treatment

The Responsible Gaming Association of New Mexico (RGANM), a collaboration of many of the state’s Native American owned casinos, awarded NCRG with a grant of $300,000 to coordinate a competitive grants program on the impact of gambling on New Mexico, especially the state’s subpopulations. In December 2017, the NCRG awarded a grant of $291,868 to HBSA, a supporting organization of Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, to fund “New Mexico: A Study of at risk Youth and Adults.”

In the public health and recovery arena, there has been a shift in how mental health professionals understand how to best help those who want treatment for gambling disorders. As a guiding principal of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the principles of “recovery-oriented systems of care” are redefining treatment methods for behavioral health agencies. Thanks to Mark Vander Linden, executive officer for the Iowa Gambling Treatment Program, and his team at the Iowa Department of Public Health, this new definition of recovery is providing a new framework to help those with gambling disorders across the state. Their collective efforts serve as a model for public health officials about how to collaborate with key stakeholders to make sure the needs of a community are met in terms of problem and pathological gambling recovery services. 

After the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) last week, many experts have weighed in on the practical implications of this legislation regarding the prevention and treatment of addictive disorders. From federal entities such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to national mental health organizations such as the American Psychological Association, the statements issued clearly examine the overall impact of the ACA on mental health treatment. How does this historic ruling relate the field of addictions? The experts suggest the answer lies in three applications: integration of services, enhancing prevention initiatives and a new model of recovery services.

Click below for the NCRG blog team interview with the Reece Middleton, executive director of the Louisiana Association on Compulsive Gambling. In this role, he oversees the development of the CORE Center of Recovery, a free residential gambling treatment program for Louisiana residents. In this interview, Mr. Middleton explained the work of the CORE Center of Recovery and discussed some of his best practices on gathering outcome data for inpatient treatment of gambling disorders. Mr. Middleton also gave advice about how to start a residential treatment program for pathological gamblers.

Why do so many people relapse when they are trying to stop gambling? It has been estimated that 50 to 75 percent of gamblers resume gambling after attempting to quit (N. M. Petry et al., 2006), but what are the thoughts, feelings and situations that precede these events? Researchers who study alcohol and drug abuse – disorders with similarly high rates of relapse –  have developed a questionnaire designed to answer these questions for their audiences. A recent study published in the journal Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology attempts to validate this same type of questionnaire for people with gambling disorders (Nancy M Petry, Rash, & Blanco, 2010). The new study attempts to extend and validate Petry’s previous work adapting the Inventory of Drinking Situations for gambling situations (called the Inventory of Gambling Situations, IGS).