Register Dealing with Problem Gambling Webinar Series Fall 2024

9/26/2024 - Mitigating Gambling Harm w/ Technology First Solutions

Technological changes combined with liberalized gambling laws have been two major drivers behind the recent growth in gambling participation and revenues. New measures to balance the growth of legalized gambling with solutions to mitigate gambling harms have been developed, however, their impact is not keeping pace with need. This presentation will review several new technologies designed to reduce gambling harm, discuss their promises and limitations, and introduce a new comprehensive digital health platform that empowers users to create and maintain a healthy relationship with gambling, regardless of their goal: to quit, to control their spending and/or time gambling, or to maintain current levels of positive play. The new Technology that will be introduced during the session is designed to appeal to the new generation of mobile and online gamblers by utilizing gamification features within an app, conversational language, community engagement, and multi-method teaching techniques and change strategies. The development approach and preliminary evaluation data for this new suite of technology driven solutions will be presented and discussed.

Presenter: Sam DeMello

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand how technology can be harnessed within health apps to foster healthy relationships with gambling.
2. Understand how current tools and systems of care are not meeting today’s growing needs.

Agenda:

12:00-12:05 pm – Introductions of presenters and helpline information
12:05-12:45 pm – Lecture of material
12:45-12:55 pm – Discussion questions, case presentation, interaction (as needed)
12:55-1:00 pm – Closing comments

10/10/2024 - How Social Media Has Changed The Way We View Gambling

I share my story of gambling addiction and my current work as a content creator in the gambling addiction recovery space to highlight the current climate of gambling on social media. I also explain how anyone (regardless of their background or organization) can create impactful content to help garner more interest in this topic.

Presenter: Rob Minnick

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand basic concepts of social media content creation.
2. Understand basic concepts of social media trends within the niche of gambling addiction.
3. Improve their level of understanding regarding gambling addiction thanks to a lived-experience narrative explaining the inner-thoughts of someone struggling with this issue.

Agenda:

12:00-12:05 pm – Introductions of presenters and helpline information
12:05-12:45 pm – Lecture of material
12:45-12:55 pm – Discussion questions, case presentation, interaction (as needed)
12:55-1:00 pm – Closing comments

11/7/2024 - Gambling Disorder Among Military Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families

Gambling disorder impacts military service members and veterans at a much higher rate than their civilian counterparts. Understanding why they are at higher risk; how this addiction impacts them, their families, and their careers; and how to overcome stigma and other barriers is critical to providing care and hope to our heroes.

Presenter: Dave Yeager

Learning Objectives:

1. Review formal and informal definitions of gambling, problem gambling, and disordered gambling
2. Provide a brief history of gambling in the military
3. Discuss reasons service members and veterans are at higher risk
4. Discuss impacts of gambling disorder on the service member or veteran, their career, and their families
5. Discuss barriers to seeking treatment and how to overcome those barriers
6. Provide recovery resources for service members, veterans, and family members or other impacted loved ones.

Agenda:

12:00-12:05 pm – Introductions of presenters and helpline information
12:05-12:45 pm – Lecture of material
12:45-12:55 pm – Discussion questions, case presentation, interaction (as needed)
12:55-1:00 pm – Closing comments

12/5/2024 - Gambling Disorder, Loved Ones, Affected Others & Treatment

Research shows that an individual with gambling disorder affects on average 5-7 additional people. For some the number is even higher. This impact on others can have major consequences on their lives, including financial, mental health, social, legal, and more. This workshop will explore the outcomes of gambling disorder on others and the need for treatment centered on their experiences.

Presenter: Michelle L. Malkin

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the potential gambling-related harms on loved ones and affected others.
2. Screen affected others in terms of their individual needs.
3. Provide the appropriate assistance and treatment for affected others.

Agenda:

12:00-12:05 pm – Introductions of presenters and helpline information
12:05-12:45 pm – Lecture of material
12:45-12:55 pm – Discussion questions, case presentation, interaction (as needed)
12:55-1:00 pm – Closing comments

Sam DeMello                                                                                                                                                                                               

Sam is an experienced early-stage startup builder, with over a decade of experience scaling successful organizations as a Customer Success and Talent Acquisition Leader. He is also a person with a gambling addiction in recovery. He combines his professional experience in the Technical and Digital Therapeutics industries with his lived experience as a person in gambling recovery to build technology-first solutions to reduce gambling harm in the growing community of gamblers.

Rob Minnick, ICGC-I

Rob Minnick, also known online as Rob_Odaat is a content creator who uses his lived-experience with gambling harm to reach 15 million people every month through Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok and Facebook to better educate them on the risks involved with gambling and where to find resources if they need the help. In addition to content creation and direct marketing campaigns, Rob advises organizations on how to craft more relevant content for a younger audience as his main demographic online is comprised of 18-25 year olds.   

Dave Yeager

Dave Yeager is an eleven-year veteran of the United States Army and in recovery for a gambling addiction. Dave is the host of Fall In: The Problem Gambling Podcast for Military Service Members and Veterans and the author of Fall In: A Veteran with a Gambling Addiction.

Dave is a member of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of PA, and member of the military working group for the National Council on Problem Gambling, and serves on the National Council’s board of directors. Dave is also a member of the board of directors for the Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling, in Washington State. Dave speaks often and uses his story to help raise awareness about gambling addiction and its impact on military service members and veterans.

Dave has a BS in Human Services and has completed 30 hours toward a Masters in Social Work. In addition, Dave is an International Certified Gambling Counselor (ICGC-I) as credentialed through IGCCB. Dave has been a lived experience and veteran advisor for Kindbridge Research Institute since 2020 and began as a trainer and training developer in July of 2023. Dave is also a behavioral health coach with Kindbridge Behavioral Health.

Michelle L. Malkin

Michelle L. Malkin, JD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology and the Director of the Gambling Research and Policy Initiative (GRPI) at East Carolina University. Dr. Malkin's research interests include a focus on gambling-related harms, gambling-motivated crime, and the gambling prevalence, behavior, and risk of under-researched populations. Her research has been recently published in the Journal of Gambling Studies and the Journal of Gambling Issues. She was awarded the 2022 Dr. Durand Jacobs Dissertation Award and the 2024 Denise Phillips Community Outreach and Multicultural Wellness Award from the National Council on Problem Gambling. She also was awarded the 2024 ECU Early Trendsetter Award for her research on gambling-related issues and ECU's Innovator of the Month Award for her creation and copyright of the Gambling-Motivated Crime Diversion Checklist.

Provider Training Webinar Series Continuing Education

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6642.  Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.  The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.  Each successfully completed webinar qualifies for 1 contact hour.

This course is pending approval from the North Carolina Addiction Specialist Professional Practice Board for 3.5 contact hour.