As in previous years, Pain BC partnered with Solutions for Kids in Pain and the Association Québécoise de la Douleur Chronique this month to lead a coordinated social media campaign for National Pain Awareness Week (NPAW) from November 7-13, 2021. This year, we were joined by nearly 40 partner organizations, as well as several hundred other organizations and individuals, to use NPAW to call on Canada to #PrioritizePain by implementing the recommendations in Health Canada’s Action Plan for Pain in Canada. I’m pleased to share the campaign messages were posted, responded to, and re-tweeted thousands of times, and received 2.3 million impressions during NPAW, reaching more than one million people.

In addition to NPAW, November is also the time we observe Indigenous Disability Awareness Month. This national observance began in 2015 with the work of the British Columbia Aboriginal Network on Disability Society (BCANDS) and brings awareness to disability in Indigenous communities, which affects as many as 30% to 35% of Indigenous peoples, far higher than the prevalence of disability among all Canadians of 22%.

Indigenous children and youth also experience high rates of chronic pain and face unique barriers to care. On the east coast, Aboriginal Children’s Hurt and Healing Initiative (ACHH), a partner in the #PrioritizePain campaign, works with communities and clinicians to bridge the gap in our understanding of Indigenous children’s pain.

Although National Pain Awareness Week has passed, our work continues. I encourage you to keep using the tools on www.paincanada.ca to call for action on prioritizing pain in Canada, particularly for those who are disproportionately affected. Together, we will ensure no one is alone with pain.

The first annual CharityVillage Conference and Awards took place on November 3, 2021. The virtual event brought together professionals within the Canadian nonprofit and charitable sectors. Pain BC's Executive Director, Maria Hudspith, was a finalist for the Most Outstanding Impact – Staff (Individual) award. Check out all the winners and finalists on their website.

Have you heard of our Pain Support Line but never used it? As part of our program-improvement process, we are looking for people with pain to take part in a 15-minute, virtual interview about the program. If you’re an adult (18+) BC resident with pain who is aware of the Pain Support Line (for example, you have seen an ad for the service or had it recommended by a friend or health provider) but have never contacted the Pain Support Line, we’re interested in hearing from you.

We're looking for a full-time social worker to apply a clinical and consultative lens through high-touch relationship management to deliver rewarding experiences for the Pain Support Line's clients and volunteers, as well as ensure the consistent and high quality of the Pain Support and Wellness Groups.

The Disability Foundation has partnered with the Social Planning and Research Council of British Columbia (SPARC BC) to help raise awareness on common barriers to parking experienced by people with disabilities in BC. They have identified three main issues: availability, misuse, and stigma. You can get involved in a number of ways. Join their virtual Accessible Community Forum on December 3, 2021, the International Day for Persons with Disabilities.

If your child or a child you know is afraid of needles, this free virtual workshop can help you learn some evidence-based tools to reduce needle fear. The Pediatric Pain, Health and Communication Lab at the University of Guelph is offering the workshop on December 14 from 4:00 to 6:00 PM EST. To register, email cpsgroups@uoguelph.ca.

BC Children's Hospital and UBC are looking to understand the perspectives and experiences of gender-diverse youth who live with chronic pain. If you identify as a gender different than the one you were assigned at birth, live with chronic/recurrent pain (pain lasting longer than three months), are between the ages of 13 and 18 and live in BC, BC Children's Hospital and UBC encourage you to apply. The study will take about an hour, involving a short questionnaire and an interview with a researcher. Participants can skip any questions they don't want to answer, their privacy will be protected, and an honorarium will be offered to those who take part. If you or someone you know might be interested in participating in this study, please have them contact mn.wharton@bcchr.ca or 604-875-2000 x6922 to learn more.

The UBC School of Nursing and SFU School of Interactive Arts + Technology are looking for people with cancer who also experience chronic pain to test the use of immersive multimedia experiences as a form of pain management. Research participants can complete the study from their homes and will be provided with an honorarium for their time. More information on the study, including eligibility, can be accessed here. To apply, please contact Crystal Sun, Project Manager at crystal.sun@ubc.ca.

CHANGEpain and UBC are launching a 20-week program to help physically prepare surgical patients in advance of their surgeries. Covered by MSP and funded by the UBC Department of Anesthesiology, the study will evaluate factors impacting patients' surgical help. To apply, ask your physician to fax your referral to 604-566-9102 and make sure they write 'UBC-Study' on the referral. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Dr. Emmanuel Abreu at eabreau@changepain.ca, or call 604-566-9101 ext. 109.