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Proceedings of the 19th annual conference on prevention, research, and
treatment of problem gambling. June 23–25, 2005, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
National Council on Problem Gambling, Washington, DC.
Session III: Critical issues in treatment
Problem gambling certification and training: The issues of
applied science
Presenter: Joanna Franklin
[The audiotape of this presentation by Joanna Franklin
was unfortunately lost. But she kindly offered us the use of these
PowerPoint slides that summarize her talk. We thank her for their use.
-ed.]
Presentation
slides (127 KB)
[The HTML version of the PowerPoint content:]
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Purpose of certification is to provide the public and
other stakeholders the means by which to identify certification
standards that serve their competency assurance needs. (NOAC’02)
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Can we assure that this counselor knows what they are
doing, will do no harm?
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Through a peer review process we have established :
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The Gambling Counselor Certification process began
being formed in 1984 through the National Council on Problem Gambling.
At least four different groups watch over the certification process for
gambling counselors internationally. Survey data is forthcoming.
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Though approval of gambling training hours is done in
most states and nationally there is no approved standard training
program for these counselors.
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The field struggles to find a way to include recent
research findings into direct clinical practice and meets various forms
of resistance along the way.
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There is little evidence or no evidence that patient
characteristics interact with type of treatment to affect outcome (Longabaugh
& Wirtz, ’01).
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Training programs need to emphasize not just the facts
and figures of research but the effective ways to implement multimodal
strategies focusing on:
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integrated care is more effective for co-occuring
clients (Barrowclough et al, ’01; Moggi et al ’99)
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need for structured, evidence-based multi-modal
paradigm
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integrate with empowerment and qualitative methods
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The discrepancy between what research indicates as
efficacious and what most gambling counselors practice seems a growing
issue.
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Movement towards clinical training that includes a
Unified Model of Treatment and Research could include:
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Community based participatory models
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Use of interdisciplinary research teams
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Inclusion of consumer perspectives
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Input from put-upon therapists and support with
long term integration of strategies and client matching
interventions.
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Gambling treatment researchers are few and far
between.
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Their work is critical to the evolution of care that
can improve availability, outcome, affordability etc.
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BUT- we must consider ways of measuring effectiveness
that are practical, do-able, objective and of course relevant to
counselors, clients, and administrators.
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Counselors in the real world don’t have easy access to
control groups, cannot provide care and do double blind studies.
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Evaluating the clinical care of real people should not
be structured like a drug trial.
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Researchers and counselors should join together to
create a meaningful research design that allows for good care and good
evaluation of services.
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The certification of gambling counselors should assure
consumers and administrators alike that the individual providing
clinical care is specifically trained (30-60 hrs) and has been
supervised in the provision of gambling treatment and is competent, safe
and effective.
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Gambling counselors do not need more advanced
credentials than certified drug and alcohol counselors to begin their
work with gamblers and their families as long as they have completed the
specialized training program.
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Gambling Counselor Certification should assure
consumer and administrator, hiring agency, funding source, court, EAP,
etc., that this service provider has been:
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specially trained to help gamblers and their
families with issues unique to these clients.
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supervised or has consulted with gambling
treatment experts as they gathered first hand experience with this
clinical population.
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objectively tested with a passing grade on a
national minimal competency exam that is gambling specific.
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Clearly, researchers and counselors collaborating
together could produce meaningful results for ourselves, the field, and
the consumers we are here to serve.
For correspondence: ncpgambling@aol.com
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