News
GamCare appoints new Clinical Services Director
1 December 2009
Dr Sharon Kalsy today joins GamCare today from the Central and North West London Foundation NHS Trust, where she was employed as Clinical Psychologist for HIV and Sexual Health Services. Within that capacity, Dr Kalsy provided psychological therapies to patients with severe and chronic physical and mental health conditions. She provided specialist training and supervision both within the NHS Trust to counsellors, psychologists, psychiatrists, medical and nursing staff, and also to other hospitals and at universities.
GamCare Chief Executive Andy McLellan says:
“I am delighted to welcome Sharon to this key role at GamCare. She brings with her from the NHS a wide range of relevant professional experience. Her expertise in the mental and clinical health fields will be especially valuable to GamCare as we further enhance and refine our services within the framework of the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board’s developing proposals for the future of problem gambling treatment and prevention.”
Dr Kalsy says:
“I am very grateful to have been given this opportunity to work for a specialist charity with many years experience of treating problem gamblers and their families. I am excited to be at the forefront of GamCare’s treatment provision and will strive to strengthen our reputation and increase confidence in the quality and effectiveness of our care. I very much look forward to working with GamCare’s counsellors, advisers and the rest of the team in ensuring that we continue to build on past successes.
"I am also looking forward to establishing close and collaborative partnership working with other organisations in the country that provide support and advice for problem gambling so that we can continue raising awareness and increasing the research base of this fascinating field.”
Dr Kalsy is a Clinical Psychologist, Chartered with the British Psychological Society and State Registered with the UK Health Professions Council, who has been practising for over 16 years. She has clinical and research expertise across a wide range of areas including neuropsychology and rehabilitation; community mental health services for patients of all ages; services for people with learning disabilities, and those with HIV and other chronic illnesses. Dr Kalsy has also provided specialist supervision and training in a variety of evidence-based psychological therapies for mental health and non-mental health professionals at regional and national level.
Dr Kalsy takes over on 1 December from Adrian Scarfe who will be taking on a new role focussing on the training and development of GamCare advisers and counsellors.
Press contact: Eileen Kinghan, GamCare, 020 7801 7003, eileen@gamcare.org.uk
NOTES FOR EDITORS1. GamCare, established in 1997, is a registered charity and the leading national provider of counselling, advice and practical help for anyone experiencing or affected by problem gambling. GamCare’s immediate, confidential one-to-one support services are the telephone HelpLine and online NetLine. Also online we have a Forum and ChatRoom. We deliver free counselling face to face in London, Manchester, nationally through a network of partner agencies, and online. We train our Partners in treating problem gambling and fund them to deliver support to anyone who needs it. For more information about GamCare and how it is funded, and for problem gambling statistics go to http://www.gamcare.org.uk/pages/faqs.html.
2. Anyone concerned about the amount of time or money that they or someone close to them is spending gambling can talk direct and in confidence to an adviser from 8am to midnight on our HelpLine 0845 6000 133 and its equivalent online, NetLine at www.gamcare.org.uk. We take a non-judgemental approach and offer one to one immediate advice and support, as well as information about how to access local counselling and other relevant services such as money advice. GamCare’s counselling is tailored to the individual’s needs. Reasons for continuing to gamble despite negative consequences can be complex and gambling sometimes can offer a means of escape from seemingly intolerable thoughts and feelings. Our counsellors employ a range of therapeutic approaches to facilitate discovery of the underlying reasons for the problem gambling behaviour, with the intention of achieving long term change.