If you
or someone you care for needs treatment for a gambling problem,
it is important to know that no single treatment approach is appropriate
for all individuals. Finding the right treatment program involves
careful consideration of such things as the setting, length of
care, philosophical approach and your or your loved one's needs.
We encourage you to thoroughly investigate your options.
Here are 12 questions to consider asking when selecting a gambling
treatment program:
Are their counselors and staff experienced in treating problem
gamblers? (How many problem gamblers are currently in their program;
how many problem gamblers have they treated in the past year;
what percentage of the patients are problem gamblers)?
How many hours per day are dedicated to gambling specific treatment
or education? What are the groups or educational topics that
address the specific needs of problem gamblers and their families?
Does the program accept your insurance? If not, will they work
with you on a payment plan or find other means of support for
you?
Does the program encompass the full range of assessment and treatment
needs of the individual/family (medical: including universal
precautions for infectious diseases; psychological: including
co-occurring substance abuse and mental health problems; financial:
money management, budgeting and restitution; social; vocational;
legal; spiritual; etc.)?
Does the treatment program also address sexual orientation and
physical disabilities as well as provide age, gender and culturally
appropriate services?
Is long-term continuing care support and/or guidance encouraged,
provided and maintained?
Is there ongoing assessment of an individual's treatment plan
to ensure it meets changing needs?
Does the program employ strategies to engage and keep individuals
in treatment, increasing the likelihood of success?
Does the program offer counseling (individual and group) and
other behavioral therapies to enhance the individual's ability
to function in the family/community?
Does the program offer medication as part of the treatment regimen,
if appropriate?
Is there ongoing monitoring of possible relapse?
Are services or referrals offered to family members to ensure
they understand problem gambling, its impact on the family and
the recovery process?
(adapted from A Quick Guide To Finding Effective Drug and Alcohol
Treatment, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 2002)
Gambling treatment programs will be listed in the Treatment
Locator if they are:
Licensed or accredited by a state or national authority to provide
substance abuse and/or mental health treatment; AND
Have a gambling specific track or protocol; AND
Have at least one full time clinical staff member who is a Certified
Gambling Counselor.
These criteria are explained in further detail below.
Licensed or accredited means the program must be approved to
provide substance abuse and/or mental health treatment by one
of the following:
Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF)
Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
(JCAHO)
State Department of:
Health, Mental Health or Public Health
Human Services or Social Services
Alcohol, Substance Abuse or Chemical Dependency.
Gambling specific treatment plan and/or protocol is a treatment
plan specifically designed for problem gambling clients. The
treatment plan should indicate a comprehensive view to gambling
treatment, thorough assessment and adequate care of gambling
specific treatment needs (family, educational, financial, legal
etc.) for clients.
Certified Gambling Counselor is defined as an individual who
has completed a specific course of study in problem gambling
treatment and has been certified by either:
A national credentialing organization (National Gambling Counselor
Certification Board-NCGC; American Gambling Counselor Certification
Board-CCGC; or American Academy of Health Care Providers in the
Addictive Disorders-CAS); OR
A state certification organization that requires a minimum of
30 hours of problem gambling specific training and a period of
direct (supervisor personal contact) supervision related to treating
addicted gamblers.
Residential treatment programs are organized and staffed to provide
both general and specialized non-hospital-based interdisciplinary
services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Residential treatment
services are organized to provide environments in which the persons
reside and receive services from personnel who are trained in
the delivery of services for persons with behavioral health disorders
or related problems. Residential treatment may be provided in
freestanding, non-hospital-based facilities or in units of larger
entities, such as a wing of a hospital. Residential treatment
programs may include domestic violence treatment homes, non-hospital
addiction treatment centers, intermediate care facilities, psychiatric
treatment centers, or other non-medical settings.
(adapted from Behavioral Health Care Programs, CARF, 2002)
Inpatient treatment programs provide coordinated and integrated
services in hospital settings. Inpatient treatment is provided
24 hours, 7 days a week. Inpatient treatment programs include
a comprehensive, biopsychosocial-spiritual approach to service
delivery with a key component being close coordination of services
with other service providers and organizations who may be involved
in service provision for the persons served. There are daily
therapeutic activities in which the persons served participate.
The goal of inpatient treatment is to provide a protective environment
that includes medical stabilization, support, treatment for psychiatric
or addictive disorders, and supervision. Such programs operate
in designated space that allows for an appropriate medical treatment
environment.
(adapted from Behavioral Health Care Programs, CARF, 2002)
The following programs have applied and met our criteria:
Please check back soon for program material.
For an additional online searchable directory of individual
National Certified Gambling Counselors (NCGC) counselors, Click
here.
