From our Executive Director
I’m very excited to share that, starting this fall, Pain BC will be launching Pain Support and Wellness Groups in communities throughout the province. These in-person support groups will offer an opportunity for people living with persistent pain to learn more about pain self-management while connecting with others in pain, offering mutual understanding, and sharing knowledge and coping strategies. We hope the program will help reduce feelings of isolation among participants and strengthen the network of people living with pain across our province.
The Pain Support and Wellness Groups will initially launch in 15 communities: Chilliwack, Fort St. John, Kelowna, Maple Ridge, New Westminster, Penticton, Prince George, Prince Rupert, Quesnel, Salmon Arm, Smithers, Terrace, Trail, Vernon, and Victoria. We hope to extend the program to new communities in 2020.
As with all of our work, we have engaged people with pain in all levels of this project. An advisory committee has guided us on the major program elements, our Facebook community has determined a name for the program, and people with lived experience of pain will be recruited to facilitate the groups. We will continue to listen to the voices of people living with pain as we launch, adjust the model and expand the program.
We’re currently looking for volunteer facilitators in the communities highlighted above. If you live with pain and would like to get involved in building a network to support others living with pain in your community, I encourage you to learn more about the role and what we're looking for in facilitators. If you’re interested in joining a group, please stay tuned for updates in upcoming newsletters or check our website. Later this summer, we’ll share more information about meeting times, locations, and how to register for your local Pain Support and Wellness Group.
These groups will provide an additional option for people needing support in our province. We’ll continue to build on our menu of resources and create options for support, education and care for people living with pain in BC.
