Help for Those Who Can't Quit Their Gambling
http://www.news-register.net/news/story/036202004_new02.asp
and those involved with The Problem Gamblers Help Network of West Virginia want those with a gambling problem to know help is only a phone call away.
Cindy Black, clinical coordinator for the help network, traveled from her office in Charleston to Wheeling on Wednesday to attend the monthly meeting of the West Virginia Council on Problem Gambling. She said this meeting is held in different parts of the state each month.
Black noted that her organization is funded by state lottery revenues to "help the problem gambler or their loved ones."
The National Council on Problem Gambling estimates that 2-3 percent of the population of the United States, or 6 million to 9 million Americans, suffer from problem gambling.
Statistics on the number of calls to the help line from Aug. 1, 2000 through Feb. 25 indicate that Ohio County had the third highest number at 118. That level of call volume was exceeded only by Wood and Kanawha counties, with 138 and 400 calls, respectively.
Once a person calls the toll-free help network line, Black said he or she is provided an appointment with a licensed clinician. Information is mailed to the caller regarding gambling addiction, additional resources for help and where to get credit counseling.
Those who call are scheduled for a free two-hour assessment by a trained clinician. They also are provided with more information on the warning signs of problem gambling and how take steps to reduce or eliminate the pattern of problem gambling.
Additional treatments for the gambler and his or her family members are paid for by the help network.
"For the gambler we can pay up to 10 sessions," Black said. "We can pay for the family members up to three treatment sessions.
"The call is free, and the initial assessment is free no matter if you have insurance or not."
Black noted that network officials try to get callers scheduled for an appointment with a counselor "right then and there." She added that as many as 65 percent of first-time callers show up for their appointments.
"That's phenomenal," she said. "We try to schedule the appointment within 72 hours within 30 miles of their home. We have 70 trained clinicians in the state."
Those clinicians are specifically trained in treating gambling problems, Black pointed out.
"We require a minimum of 30 hours of specific training on problem gambling," Black said. "We provide monthly clinical supervisions and advanced training."
On the subject of table gambling, which was being considered by some legislators this legislative session, Black said, "Our concern is that we're going to see a whole new type of gambler than we've seen (before)."
Black characterized those who play slot machines as "escape gamblers."
"They're much more passive," she commented.
"With the table games, we're going to see the action gamblers," Black said. "It's going to be a whole new breed of gamblers, so we're going to see the numbers of problem gamblers increase."
The gender of problem gamblers is changing, too, with slot machines at race tracks and video lottery terminals in bars, according to Black.
"Now we're seeing women callers are increasing over men," Black said. "They're more accessible and it's more acceptable for women to play."
In an effort to enlist the medical community in detecting and referring potential problem gamblers for professional help, Black said the help network is sending out 500 brochures to all free health clinics in the state. The brochures list signs of potential gambling problems and where to get help with the problem.
"We believe doctors are seeing problem gamblers every day, but they're not asking questions," Black said.
Gambling addictions, Black pointed out, can lead to the breakdown of family relationships, financial losses and more.
"There's a higher rate of suicide among gambling addicts than (those addicted to) alcohol or drugs," Black said.
Ohio County Sheriff Tom Burgoyne recalled a case involving a woman from Wheeling who had a gambling problem in the 1980s when Burgoyne was an FBI agent.
Burgoyne noted the woman was a bank teller and, over the course of one and a half years, embezzled almost $1 million and spent most of it on video lottery terminals in bars. In those days, video slots were illegal.
"She was coming in there and playing big money in the poker machines, which were illegal at the time," Burgoyne said.
He noted that she told him, "I blew it all on poker machines and the dog track. I was hoping I could win and put it back."
Burgoyne said he supports card table gambling but is opposed to dice games, such as craps.
"They (dice players) are scary people, the guys that really get into dice," Burgoyne said.
