LPV welcomes Jen Johnson to the role of Health Promotion Manager
The Health Promotion Manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of Living Positive Victoria’s health promotion programs and is key to the delivery of LPV’s health promotion programs and achieving the best outcomes for the organisation, our membership and the PLHIV community
In welcoming Jen to the team, LPV CEO, Richard Keane says “I have known Jen in a professional capacity from engaging in her work with the Intersections of Community Practice forums which provided a platform for key populations to lead the conversation on the challenges of marginalisation and equitable representation within the local response.
Jen is someone who has always had a great ability to bring people together and provide an enabling environment for diverse community voices, not only to be heard, but to lead and set the agenda.
These forums were a key opportunity for me to learn from others and increase my skills and understanding of the role that intersectionality plays in the broader discussions around quality of life and well-being of people living with HIV. Jen’s diverse skill set, networks and years of experience in the BBV (blood borne viruses) sector will further strengthen our diverse team at Living Positive Victoria. We are thrilled to welcome Jen to TEAM LPV.”
Upon starting in role this month, Jen says that she is “thrilled to be the newest member of Team LPV. I have been working in the HIV, sexual health and viral hepatitis response for more than 25 years. From 2008 to 2021 I worked at the Australian Research Centre in Sex Health and Society (ARCSHS) at La Trobe University coordinating the BBV Sector Development Program. A key part of this work was working with nurses and healthcare providers to improve the HIV and hepatitis testing experience.
I have already worked closely with Living Positive Victoria, Positive Women Victoria and other HIV sector organisations to amplify the voices and experiences of smaller HIV-affected populations including First Nations communities, migrant and refugee communities, women, heterosexual people, sex workers and people who inject.
I also worked for many years at Hepatitis Victoria (including back when it was the Hepatitis C Council of Victoria) coordinating the state-wide workforce education program which was all about improving access and availability of testing and treatment options for people with hepatitis across regional Victoria. I stepped away from the HIV, hepatitis and sexual health sector in 2021 to take up a 12-month role in cancer prevention at Cancer Council Victoria. Alas, I missed you all too much. The opportunity to join the team at Living Positive Victoria, and to return to working in the HIV community was absolutely irresistible. I look forward to listening to and learning from you all as I get settled into my new role and building on the work we do to engage communities to understand and address HIV-related health inequities. Please drop me a line any time to share your thoughts and ideas about LPVs health promotion programs, I would love to hear from you.”