Council Column

Great Lakes and Rivers Region

The newly renamed Great Lakes and Rivers Region (formerly the Eastern Valley Region) of the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) held its first educational and awareness conference Sept. 23-24 in the greater Cincinnati area. Approximately 50 representatives from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio attended the event. Tennessee, West Virginia and western Pennsylvania also are part of NCPGÕs Great Lakes and Rivers Region.

The Kentucky Council on Problem Gambling was the host of the meeting at the Embassy Suites in Covington, Ky. Nancy Lantz, former NCPG board member and current counselor in Colorado, delivered the keynote address, with the theme "Problem Gambling - It's a Woman's Issue, Too!" Additional sessions included a case study by Illinois Council President Cyndi Moriarity and Kentucky Council President Herbert Newman, a panel of Gamblers Anonymous and Gam-Anon representatives, and presentations by certified Illinois counselors Chris Anderson and Peggy Hough, Minnesota Lottery official Don Feeney, and a panel of gaming industry officials who discussed their respective responsible gaming programs. Of special note was a panel of newly certified gambler counselors who discussed their experiences counseling inmates at a correctional institution.

"The old saying is, 'no one is as strong as all of us working together,' and that's what we are trying to develop with this regional meeting concept," Kentucky Executive Director Mike Stone said. "This gives counselors and interested gaming industry officials a chance to interact and consult with each other. It gives the different councils a chance to build on successes and learn from each other."

The region will hold its second joint educational and awareness conference Feb. 3-4, 2005, at the Holiday Inn-North in Lexington, Ky.

Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling

The Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling (FCCG) recently released a seven-part series of self-help recovery workbooks targeting problem gamblers, loved ones and senior compulsive gamblers. Titled "A Chance for Change," the workbooks are designed to act as a self-help program for persons suffering the adverse effects of a gambling problem. FCCG developed these materials with the support of a grant from the state of Florida. For additional information, contact FCCG at 407-865-6200.

National Problem Gambling Awareness Week

National Problem Gambling Awareness Week(NPGAW) is March 6-12, 2005. Mia Moran-Cooper, head of the Problem Gamblers Help Network of West Virginia, will serve as chairman. Moran-Cooper has developed innovative strategies to raise public awareness in her state and looks to further develop existing materials for use across the nation in this coordinated grass-roots campaign. The goal of the week is to educate the general public and health care professionals about the warning signs of problem gambling and to raise awareness about the help that is available on the local and national level.