
- When do you think is the best time for an HIV positive child or adolescent to disclose their status?
- Who should they disclose to?
- What are some of the issues that children and adolescents are concerned about when they think about disclosing their HIV positive status?
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Check Your Knowledge: Disclosure Counselling for Children and Adolescents (20 min)
Instructions
Complete these quiz questions to check your knowledge on the principles, techniques, and skills of counselling children and adolescents on disclosure.
Answer true or false to the following questions.
Compete the quiz questions to check your knowledge on disclosure of HIV for children and adolescents.
10.What are the possible benefits of children or adolescents disclosing their HIV status? List 6-8 benefits in your workbook, then tap the compare button.
- May feel relief at learning the cause of their illness; misconceptions about the illness are cleared up
- May improve adherence to medication
- May improve social functioning and school performance
- Can provide emotional support through difficult times and can celebrate with them when good things happen
- Family and friends can provide essential support if they are adequately informed
- Can provide transportation to doctors’ appointments
- Can help in getting an adherence buddy
- Can help put into practice a plan for living positively
- May relieve the stress of keeping secrets to share status with someone
- Will help to reduce the secrecy, stigma, and discrimination surrounding HIV
- Other PLHIV in your community are more likely to follow suit and share their HIV status too
- Health care providers who know their client is living with HIV can offer appropriate care and treatment
- A romantic partner can provide emotional support and help practice safer sex
13.In the following section, write in your workbook the benefits and risks of disclosure to the people listed. Tap the compare button to check your responses.
- Family and friends
Benefits: They could provide support and assistance.
Risks: They might react negatively, reject the child or adolescent, call names, or become violent. - Service providers
Benefits: They would provide access to prevention, treatment, support and care services, and timely information on HIV and prevention issues.
Risks: They might judge or tell parents or guardians. - Teachers/school
Benefits: They might provide support, help the child or adolescent keep up with schoolwork, remind the child or adolescent to take medications.
Risks: They might judge, tell others in school or try to keep someone from attending school. - Religious leaders
Benefits: They might provide support, spiritual guidance, or help the child or adolescent cope with emotions.
Risks: They might react negatively, shun someone, or tell parents or guardians. - Sex partners
Benefits: One can discuss prevention strategies with a sex partner and go for testing and counselling together. Partner might provide support and love.
Risks: Partner might react negatively, call names, leave, or become violent.
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Case Study: Susan and Mary, Part 3 (30 min)
Instructions
Complete the case to learn more about counselling children through the disclosure process.
Background
As you recall from Parts 1 and 2 of this case, Susan is 8 years old and has tested positive for HIV. She has been brought to you by her 15-year-old sister, Mary, who has tested negative. Their parents are both late and they are living alone. Susan is NOT aware of her status. Mary has brought Susan in for a follow-up visit. She tells you that she thinks it is the right time to disclose so that Susan can understand why she needs to take medication and be more responsible for her own health. She mentions that the nurse has said it is time to begin ART alongside her TB treatment. “Susan has been taking her TB medication and knows that it is for the coughing but when we introduce the ART, I want her to understand what that is for.” She tells you she doesn’t know where to begin the conversation with Susan and needs help.
4.How do you assess whether Susan is ready to receive her HIV positive status? Write your responses in your workbook, then tap the compare button.
- Ask if they have discussed HIV at home, especially the transmission
- Ask Mary if Susan knows about HIV and what she understands
- Ask how well Susan understands her TB treatment
- Ask about how Susan is taking the tablets for TB
- Ask if there are any side effects or challenges with the TB medication
- Ask about Susan’s emotional maturity
- Ask about support systems
- Ask how Susan has coped with the loss of their parents
Keep in mind that you may have some additional responses that are not listed. The main idea is that you want to assess whether Susan seems motivated on her own to take her tablets. You also want to find out how she has handled her TB medication and diagnosis because these are indications of how she can handle the disclosure. Assessing readiness of a child to receive an HIV positive diagnosis involves checking both with the caregiver and the child.
You end the session by scheduling a return visit for Susan to come with Mary so you can be present during the disclosure. You thank Mary for coming in and for being supportive of her sister.
Mary returns with Susan the next day and you bring them into the counselling room.
14.Counselling will continue through childhood into adulthood. List 2-3 overall goals for the ongoing counselling in your workbook, then tap the compare button.
- Help children to make choices and decisions that will improve their quality of life.
- Empower them through involving them in their care.
- Assist them to develop goals and to recognise and build on their own strengths.
