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Youth Gaming and Gambling, Is It a Problem? Heather Eshleman, MPH, and Kenneth Crawford, CPRS March 5, 2024, 1:00pm-2:30pm EST COURSE DESCRIPTION With the expansion of gaming and gambling activities in communities and on-line, how will it impact youth and young adults? This population is affected by gaming, gambling, and activities that include a mix of both in their daily lives. Discuss youth gaming, gambling, and the warning signs of problems with these activities. An overview of strategies to prevent youth problem gaming and gambling behaviors that have been adapted from alcohol and substance misuse prevention will be presented. Hear a story of recovery and learn of resources for help. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Increase your knowledge of youth gaming and signs of gaming problems in youth. Discuss youth gambling and signs of gambling problems in youth. Examine how youth gaming and gambling behaviors connect. Review prevention strategies that have worked to prevent alcohol and substance misuse that could work to prevent youth problem gaming and gambling behaviors. Learn about gambling recovery and resources for help. PRESENTERS Heather Eshleman, MPH, is the Prevention Manager at the Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling. She works collaboratively with community organizations, schools, and government agencies to prevent underage and problem gambling as well as oversee special population and youth grants. She currently leads the Center’s efforts in compiling an underage and problem gambling prevention needs assessment to provide baseline data to guide future prevention strategies. She served as the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Supervisor at the Anne Arundel County Department of Health from 2006-2019, overseeing the Substance Abuse Prevention coalitions, the Opioid Misuse Prevention Program, the Strengthening Families Program, the Fatal Overdose Review Team, and Coordination of the Students Against Destructive Decisions Chapters. Before becoming Supervisor, from 2002-2006, Heather was a Grants Administrator at Anne Arundel County Department of Health. Heather received her Masters in Public Health from the University at Albany School of Public Health and her Bachelor’s degree in School and Community Health Education from Towson University. Heather served in the United States Peace Corps in Morocco, North Africa, as a Maternal and Child Health volunteer, working on hygiene promotion and pre-natal care for two years.   Kenneth (Kenny) Crawford is a Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist with the Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling (the Center). As a Peer for the Center, Kenny assists individuals within Maryland struggling with problem gambling and gambling addiction to navigate recovery treatment resources and helps remove any barriers to recovery. He has dedicated his life to helping others with gambling problems by sharing his story of recovery. Kenny has a great passion for the outdoor life, boating, fishing, hiking, and can capture the tranquility of nature thru his photography. For him, this is a great form of meditation and has helped him thru his recovery process and he would be happy to share his techniques on meditation. Kenny comes from a background in Carpentry and is grateful to help others achieve a balanced life through his extensive training in Peer Recovery Support training.    

The latest edition of our bi-monthly newsletter is available. This month’s edition features our latest product a harm reduction guide for prevention professionals, prevention success videos, resources for awareness campaigns for the month of February, and regionally and nationally developed events and tools to support and grow the prevention workforce in New England. View the newsletter.

        Prevention in Pictures: Using Prevention Graphic Novels to Facilitate Conversations with Youth Sarah Johnson, MA, PS-C, and Scott Gagnon, MPP, PS-C January 10, 2024, 1:00pm-2:00pm EST COURSE DESCRIPTION Join us to learn about a unique prevention tool: Graphic Medicine. Graphic Medicine are evidence-based ways of accessibly communicating health information. In the Air is a graphic medicine built to foster conversations with and among young people around vaping, choices about substance use, and social factors. This graphic novel-styled story of five teens going through high school incorporates the behavioral science of substance misuse prevention with the stories, interests, and ideas of members of the Tobacco Free Rhode Island Youth Ambassadors. The novel has questions to help guide the discussion, a strong research base, and roots in risk and protective factors. During this session, participants will become familiar with the resource, how to use it to facilitate conversations with young people, and how to use the accompanying facilitator guide. Participants will learn how to request copies and learn about an upcoming resource in the same style that addresses youth problem gambling. The audience will have an opportunity to ask questions and explore how this and future products can work to support their prevention work. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Learn what a graphic medicine is and how you can use this format in prevention efforts with young people. Understand the process of creating a graphic medicine through a prevention lens with cultural responsiveness and youth voice as driving factors. Learn about an upcoming resource being designed with this format specifically to foster conversations around youth gambling prevention. Practice facilitating conversations with the tool. PRESENTERS Scott Gagnon, MPP, PS-C New England PTTC Director - Associate Executive Director, AdCare Educational Institute of Maine, Inc.     Sarah Johnson, MA, PS-C Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator, AdCare Educational Institute of Maine, Inc.        

