On 1 December 1994, Positive Life NSW launched the Positive Speakers’ Bureau (PSB). This dynamic program is still running strong today, offering a range of audiences the first-hand opportunity to hear the experiences of people living with HIV while complementing the training offered in the NSW health sector in HIV and sexual health units, hospitals, mental health and AOD units, accident and emergency units including allied health and aged care.
The Positive Life NSW PSB is made up of a passionate, experienced team of trained speakers who actively put a human face to living with HIV. This diverse team ranges across ages, genders, cultural backgrounds, time diagnosed with HIV, and life experiences. They are trained to adapt their personal stories to weave in key health promotion messages of safer sex, harm reduction, and HIV prevention, as they keep pace with the ever-changing landscape of HIV, STIs and BBVs.
Experience a unique training opportunity through credible and transformative first-person accounts that support a person-centred health workforce culture. Booking PSB speakers is an effective strategy to raise the health workforce capacity for collaborative, patient centred healthcare. while fostering and demonstrating empathy, understanding, safety, respect and diversity. Many of our speakers also offer powerful secondary messages such as intersectionality of race, gender and diagnosis, impacts of missed diagnosis, comorbidities, stigma and discrimination in clinical settings, and mental health, while communicating a deeper understanding of what it is like to live with HIV today.
Positive Life NSW PSB speakers are booked online, matched to your requirements and the speaking engagement is confirmed. Speaking engagements range from a single speaker or dual speakers, presenting from 10 minutes to an hour or more, as part of a panel, sole presenter or online. Speakers are coached to identify priority speaking points, understand health sector language and acronyms and deliver on the expectations and needs required in the speaking engagement. Speakers and clients are put directly in touch with each other for final arrangements such as specific location, directions, parking, etc.
The PSB flexible sliding fee schedule covers the speakers time, a small travel allowance covering public transport or private vehicle, and an administrative fee of $45 per booking (waived for multiple bookings at a single time). Positive Life NSW will issue an invoice once the speaking engagement is completed and speakers are remunerated for their time.
To discuss your requirements or to book a speaker, please call the Positive Life NSW PSB Coordinator on (02) 8357 8386, email psb@positivelife.org.au or complete the online booking form https://www.positivelife.org.au/positive-speakers-bureau/book-a-speaker/
