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# Volunteer with the Facial Pain Association
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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
### Support Group Leader
The FPA manages a network of in-person and virtual support groups across the United States, and in collaboration with peer organizations in other countries. Groups meet anywhere from a few times per year, to monthly or weekly. Support group meetings provide opportunities to learn about topics of interest through educational presentations and guest speakers as well as supportive time for caring, sharing, and networking with other attendees. FPA Support Group meetings are free and open to anyone affected by facial pain. Some groups offer custom support for young patients (under 40) or family and friends. No specific skills, educational background, or experiences are required to serve as a Support Group Leader.
FPA Support Groups are led by volunteers – they are people affected by facial pain, just like you. The FPA conducts a structured vetting and training process to choose and onboard new support group leaders, and provides ongoing educational opportunities and peer mentorship for new volunteers.
Support Group Leaders schedule and coordinate meetings in their local communities and/or via Zoom. Leaders gather input from the group and secure speakers on topics of interest. The FPA provides ongoing help for our Leaders to ensure they have everything they need to run successful groups.
### 1:1 Support
The Peer Mentor Program is an important part of the FPA’s commitment to substantially increase the number of people we reach in the facial pain community including those living with neuropathic facial pain, their caregivers, and the medical community. The FPA believes personal contact with others affected by facial pain is critical, and connects thousands of people to our carefully selected Peer Mentors.
FPA Peer Mentors are trained volunteers who respond to inquiries from those affected by facial pain. Volunteers strive to communicate with empathy, honesty, and reassurance. The FPA provides volunteers with training, support, and educational resources. The FPA welcomes Peer Mentor volunteers from varied backgrounds, life experiences, and medical histories. No specific skills, educational background, or experiences are required to serve as a Peer Mentor.
Become a Peer Mentor and ‘pay it forward’ as you provide support for others affected by facial pain. Share what you have learned and connect people to information.
### 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.
### Special Projects
Do you have an expertise or ability that you think may benefit the FPA? From time to time, the FPA needs volunteers to assist with programs and projects such as:
* Translating materials
* Event production, support
* Grant writing
* Patient advocacy
* Patient advisory for research studies
* Social media moderation
Please contact Regina at  and let us know you want to help.
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## View or Download the Patient Guide
Learn more about neuropathic facial pain, including how to get a diagnosis, treatments, and more by viewing or downloading our free patient guide.
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By filling out the form below, you will receive a free FPA Patient Guide and periodic updates on the management and treatment of facial pain conditions. We do not share this information with any outside sources.
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# Research
### Disclaimer
The Facial Pain Association (FPA) is enthusiastic about medical research and encourages those with neuropathic facial pain, including trigeminal neuralgia, and related healthcare conditions to consider participation. It is important to note, however, that the FPA is not offering, nor is it qualified to offer, a scientific or medical endorsement of any Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved patient study.
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An IRB is a committee established to review and approve research involving human subjects. The purpose of the IRB is to ensure that all human subject research is conducted in accordance with all federal, institutional, and ethical guidelines. All studies and trials listed have IRB or Ethics Committee approval where relevant. The study's safety and scientific validity is the sole responsibility of the study sponsors and investigators. Patients should use the contact information provided to contact the research organization for more information.
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Before you participate in a study, discuss all options with your healthcare provider. Although study sponsors may donate to the FPA, or support the FPA through advertising or corporate sponsorship, such support does not influence or guide our decision about the studies we identify.
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### The FPA's Research Initiative
Dedicated to advancing the understanding and treatment of neuropathic facial pain, the FPA promotes and supports medical research relevant to our community.
We aim to empower patients and caregivers with the knowledge necessary to be educated partners in your healthcare while also encouraging more research on facial pain and relevant issues faced by those with facial pain.
* Information about clinical trials and studies
* Opportunities to get involved with research
* Articles on published studies
**What are clinical trials and studies?**
The goal of clinical trials and studies is to discover new, better treatments (and cures) for the condition being studied. Clinical study involves research using human participants that is intended to add to medical knowledge. In a clinical trial, participants receive specific interventions according to the research plan or protocol created by the investigators. These interventions may be medical products, such as drugs or devices; procedures; or changes to participants’ behavior, such as diet. Clinical trials also come with some degree of risk. There is a chance that the treatment being studied might not work as expected. It might not be better than the standard of care. The study drug could also cause an unexpected side effect, especially in earlier phase trials. Interventional trials test whether a specific intervention (such as a drug, device or behavioral change) affects health-related outcomes. Observational studies place participants in groups based on their characteristics. An intervention is tested in each of these groups.
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Before you participate in a study, discuss all options with your health care provider.
Learn more: <
A large percentage of medical research gets delayed because researchers cannot get enough patients to participate in clinical trials. It is challenging for researchers to find participants who would qualify, and many patients do not know how to find trials they are willing to join.
FPA’s research initiative will increase the awareness of the facial pain community about relevant studies. Another resource is Antidote, a website that includes a search function, to allow you to find opportunities, and read about upcoming research projects.
On Antidote, you can search ‘trigeminal neuralgia’ or other diagnoses; you can also search for ‘depression’, ‘chronic pain’, or other health issues, symptoms, or diseases.
You can also search for available clinical trials at <
Since launching our Research Initiative in 2021, we have made tremendous progress thanks to your contributions.
* FPA Volunteers have shared their stories with scientists and researchers and served on patient advisory boards.
* Members of the community have participated in clinical trials, completed surveys, and provided research reviews.
* We have signed letters of support for physicians and researchers requesting grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the NIH’s National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), and the NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) to better understand facial pain and develop new treatment options.
* We have partnered with organizations to advocate for policy changes and signed letters of support for increased research funding to benefit the facial pain community.
## Discover More
##### Playlist
#### The Future of Facial Pain Research - 2023
0:16
#### What's on the Horizon: Pain Management, Neuromodulation, and New Drugs for TN
#### What's Happening in Research? - 2022
#### Libra Study© for Trigeminal Neuralgia
## Available Clinical Trials and Studies
## 
## Latest Developments
### 
### For Researchers
Are you applying for a grant to research neuropathic facial pain, investigating a new treatment option for a clinical trial, or conducting a study to better understand current treatment options? We are here to support your efforts!
We provide non-financial support of your efforts in a number of ways, including:
* Letters of Support
* Community survey data
* Patient or caregiver advisory
* Focus groups
* Patient Registry data
* Survey/questionnaire distribution
Contact Brandi Underwood, Manager of Development, Research, and Advocacy at  or call (800) 923-3608.
### Research News
Article: Teflon-free MVD
Resource: Search for Trials
Article: New Life For Cancer Drug
Trial: Libra Study
Article: The Reality We Live With
Article: The NRF2 Network
Article: Historical Grant Awarded to Study TN
Survey: Chronic Orofacial Pain Intervention
 > Custom Help
# Get Support and Information Tailored to You
Fill out the form below to receive the information and resources you need today. If you do not see a topic listed here or have additional questions, please email us at  or call the FPA office at   800-923-3608.
If you are in crisis or if you know someone in crisis, please call the  at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or text the  (text HELLO to 741741). Both services are free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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