- Promote children’s sense of self control and self-esteem.
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Workbook Activity: Self-Reflection (15 min)
Instructions
Thinking back to the most recent time you have assisted with disclosure of HIV to a child, critically assess how you handled the counselling session. Complete the assessment in your workbook.
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Podcast: Marriage, Acceptance, and Love (5 min)
Instructions
Listen to this podcast from the book Red Ribbons and Roses, created by a group of HIV positive youth. In your workbook, write down your answers to the questions below.
Credit: Africaid Zvandiri, ZimbabweQuestions
- If you were Kelvin’s counsellor, what would you have said to him to empower him to disclose to his wife?
- How would you continue to work with Kelvin and his wife now that they are a discordant couple?
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Video: Modesta (10 min)
Instructions
Watch the video, “Modesta.” In your workbook, write down your answers to the questions below.
Credit: Africaid Zvandiri, ZimbabweQuestions
- What was the video about?
- Why did Modesta’s father lie about taking medication and being in hospital?
- What was her reaction to her HIV test results? Did her reaction surprise you?
- How do you think an adolescent would feel if they found out they were infected with HIV from their parent, but their sibling was not infected?
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Case Study: George (15 min)
Instructions
Complete the case to learn more about counselling adolescents through the disclosure process.
Background
George is 17 years old, HIV-positive, and has known his status since he was 8 years old. He has been on treatment for 5 years with good adherence and good support from his family. George comes to the clinic for a regular checkup. During your session with him, he lets you know that he is now dating a young woman who is the same age.
4.How would you explain the benefits of disclosure to George? Write your responses in your workbook then tap compare button.
- Reduction of health risks to your girlfriend and yourself
- Peace of mind
- Not keeping secrets, which can ruin the relationship
- Reducing anxiety that comes from holding secrets
- Getting the relationship to a positive and honest start
- It is empowering and can help your personal growth
- She can become your treatment buddy if she is aware of your status
- Talk about the willful infection law and he could be jailed if he infects her
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Podcast: Disclose Before You Fall in Love (5 min)
Instructions
Listen to these podcasts from the book Red Ribbons and Roses, created by a group of HIV positive youth. In your workbook, write down your answers to the question below.
Credit: Africaid Zvandiri, ZimbabweQuestions
- Why do you think these young people are such strong advocates for positive adolescents to disclose their status when they are dating?
- Anesu shared in the podcast that he disclosed and it did not go well the first time. How would you provide support to him if he came to the clinic and told you that he was rejected?
- What have you learned from these stories to share with other adolescents?
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Case Study: Precious, Part 2 (10 min)
Instructions
Complete the case to learn more about counselling a pregnant teen through the disclosure process.
Background
This is a continuation of Precious’ visit Part 1. As you may recall, Precious is 17 years old. She has a boyfriend, Tonderai, who is 23 years old. In the first part of the clinic visit, Precious was informed that she is pregnant and HIV positive. Precious is clearly very upset, confused, and tired. You think that maybe Precious is feeling overwhelmed, since she is starting ART today. You wonder if you should continue talking to Precious about disclosing to Tonderai and her parents or if you should wait to have the discussion about disclosure at her next visit.
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Podcast: Telling Him-- What an Awesome Experience! (5 min)
Instructions
Listen to this podcast from the book Red Ribbons and Roses, created by a group of HIV positive youth. In your workbook, write down your answers to the question below.
Credit: Africaid Zvandiri, ZimbabweQuestions
- Why do you think Modesta did not disclose her status to her earlier boyfriends?
- What do you consider to be the most important factor in when a young person should disclose his or her status?
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Action Plan (30 min)
Instructions
In your workbook, fill in the Action Plan for this week. There are three parts to fill in.
Part 1: Describe a challenging case. The worksheet will help you to develop the details.
Part 2: Create a strategy. From the ideas generated above to address the challenge, choose one and create a strategy to apply in your workplace.
Part 3: Putting your learning into action. Using the worksheet, you will list out what you learned this week and how you will apply it to your job. -
Partner Discussion (30 min)
Instructions
Using WhatsApp, send your response to the following discussion topic to your partner before midnight on Thursday. By midnight on Saturday, please post thoughtful responses to your partner’s posts. To get credit, forward the discussion to the administrator before midnight on Sunday.
Discussion Topic: Looking back at this week’s material:
- Share one of the challenges that you face in counselling adolescents about disclosure.
- Share a specific strategy that you have or plan to use to overcome this challenge.