Gambling as a Co-Occurring Disorder & How to Implement it into Practice

Clock hours/Continuing Education Units: 4.5

DESCRIPTION:

There has been a dramatic shift in the past 10 years in both the substance abuse and mental health fields. Not only are the providers recognizing the importance of integrating treatment for alcohol, drug and tobacco use, but the need to provide co-occurring disorder treatment for both substance use and mental health disorders. However, the screening, assessment and treatment of problem gambling often falls through the cracks, even in well-developed co-occurring disorder enhanced programs. This training will focus on how integration of services can be developed in substance use, mental health and co-occurring disorder programs as well as in the prevention services realm. Participants will be encouraged to adapt select philosophies and strategies into their own programs. This training is relevant to both treatment and prevention, and will include lecture, small and large group discussion, and learning tasks.

At the conclusion of the training, participants will be able to:

-List a minimum of two reasons it is important to include gambling awareness into practice in treatment and prevention programs;
-Describe at least two approaches of gambling awareness integration;
-Create the first steps of an action plan to integrate gambling awareness into your program.

Fiorigio (Fred) Fetta, is the Clinical Director of Problem Gambling Services with the Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services (DMHAS) in Connecticut. Prior to his work with DMHAS, he provided treatment at United Community & Family Services for gamblers and persons affected by gambling in Eastern Connecticut for seven years. Fred was also a substance abuse clinician in a Methadone Maintenance Treatment Program for nearly two years at Community Substance Abuse Centers in Hartford. He obtained his undergraduate degree at Eastern Connecticut State University and his Master’s degree in Community Counseling at Fairfield University.

Jeremy Wampler, is the Program Director for the State of Connecticut, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Problem Gambling Services. Jeremy earned his Master in Social Work from Southern Connecticut State University, and he has been practicing in the field of problem gambling for over a decade. He is a board member on the International Gambling Counselor Certification Board, as well as the Association of Problem Gambling Services Administrators. Jeremy is a licensed clinical social worker, internationally certified gambling counselor, licensed alcohol and drug counselor, as well as a board approved clinical consultant, through the IGCCB.

For more information including if you are deaf or hard of hearing, or are a person with a disability and requires an accommodation, please contact Yvonne Andrews, Training Coordinator @ 617-426-4554, TTY: 617-426-1855 or yvonne@maccg.org