APMA received advice this week from Queensland Deputy Premier Paul Lucas MP of a $35,000 grant awarded to it through the Queensland Government’s Gambling Community Benefit Fund. The grant to deliver pain management services, will enable a significant expansion of APMA’s community based pain self-management training and support services throughout Queensland. Training to date has only been able to be delivered in a small area in and around Brisbane, as no funding had been available.

APMA President Wendy Caldwell, herself actively involved in delivering training, expressed her elation at the news. “We have been running these short pain awareness sessions on a shoestring for 18 months now, with very positive results” she said. “We conduct sessions in RSL Clubs, respite centres and community halls – anywhere we can get to at minimal expense.” “We’re thrilled that finally we can get out to some of the regional centres around Queensland – places such as Townsville, Rockhampton, Toowoomba, Warwick and others – advertise these courses, as well as ensure decent venues and provide information packages to attendees.”

The grant will also support APMA’s website, continue the Pain Link telephone helpline service (1300 340 357) and enable a professional Facebook site to be established and maintained. “Calls to our helpline reveal a desperate need for more services in regional and remote areas of Australia” said Wendy. “Whether through face-to-face training, the website, Facebook or by telephone, we can now start to address that desperate need.”

More information about APMA’s community based education program can be accessed here, and an analysis of the Positive thinking, Activity and Treatment (PAT) program was recently published in the Health Issues Journal.