Council provides 1,322 treatment groups
By Donna Johnson, Exec. Director
Montana Council on Problem Gambling
The Montana Council on Problem Gambling kicked off its Prevention Program in March with articles in most Montana newspapers and prevention announcements on most radio stations. Community Seven in Billings also did a series of educational TV programs.
The response was overwhelming with many calls coming in on our 24-hour help-line. (That number is 1-888-900-9979 and is also listed in most yellow pages under the heading of Gambling). Many were referred on to our free out-patient treatment program.
In 2008 we had 32 counselors who did a total of 1,322 gambling treatment groups. It's hard to believe that when the treatment program started in 2000, we had nine counselors who did a total of 110 groups.
The Council also puts on two workshops or conferences each year. These are held over two days in opposite areas of our state. The object is to train therapists to better work with gamblers and educate the public about availability of treatment and local support families. This spring we were in Missoula with 40 mental health providers attending.
This program just continues to grow with your help and the support of our exceptional board of directors. You know most of them so when you see them, tell them thanks. The president is Mark Kennedy, directors are Neil Peterson, Rich Miller, Cynthia Breen, John Regan, Gene Huntington and Tom Oberweiser.
The MCPG is a non-profit and we depend on businesses and their associations and members of the public for the money to run this treatment program.
On Sept. 25-26 we meet again at the Holiday Inn in Billings for training. The title is "Forgiveness, Remorse, and Reconciliation: Lessons Learned from the Amish Advanced Treatment Skills" by James Walsh, PhD, who is a Licensed Professional Counselor and National Certified Gambling Counselor from Delaware. All with an interest in the subject are invited to attend at a special registration fee.
We will start at 9 a.m. on Friday. For more information go to <www.mtcpgambling.com> or call me at 406-698-0528.
We continue to put special emphases on the Native American gambler and our goal is to have treatment groups on each reservation. We also have gambling treatment groups in the Women's Prison at Billings.
My board and I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your support of this program. Many gamblers and their families have been helped. We are a 501C3 non-profit organization and all donations are tax-deductible.
Editor's note: After receiving Johnson's article, we talked to MCPG President Kennedy and asked about funding. He said, "While we are always looking for sources of funding, we continue to rely on gaming businesses and their associations for the great majority of it, including Town Pumps, Montana Tavern Association, Gaming Industry Association and Montana Coin Machine Operators Association.
"These entities recognize their responsibility to help these unfortunate folks who lose control of their gambling behavior and are doing something about it. We thought we had an arrangement for regular funding through the State Lottery and it's contractor, Intralot, but that ended after just one year for some reason.
"We are operating in the black at the present time, though demand for services, and thus costs, continues to increase."