As for what table gambling could do to the gambling addiction rate, Burgoyne said, "Adding more gambling is just going to add more addictions."
http://www.news-register.net/news/story/036202004_new02.asp
and those involved with The Problem Gamblers Help Network of West Virginia want those with a gambling problem to know help is only a phone call away.
Cindy Black, clinical coordinator for the help network, traveled from her office in Charleston to Wheeling on Wednesday to attend the monthly meeting of the West Virginia Council on Problem Gambling. She said this meeting is held in different parts of the state each month.
Black noted that her organization is funded by state lottery revenues to "help the problem gambler or their loved ones."
The National Council on Problem Gambling estimates that 2-3 percent of the population of the United States, or 6 million to 9 million Americans, suffer from problem gambling.
Statistics on the number of calls to the help line from Aug. 1, 2000 through Feb. 25 indicate that Ohio County had the third highest number at 118. That level of call volume was exceeded only by Wood and Kanawha counties, with 138 and 400 calls, respectively.
Once a person calls the toll-free help network line, Black said he or she is provided an appointment with a licensed clinician. Information is mailed to the caller regarding gambling addiction, additional resources for help and where to get credit counseling.
Those who call are scheduled for a free two-hour assessment by a trained clinician. They also are provided with more information on the warning signs of problem gambling and how take steps to reduce or eliminate the pattern of problem gambling.
Additional treatments for the gambler and his or her family members are paid for by the help network.
"For the gambler we can pay up to 10 sessions," Black said. "We can pay for the family members up to three treatment sessions.
"The call is free, and the initial assessment is free no matter if you have insurance or not."
Black noted that network officials try to get callers scheduled for an appointment with a counselor "right then and there." She added that as many as 65 percent of first-time callers show up for their appointments.
"That's phenomenal," she said. "We try to schedule the appointment within 72 hours within 30 miles of their home. We have 70 trained clinicians in the state."
Those clinicians are specifically trained in treating gambling problems, Black pointed out.
"We require a minimum of 30 hours of specific training on problem gambling," Black said. "We provide monthly clinical supervisions and advanced training."
On the subject of table gambling, which was being considered by some legislators this legislative session, Black said, "Our concern is that we're going to see a whole new type of gambler than we've seen (before)."
Black characterized those who play slot machines as "escape gamblers."
"They're much more passive," she commented.
"With the table games, we're going to see the action gamblers," Black said. "It's going to be a whole new breed of gamblers, so we're going to see the numbers of problem gamblers increase."
The gender of problem gamblers is changing, too, with slot machines at race tracks and video lottery terminals in bars, according to Black.
"Now we're seeing women callers are increasing over men," Black said. "They're more accessible and it's more acceptable for women to play."
In an effort to enlist the medical community in detecting and referring potential problem gamblers for professional help, Black said the help network is sending out 500 brochures to all free health clinics in the state. The brochures list signs of potential gambling problems and where to get help with the problem.
"We believe doctors are seeing problem gamblers every day, but they're not asking questions," Black said.
Gambling addictions, Black pointed out, can lead to the breakdown of family relationships, financial losses and more.
"There's a higher rate of suicide among gambling addicts than (those addicted to) alcohol or drugs," Black said.
Ohio County Sheriff Tom Burgoyne recalled a case involving a woman from Wheeling who had a gambling problem in the 1980s when Burgoyne was an FBI agent.
Burgoyne noted the woman was a bank teller and, over the course of one and a half years, embezzled almost $1 million and spent most of it on video lottery terminals in bars. In those days, video slots were illegal.
"She was coming in there and playing big money in the poker machines, which were illegal at the time," Burgoyne said.
He noted that she told him, "I blew it all on poker machines and the dog track. I was hoping I could win and put it back."
Burgoyne said he supports card table gambling but is opposed to dice games, such as craps.
"They (dice players) are scary people, the guys that really get into dice," Burgoyne said.
As for what table gambling could do to the gambling addiction rate, Burgoyne said, "Adding more gambling is just going to add more addictions."
