Volunteer with the Facial Pain Association

The FPA is a volunteer-led and community focused organization. We could not do what we do without volunteers. FPA volunteers are people just like you who are affected by facial pain themselves or are caregivers, family members, or loved ones.

No specific skill, educational background, or experience is required. We welcome volunteers from varied backgrounds, life experiences, and medical histories. The FPA is committed to making sure you have everything you need to be successful including training, continuing education, and networking opportunities.

The FPA regularly develops new volunteer opportunities to meet the needs of our community. In addition, we are happy to discuss customizing a volunteer opportunity to meet your needs or take into account your special skills.

Volunteer Opportunities

• 1:1 Support

  1:1 Support volunteers, also called Peer Mentors, provide individualized support to members of the facial pain community, their family members, and loved ones. Volunteers strive to communicate with empathy, honesty, and reassurance.

  They respond by phone, text and email at the volunteer’s discretion. Members of the facial pain community are connected to volunteers through the FPA website or by recommendation from the FPA staff.

  1:1 Support Role Description

• Awareness Ambassador
  Awareness Ambassadors actively promote awareness of neuropathic facial pain including trigeminal neuralgia and boost efforts to provide support, education and advocacy to the facial pain community through activities supported by the FPA. Awareness Ambassadors are passionate about increasing awareness of facial pain by sharing their story, or unique perspective, and may use their social media presence as part of that effort. Awareness Ambassador Role Description
• Chat Support
• Holiday Help Line
  The Holiday Help Line provides resources in real time for those living with facial pain, their families, and loved ones during a difficult time of the year. Trained volunteers respond to phone calls and chat requests in real time for specified shifts of their choosing. They strive to provide a sympathetic ear and positive messaging to those in distress. (Holiday Help Line is not intended to be a crisis intervention service, which is beyond the scope of the FPA.) Holiday Help Line phone support is available by calling 800-923-3608 or by accessing chat support through the FPA website www.facepain.org. Hours are 5:00 PM to 12:00 AM ET from late November through the first week of January. HHL Volunteer Role Description
• Phone Support
• Support Group Leader

  Support group meetings provide opportunities for participants to feel less alone, learn about topics of interest, and network with other participants. Support Group Leaders schedule and coordinate meetings centered on their geographical area or by areas of common interest.

  Meetings are free and open to anyone affected by facial pain, their families and loved ones. They may be held in-person or virtually. Groups may meet as few as twice a year with most leaders choosing to meet quarterly or monthly.

  Support Group Leader Role Description