News
Free face to face help for problem gamblers in Staffordshire
2 December 2009
In the eight weeks following the launch of their partnership with GamCare, IMPACT Alcohol & Addictions Services have delivered 22 counselling sessions to help people address their gambling problems.
GamCare has already trained 7 IMPACT counsellors and four more are ready for GamCare’s specialist training. All counsellors are qualified and experienced before choosing to work with problem gamblers.
To build on this success, IMPACT are now offering their service to anyone in neighbouring Staffordshire who can get to existing premises in Shrewsbury and Telford. Depending on demand, IMPACT will open up new premises locally as well.
Andy McLellan, GamCare CEO, says: “I am delighted that our partnership with IMPACT has got off to such a great start. We know that there are more people out there who need help and our advisers on the HelpLine and NetLine are there to listen. We don’t judge anyone and we can help them to access the support they need, whether that is face to face locally or through other specialist practical help, such as debt advice.”
Enid Smith, Chief Executive of IMPACT Alcohol & Addictions Services, says: “With almost ten years of providing services for alcohol problems in Shropshire Telford & Wrekin, IMPACT now welcomes the opportunity to be in partnership with GamCare in meeting the needs of problem gamblers. I am very pleased to have this opportunity of expanding our service into Staffordshire.”
Press contact:
Enid Smith, IMPACT AAS, Tel: 01743 245552 enid@impactaas.co.uk
Eileen Kinghan, GamCare, 020 7801 7003, eileen@gamcare.org.uk
NOTES FOR EDITORS
1. GamCare, established in 1997, is a registered charity and the leading national authority on the provision of counselling, advice and practical help for anyone experiencing or affected by problem gambling. GamCare’s immediate, confidential one-to-one support services, available 8am to midnight, are the telephone HelpLine (365 days of the year) and online NetLine. Also online we have a Forum and ChatRoom. We deliver free counselling face to face at two locations in London, in 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 integrative and 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.
3. IMPACT Alcohol & Addictions Services has been operational across the whole of Shropshire since 2000 providing free and confidential counselling and a range of other services for people who are concerned about their own or someone else’s drinking. This link with Gamcare has opened the service up to a new client group, those affected by gambling problems. Trained counsellors are now available to receive referrals from anyone affected by a gambling addiction.
4. IMPACT prides itself on ‘growing its own’ specialist counsellors through the provision of supervised practice placements for diploma level counselling students. They receive comprehensive training in alcohol issues, with the opportunity to undertake Gamcare training once they have completed their 100hr practice placement and gained the diploma in counselling qualification. Many of our students have gone on to get paid jobs with IMPACT or other counselling/substance misuse organisations after their placement has ended.