Earlier this year, the NCRG and AGA released the winter 2013 edition of Responsible Gaming Quarterly. While developing this edition of RGQ, we had the opportunity to speak in depth with members from the Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling in Washington state to learn more about the organization and their 2013 initiatives.
Led by Executive Director Maureen Greeley, the Evergreen Council is dedicated to expanding the availability of services for those affected by gambling disorders and encouraging research and programs for education, prevention and treatment. The Evergreen Council serves as a connection hub for both counseling services and residential treatment options for individuals with a gambling disorder. Its website and the state helpline are resources for individuals and their family members to receive information about in-state counseling services for gambling disorders and other addictions.
Additionally, the council currently is the only source of funding for residential pathological gambling treatment. In order to give individuals the care that they need, the council pays to send patients to neighboring states to receive treatment at residential facilities.
For 2013, the organization also has expanded its contract with the state certification boards to offer more education opportunities for clinicians wanting accreditation to treat those with gambling disorders. Throughout the year, Greeley and her staff will organize two conferences and quarterly trainings that will be attended by mental health practitioners from across the state. (The NCRG partnered with the Evergreen Council for one of those trainings. More information about this will be including in an upcoming blog post).
The Evergreen Council also will host the 27th annual conference for the National Council on Problem Gambling on July 19 and 20.
The organization’s third goal for 2013 is to work with new partners to reach a wider audience with information about gambling disorders, ways to gamble responsibly and resources to use for help. In December 2012, the council launched a new initiative that expanded its prevention programs targeting youth and solicited the help of other non-profit organizations and radio personalities. (Read more about this two-part campaign in the winter 2013 edition of RGQ.)
If you are interested in learning more about the Evergreen Council, click here.
What are some of the initiatives your local organizations are doing to help problem gamblers and promote responsible gaming?
