IS WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS PREPARED TO DEAL WITH EXPANDED GAMBLING?

by Margot Cahoon, Communications Specialist, The Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling

The Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling's “2012 Massachusetts Problem Gambling Symposium: Raising Awarness and Building Treatment Capacity in Western Massachusetts” will take place at UMass Amherst on Friday, June 1 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Marriott Center.

As the Commonwealth awaits the arrival of casinos, the Council is preparing communities to address problems associated with disordered gambling. The goal of the Symposium is to raise awareness about disordered gambling, as well as build treatment capacity in Western Massachusetts.  The prevention, intervention and treatment of problem gambling will be discussed, as will services and resources to support recovery. 

Topics will include:

• The State of the State:  Gambling Expansion and Problem Gambling;
• Pathological Gambling: Clinical Issues and Treatment Challenges;
• Co-Occurring Disorders:  Mental Health and Gambling Disorders; and
• Recovery Support Services and Resources.

According to Marlene Warner, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling, “Over our past 28-years of service, we have been the only organization in the Commonwealth advocating on behalf of people with gambling disorders, their family members and the professionals who serve them. We have answered tens of thousands of calls on our 24-hour Helpline, trained thousands of clinicians, provided hundreds of programs and conferences about problem gambling, and advocated to the state legislature for responsible public policy as it relates to gambling, and for services to help those affected by the disorder."

She continued, "Recently legislation was passed to expand gambling by bringing casinos to the Commonwealth. As we move into an uncertain future regarding the impact of expanded gambling upon the individuals of Massachusetts, the Council feels that now, more than ever, it is imperative that we build upon the success of our programs and services to help more people throughout the state.”

The cost to attend the Symposium is $75 for the general public, $65 for Massachusetts Problem Gambling Specialist (MA-PGS) certificate holders and $25 for students.  It includes continental breakfast, lunch, materials and CEUs (Continuing Education Units).

The event is sponsored by The Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Substance Abuse Services & AdCare Educational Institute, Inc. and sponsorship opportunities are available. 

Register online today at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3299997381/eorg   For more information, please visit www.masscompulsivegambling.org,  call the Council at 617-426-4554 or email Victor Ortiz, MSW, LADC II, Council Intervention and Treatment Support Director at victor@masscompulsivegambling.org.

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COUNCIL LAUNCHES TEEN PROBLEM GAMBLING WEBSITE

by Margot Cahoon, Communications Director, Mass. Council on Compulsive Gambling

Teens Know Your Limits: www.teensknowyourlimits.org is a website for teens interested in learning about problem gambling. It was designed solely to appeal to teens with lots of graphics, color and flash.

Website Designer, Richard Mooney and Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling staff members: Amanda Poggenburg, Jim Wuelfing, and me- Margot Cahoon, worked with teens from the North Brookfield, Massachusetts T.A.G. (Teens About Gambling) Team and their advisors, Marty Toomey and Deb Arnold. During the early stages of the project, the teens provided input on the graphics and appearance of the website, as well as what they thought would be useful in terms of content.

The site has a “Games & Quizzes” section with interactive games that while fun, also teach teens about problem gambling vocabulary and facts. This section also encourages teens to share their creativity by submitting artwork – from photography and poetry to everything in between – the sharing section will hopefully promote repeat visits to the page.

Links to popular social media sites, including Twitter, facebook, and Blogspot have been included to garner participation from teens in the Council’s growing social media community. In addition the Council’s main facebook page (www.facebook.com/MACouncil) the organization has created a second “Teens Know Your Limits” facebook page (www.facebook.com/teensknowyourlimits).that will serve as a virtual message board for the new website. The Council is interested in continuing to build relationships with teens and in hearing what is important to them in terms of Council programming and services.

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The “Council Programs” page highlights three youth programs sponsored by the Council: T.A.G. Team, “Gambling Is Not Magic”, and the C.A.P.S. (Creative Activities for Probability and Statistics) Program.

The “How to Help Others” section explains the difference between risk and protective factors, tips on how to reduce risk, and where to go for help. External links for materials and information specific to youth are found on the “Resources / Links” page.

           

For adults interested in learning more about teen problem gambling, it’s only one click to get to the “For Parents” and “For Educators” sections. These include links to the Council’s events calendar, main webpage (www.masscompulsivegambling.org), multi-language resources, and some downloadable educational materials.

Please visit http://www.teensknowyourlimits.org/ when you get a chance and become a friend on facebook. The Council looks forward to hearing from you.

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Recognizing and Managing Countertransference in Problem Clinical Work

by Victor Ortiz, MSW, LADC II, - Intervention and Treatment Support Director

Clinical workers are placed in areas of vulnerability when facilitating the therapeutic process. Clients arrive with varying levels of distress while attempting to maintain personal responsibilities. This can be very stressful for individual while attempting to engage in treatment. In the process of treatment their narratives triggers emotional sentiment. The degree of sentiments creates an emotional roller-coaster in the process of healing. This is not only a sensitive process for the client, but for the clinician as well. 

According to Geoff Locke, LICSW, PhD “The clinical relationship is a complex and dynamic interplay between two people that stirs up feelings, emotions, and attitudes for both participants. The interplay is essential not only to the clinical process, but also to the mental health of both participants”.

Counter-transference occurs when the therapist begins to project his or her own unresolved issues or conflicts onto the client. A clinicians ability to manage counter-transference is essential in engaging in a healthy therapeutic process. Although managing countertransference is vital in any clinical relationship: the treatment of gambling disorders presents a host of challenging dynamics. The relationship of money to gambling, along with the association of gambling disorders to other mental health and addictive disorders brings out clinical challenges in the therapeutic process. Also, gamblers as they relate to treatment are a transient population, and it becomes very easy for clinical workers to develop biases. Therefore, how we manage our clinical vulnerability is critical. Following are a few suggestions:

Seek clinical supervision

Build professional support systems

Plan vacations and time off from our work

Identify and engage in activities that help to reduce stress

Due to the clinical importance of countertransference, the Mass Council is happy to announce an on-line training course entitled, “Recognizing and Managing Countertransference in Problem Clinical Work.” According to Geoff Locke, facilitator of the course “The training will examine common personal feelings and emotional reactions that clinicians who work with gamblers may experience; identify ways to manage these feelings; and ultimately understand how these feelings may impact our attitude toward particular clients and our clinical work in general”. 

The course will be held April 20 through May 20, 2012.  Register online at www.eventbrite.com/event/2816607549/eorg. Or contact the Council at 617-426-4554 / victor@masscompulsivegambling.org with any questions.