Palliative care should commence as soon as someone is diagnosed with a life-limiting illness.
Come along to this webinar to hear from the LGBTIQA+ Commissioner, Justice Q legal and Palliative Care Victoria – start planning for tomorrow’s care today.
When - Tuesday 13 May 6.00pm - 7.30pm
Where - Online - link to be provided to registrants in the lead up to the session
Program
- Introduction by facilitator
- Palliative Care Victoria CEO – Violet Platt
- LGBTIQA+ Commissioner – Joe Ball
- South-East Monash Legal Service – Justice Q team
- Ways to have your wishes known – My Palliative Care Toolkit
- Q&A
Resources
Speakers
Violet Platt
Violet is a registered nurse with over 30 years of experience in cancer and palliative care nursing. Working in England, the Isle of Man, and Australia in a variety of settings including hospital, hospice, and the community. Violet has a Master’s in Nursing Research, an Executive Master of Business Administration, and is currently undertaking a PhD in Palliative Care for people experiencing homelessness.
In 2016 Violet received a Lifetime Achievement award from the WA Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards in recognition of her contributions to cancer and palliative care nursing.
Joe Ball
Joe Ball was appointed as the new Victorian Commissioner for LGBTIQA+ Communities in September 2024 for a three-year term.
Commissioner Ball (he/him) is a proud transgender man.
The Commissioner advocates for the rights, safety and wellbeing of LGBTIQA+ communities. He is a longstanding LGBTIQA+ advocate and former CEO of Switchboard Victoria, with a 25-year career in disability, housing and homelessness, and social services.
During his tenure with Switchboard, Joe lead the establishment of the statewide LGBTIQA+ Family Violence and Mental Health helpline Rainbow Door.
Throughout his expansive career, Joe has drawn upon the strength and guidance of LGBTIQA+ history and most importantly, the work of activists who have paved the way, the courageous voices with lived experience and the wisdom of LGBTIQA+ elders.
Commissioner Ball is also a member of the Expert Advisory Group for the federal government’s 10-Year LGBTIQ+ Health and Wellbeing Plan and previously participated in several leading social service advisory committees and boards.
This includes the Victorian Family Violence peak body Safe and Equal, the community advisory committee for 1800RESPECT, the Victorian LGBTIQA+ Taskforce, the Victorian Family Violence Reform Advisory Group, and the National Suicide Prevention Governance Committee.
In 2020, Joe was honoured as an award recipient in the 50 Outstanding LGBTI+ Leaders in Australia.
Kavitha Sivasamy
Kavitha Sivasamy is a proud transgender woman of colour from Naarm who has been working as a lawyer for over 5 years and in the legal sector for over 9 years. She currently works as the Justice Q Lawyer at South-East Monash Legal Service (SMLS), providing free legal help to LGBTIQA+ people in Victoria and particularly those based in the southeast corridor of Melbourne. She previously worked at Legal Aid ACT, Canberra Community Law, Slater and Gordon, Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, and Playfair Visa and Migration Services, and volunteered at numerous community legal centres while completing her studies at the University of Sydney. One of Kavitha’s many passions as a community lawyer is preventing and addressing elder abuse.
Outside work, Kavitha enjoys singing, dancing, cooking, and spending time with her adorable puppy Ammu.
Jen Walsh
Jen Walsh (they/them) is a proud trans non-binary person living on Wadawurrung land in Ocean Grove. Jen has worked across multiple sectors including disaster response, volunteer management, palliative care, and LGBTIQA+ inclusive health care. Jen’s passion is working to make the world safer for queer people of all ages. They lead the co-design of a queer inclusive palliative care “toolkit,” and in 2021 received an OAM for their work in community palliative care. In their personal life, they have started up an all-gender cricket team in Geelong.