Inter-personal counseling—in facilities, communities and homes—is often a critical element of many health programs. The Manoff Group has invested in understanding the dynamics of effective counseling, from the relationship of the counselors and persons counseled to ways of negotiating public health recommendations. In the process, the Manoff Group has helped develop user-friendly packages of technically sound and locally appropriate counseling job aids, tools, and training materials for a number of health and nutrition topics in all regions of the world.

The Manoff Group has worked with local partners to develop complete packages to support facility- or community-based counselors, including:

• Sets of counseling cards
• Instructions for the use of the cards
• Reminder materials for the client or family to keep
• Referral cards
• Community or facility-level recording and monitoring tools to stimulate data-based dialogue and collective action
• Operational manuals for the counselor
• Training materials for the trainers

To date, topics for counseling packages include:

• Integrated child health
• Breastfeeding
• Infant and young child feeding
• Pregnancy and newborn care
• Reproductive health, including STI prevention and treatment
• Hygiene
• Community involvement in primary education