A new UK National Health Service (NHS) backed Primary Care Gambling Service (PCGS) that provides help for adults who have problems related to gambling has opened in London.

Developed and funded by Hurley Group, a NHS general practice (GP) partnership, the PCGS will work with the National Gambling Treatment Service to to help those suffering from gambling related harm.

Dr Clare Gerada will lead the new service, with support from a multidisciplinary team of mental health nurses, general practicioners, treatment practitioners and therapists.

A slot o mania jogo. The PCGS worked with charity GamCare to develop an integrated care pathway, and will also provide training to help GPs identify gambling problems in patients.

Addiction treatment is a highly individualized process, and not all rehab centers are capable of treating behavioral disorders. Therefore, people struggling with compulsive gambling behaviors should expect to research several treatment facilities before finding the one that’s right for them. Gambling rehab programs tailor treatment to the needs of the patient based on the severity of their addiction, the length of time they have been gambling, the consequences that have already resulted, the lifestyle of the addict, the affects that the addiction has had on loved ones, and various other factors.

“There is evidence that many people who have problems related to gambling are in contact with their GP, but don’t necessarily talk about their gambling,” Dr Gerada said.

“We will be exploring how to identify them, and how to help them get access to the treatment that is right for them. We know from other areas of work that people value the option of getting treatment in primary care settings.”

The service will initially focus on South East London – specifically Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham, Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich – but plans are in place to expand to other boroughs within the coming months.

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In addition, the PCGS will develop a competency framework for the treatment of gambling problems in primary care, and will set out the skills and experience needed for practitioners in this field. The Royal College of General Practitioners will support the PCGS with the new project.

“We welcome the development of a competency framework for gambling treatment in primary care,” Michael Mulholland, professional development officer lead for the Royal College of General Practicioners, said. “This will help GPs and other primary care workers to develop their skills in treating people who are harmed through gambling.”

Anna van der Gaag, chair of the Advisory Board for Safer Gambling, added: “This new initiative is very significant in expanding the treatment options for people who have experienced harm from gambling and for their families. We want treatment to be as accessible as possible and to remove the barriers that might exist for people seeking help.

“This is one of a number of initiatives that move us to a more joined up approach and I look forward to the lessons we can learn from this work about how we can scale up provision.”

The announcement comes after GambleAware earlier today (8 July) also set out a number of new initiatives to help promote its Safer Gambling Campaign and the National Gambling Treatment Service.

The funding body's board of trustees also responded to recent calls for changes to the funding of gambling research, education and treatment after questions were raised over the independence of its approach. This saw it look to highlight a lack of industry involvement in determining where it allocates funds, following perceived criticism from a recent report by the House of Lords Gambling Select Committee and a number of leading academics in an open letter to the British Medical Journal.

All counselling programs at the Centre work from a Social Determinants of Health and Trauma Informed Care framework. The objective is for synchronicity between individual client’s priorities, needs and presentation at any one time and the most appropriate and well fitting therapeutic response.

Counselling is client focused, confidential and conducted in a supportive, trustworthy respectful environment with individually tailored treatment options utilising each person’s inner strengths to resolve their problems and reach their life goals.

The Gambling Help Counselling Program provides brief interventions, short, medium and long –term counselling addressing current gambling problems, quitting, maintenance of long term recovery, and can address complex co-occurring issues and underlying trauma issues such as:

Anxiety
Depression
Mental health issues
Domestic violence
Stress
Self-esteem
Grief and Loss / Bereavement
Relationships

Parenting/Child protection
Childhood sexual assault
Adult sexual assault
Sexual Abuse
Trauma
Physical health problems
Being a carer
A history of abuse and/ or neglect.

For clients in active problem gambling, Harm Reduction strategies may be a feature of counselling to help reduce related harms to clients and to the community and also be utilized to increased opportunities and enable positive long term changes in health and well-being.

The Centre’s gambling help counselling program can assist and support the goal of quitting.

The Centre’s gambling help counselling program can assist and support with the Exclusion program run through Clubs NSW.

Relapse Prevention strategies are commonly utilized for clients in recovery, who are unstable in the maintenance of abstinence.

The Gambling help counsellor at the Centre can is also able to provide counselling and support to clients in 12 step programs.

The SWCC Gambling Help long term counselling program can work on complex underlying issues around childhood abuse, domestic violence etc. I t software. within the safety of our trauma informed care framework.

Clients mandated into treatment by the criminal justice system and Family and Community Services can also access counselling at the Centre.

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You are a person to meet, not a problem to solve.

Problem gambling can be a way of coping with trauma, stress, loss or difficult changes in life. Sometimes it can feel like it is becoming unmanageable or has left your life in a mess. Seeing one of our experienced therapists/counsellors at the Centre can help to uncover what is going on and facilitate your journey to more productive patterns and a better state of psychological/mental and emotional wellness.

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If you are concerned about or are impacted by the gambling of a family member or person close to you, our counselling program can also be helpful for you.