Pennsylvania’s Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs is working to add problem-gambling prevention to its family-support training, extending a programme that has so far focused on substance use disorder.
The expansion is still being developed. DDAP sought views from family members, caregivers, loved ones and significant others affected by another person’s gambling to shape future Family Learning Series videos and related resources. Responses to its anonymous survey were requested by Aug. 31.
Potential subjects include how to speak with someone whose gambling is a concern, healthy support and boundaries, financial safety, self-exclusion and other protections, treatment and recovery, support services, and self-care for families. The agency describes family and caregiver support as part of a broader treatment-and-recovery approach.
The existing Family Learning Series comprises seven virtual modules on substance use, recovery and supporting someone facing substance-use challenges. Each module takes roughly 10 to 15 minutes. The series was created after Pennsylvanians said they struggled to find support for themselves while a loved one was in treatment or recovery.
More than 1,000 Pennsylvanians have received training to support a loved one with substance use disorder through the administration’s investments. PlayUSA reported that about 1,075 people had accessed the Family Learning Series, whose videos had been viewed more than 1,600 times; 90% of participants said they intended to apply what they learned in daily life, while more than 80% said they felt better able to support a loved one.
Caregiver Connection, another DDAP resource, provides information for parents, grandparents, siblings and other people supporting a loved one with substance use disorder. It includes guidance on support groups, county drug and alcohol offices and free Narcan.
As we reported in August, Pennsylvania’s existing problem-gambling services include treatment, case management, telehealth, a free helpline and self-exclusion tools for people and families affected by gambling harm.
The new family-focused work comes amid evidence of a substantial gap between gambling harm and help-seeking. A survey of more than 3,500 Pennsylvania adults, reported by The Conversation, found that 2.5% to 6.4% could be classified as current problem gamblers and nearly 30% fell into at-risk categories. Only 0.2% said they had sought help in the previous year, while about 6% of people meeting the report’s problem-gambling criteria said they had received help.
