Our volunteers are advance care planning community ambassadors that work with us to increase awareness and uptake of advance care planning and help people achieve positive health outcomes.
We train and mentor our volunteers to fill a range of roles to support and educate the community and health professionals, and advocate for improved advance care planning in the health and aged care system.
Our volunteers are involved in a range of initiatives including:
- conducting community and conference presentations
- representing Advance Care Planning Australia at community events
- operating the National Advance Care Planning Support Service
- facilitating advance care planning among patient groups
- participating in volunteer-led research
- assisting in the creation of videos and webinars
- acting as consumer representatives on advisory committees
Our volunteers
Awards
In 2019, the volunteer team was a finalist for the Better Care Victoria Innovation Award and in 2014 our volunteers won the Victorian Minister for Health Volunteer award for outstanding achievement by a volunteer.
In January 2019 our volunteer team were presented with the Australia Day Award in recognition of their "valued contribution to the community in the Federal Electorate of Jagajaga".
Resources for volunteers
Volunteer program resource manual
We've developed a volunteer program resource manual to upskill volunteer groups in advance care planning. The resource is useful for volunteer managers seeking to implement our advance care planning community education model in their existing program.
It equips volunteers with the tools and information required to build their knowledge of advance care planning and in turn help others in their community to better understand the benefits of planning their future care.
The program can be adapted to learning at an introductory level, with the flexibility to take the learner through to an advanced level.
The volunteer resource manual is available on request by emailing acpa@austin.org.au
Online learning modules
We have a range of advance care planning online learning modules that will help you with addressing introductions, conversations, planning legal implications and more.
Introduction video
This video is for volunteers and volunteer managers and includes an introduction to advance care planning, its benefits and a community presentation delivered by some of our volunteers.