Gambling harm and mental health issues often co-occur. However many clients wont seek support for their gambling problems due to shame and stigma.

Clients may be more likely to seek professional help for other issues such as anxiety, depression, financial stress, family violence or substance use rather than for their gambling problems.

You can ensure that gambling harm doesn’t go untreated by:

• Understanding the prevalence of harm and co-morbidities with mental health concerns
• Know the signs that a client may be experiencing harm from gambling or be affected by someone else's gambling.
• Ask the questions. Be curious about gambling behaviour with clients and ensure it’s part of your standard assessment process.
• Refer or consult with gambling minds or Gambler’s Help services. The recommended first line treatments for gambling harms are psychological and social interventions.

Gambler's Help services

Gambler’s Help services are funded through the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation.

They include free and confidential therapeutic and financial counselling to anyone experiencing gambling related harm – including family or friends. They are trained counsellors and psychologists who specialise in the treatment of gambling problems and offer counselling. gambling minds works directly with Gambler’s Help counsellors.

Education

The Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation runs free training for professionals several times a year that addresses all aspects of gambling behavior and harms.

Online learning

gambling minds provides a range of learning modules and webinars in the MHPOD Learning Portal.

MHPOD can be accessed by any mental health clinician working in a Victorian Public Health service.

You need to login to MHPOD to access learning modules such as:

• Assessment of patients with co-morbid gambling harms and mental illness
• The neurobiology of gambling
• Youth and gambling
• Older Adults and gambling
• COVID and gambling
• Psychological interventions
• Pharmacological interventions
• Social Interventions
• Relapse prevention

Find out more about MHPOD.

Support & resources

Our team provides supervision and consultation:

• 1:1 and group live supervision with a specialist
• Joint assessments with your patient via videoconference
• Secondary phone consultations

Contact us if you wish to arrange supervision or education sessions.