Be prepared to treat gambling addiction

Be prepared to treat gambling addiction

By NANCY PAULL
Nancy Paull is chief executive officer of SSTAR, an addiction treatment center in Fall River.


As casino developers continue to forge plans to carve sea changes in our cities despite stalled gambling legislation on Beacon Hill, the time is ripe to refamiliarize ourselves with the potential for addiction problems.

In doing so, we may consider methods to ensure we can provide services to help populations that will be impacted if and/or when these resorts are built.

In Fall River, I do not discount the possibility that the Mashpee Wampanoags' proposed casino may provide desperately needed jobs for the 18 percent of our population currently unemployed. However, I admit the idea of the casino has, at times, provoked a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

One reason for this, of course, is that I believe people with addiction problems ranging from gambling to alcohol or other drugs could be drawn, moth-like, to the flashing lights of the casino. In a small, poor region where opiate use is disturbingly prevalent, any place tempting people to double their money or avoid realities could exacerbate our problems.

Therefore we must convince planners to put into place, alongside resort restaurants and bars, a safety net of health services with certified addiction counselors to treat the numbers of addicted people, which will certainly grow with gambling facilities.

It does not take research to know that building a casino within bus range of a disenfranchised population may cause some people to ante up rent or grocery money to the croupier. When doing so compounds personal and material problems, they may turn to drugs, alcohol, or back to gambling to escape.

Further, research shows people with gambling addictions are more likely to suffer from substance abuse and/or mental health issues. A recent survey published in Psychological Medicine found a 75 percent rate of alcohol problems, 38 percent rate of drug addiction problems, 50 percent rate of mood disorders and 60 percent rate of personality disorders among pathological gamblers — or those whose repetitive gambling causes great disruptions in their lives.

Thus, it is probable that some people suffering from addictions in Fall River may be prone to gambling problems. Problems may become intensified in casinos, and those who have recently become sober could turn to gambling to substitute for alcohol or drugs.

We must therefore prevent the disease of addiction from spreading if it surfaces in tandem with the casino development. For this, we need trained professionals.

The Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling offers the only certification in the state for "problem gambling specialists." The program is available mainly to counselors already in the field with advanced education and training. The industry has always had a shortage of front-line health care workers with advanced education or training who meet these prerequisites. As gambling facilities are built, this shortage could worsen.

At SSTAR, we were recently fortunate enough to participate in a program called the Jobs to Careers program to fast-track our front-line health care workers to become certified addiction counselors. The program, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Hitachi Foundation, set us on the right track towards being able to help more people recover from addictions. This model may help other facilities train their staff to cope with increasing numbers of people affected by gambling facilities.

J2C provided participants with workplace-based classroom training, college credits and career counseling. Classes offered on site at SSTAR and at Bristol Community College were convenient and affordable, and thus became attainable to the women. All the women enrolled in the program successfully passed the Certified Alcohol and Drug Addiction Counselor test — making them eligible for better work assignments, pay raises, and greater career stability.

Most of the participants were inspired to return to school and pursue higher degrees. They gained increased confidence and tools to better serve clients. All are eligible to treat more addicted patients. About half are eligible to become certified "problem gambling specialists."

More counselors will be needed if new casinos open up. As planners pioneer casino infrastructure, we must ensure they also develop services, such as training programs like J2C, to help protect us. We do not have to close our eyes and roll the dice, hoping we do not wind up busted. In shelving legislation, the politicians have given us the pause we need to devise a new strategy.