I Didn’t Know That! The Scoop on Youth Gaming and Gambling Heather Eshleman, MPH, John Schmidt, BS, CPRS, and Maricel Bernardo, MSM-HCA March 2, 2023, 1:00pm-2:30pm EST COURSE DESCRIPTION With games such as League of Legends, Fortnite, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, youth, and young adults are often competitors or viewers of these popular games through E-Sports tournaments. In addition, within the last few years, sports betting has become legal in 32 states, including all the Central East PTTC states. These activities are heavily advertised through billboards, television, pop-up computers, and cell phone ads. With the growth of video gaming and gambling activities in communities across America and online, how does it affect youth and young adults? Middle school, high school, and college students can be at risk of being negatively affected by gaming, gambling, and activities that include a mix of both in their daily lives. This webinar will discuss the prevalence and trends in youth gaming and gambling and the warning signs of problems with these activities. An overview of strategies to prevent youth problem gaming and gambling behavior and resources for help in Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia will be presented. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Recognize youth gaming and signs of gaming problems in youth/ young adults. Describe youth gambling and signs of gambling problems in youth/ young adults. Distinguish how youth/young adult gaming and gambling behaviors connect. Identify problem gaming and gambling prevention strategies implemented in West Virginia, Delaware, and Maryland. Identify resources for help with a gaming and/or gambling problem. PRESENTERS Heather Eshleman, MPH., is the Prevention Manager at the Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling.  She works collaboratively with community organizations, schools, and government agencies to prevent underage and problem gambling as well as oversee special population and youth grants.  She currently leads the Center’s efforts in compiling an underage and problem gambling prevention needs assessment to provide baseline data to guide future prevention strategies.  She served as the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Supervisor at the Anne Arundel County Department of Health from 2006-2019, overseeing the Substance Abuse Prevention coalitions, the Opioid Misuse Prevention Program, the Strengthening Families Program, the Fatal Overdose Review Team, and Coordination of the Students Against Destructive Decisions Chapters.  Before becoming Supervisor, from 2002-2006, Heather was a Grants Administrator at Anne Arundel County Department of Health.  Heather received her Masters in Public Health from the University at Albany School of Public Health and her Bachelor’s degree in School and Community Health Education from Towson University.  Heather served in the United States Peace Corps in Morocco, North Africa, as a Maternal and Child Health volunteer, working on hygiene promotion and pre-natal care for two years.   John Schmidt, BS, CPRS,  is currently the Prevention Services Coordinator for Youth for the Delaware Council on Gambling Problems, conducting presentations at middle and high schools throughout Delaware to inform students of disordered gambling and its connection to the gambling mechanics within video games and cell phones. John is clinically trained in the area of disordered gaming and also earned his certification in Studies in Gambling Addiction through the University of Minnesota Duluth. He also conducts research in partnership with the University of Delaware in the area of gambling and video gaming with Delaware middle and high school students via in-depth surveys.   Maricel Bernardo, MS, is the Program Coordinator for the  Problem Gambling Help Network of West Virginia (PGHNWV) at First Choice Services. She has worked in problem gambling since 2018 and has assisted many problem gamblers and their loved ones. She oversees PGHNWV’s prevention and outreach activities. Maricel works closely with the PGHNWV Prevention Grantees, Collegiate Recovery Network PRSS and other prevention groups to promote problem gambling education and awareness to the youth and community. She is a member of NCPG and serves on the  Prevention and Communication Committees as well as the NAADGS Prevention Workgroup.  Maricel has a Master of Science in Management-Healthcare Administration from Marshall University and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from West Virginia University.  

  Resources developed by the National Hispanic and Latino ATTC and PTTC. Fact Sheets on Gambling Awareness in English, Spanish and Portuguese. March is National Problem Gambling Awareness Month! Podcast ¡Latinos Con Voz! Problem Gambling Awareness Episodes (available in English and Portuguese) English Episode This English episode of Latinos Con Voz podcast, Dr. Susie Villalobos interviews Tana Russell from the Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling. Portuguese Episode Portuguese Episode of Latinos Con Voz podcast. **This is episode is only available in Portuguese ** Priscila Giamassi entrevista a Dra. Anna Carolina Ramos emu ma conversa esclarecedora sobre dependências, com foco em jogo problemático. Videos Problem Gambling  Problem Gambling Awareness Month: Awareness + Action (available in English, Spanish and Portuguese) Infographic Problem Gambling  Hispanic and Latino Problem Gambling Awareness Resources in partnership with the Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling Connections Podcast Latino Advocacy – Heart and Community  Latina leader and researcher, Dr. Susie Villalobos, joins this Connections episode. She is the Director of the National Hispanic Latino Addiction and Prevention Technology Transfer Centers, and host of the “¡Latinos Con Voz!” podcast. She gets real about what led her to this work, how she uncovers the needs of Latino communities, and the incredible teamwork that goes into the heart-driven dedication of making it happen.   Kaleidoscope Reflections of Diverse Views on Mental Health Equity A recorded live-streamed community event celebrating diversity, inclusion, and mental health equity during 2021 National Hispanic Heritage Month. Special guests will help address issues around Access to Care; Barriers; Cultural Norms and Traditions; and Gambling in Latinx Communities:

Recording link: Nexus of Substance Misuse Prevention and Problem Gambling Prevention   The focus of this webinar is on the nexus between substance misuse prevention and problem gambling prevention. Gambling disorders are highly comorbid with other mental health and substance use disorders. The prevalence of co-occurring gambling addiction and substance abuse is high. Approximately 1 in 10 compulsive gamblers report being concerned about their substance use.   LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Discuss the complex relationship between problem gambling and substance misuse. List shared risk and protective factors between problem gambling and substance misuse disorders List the barriers to collaboration between the problem gambling prevention field and substance misuse prevention Describe collaboration strategies for substance use prevention professionals and the problem gambling prevention field to improve public health and community conditions.   PRESENTER:  Rebecca Bishop, MSW Director, Massachusetts Center of Excellence for Problem Gambling Rebecca Bishop specializes in initiatives to improve the health, mental health, and well-being of youth and high-risk populations. She brings expertise in mental health promotion, health equity, cultural and linguistic responsiveness, community mobilization, and violence prevention and intervention. Bishop has a history of applying a health and racial equity lens to substance use, youth development, violence and problem gambling prevention, as well as mental health issues. She leads EDC’s Gambling Prevention Technical Assistance Center and has managed three regional planning processes across Massachusetts to learn about local knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes related to gambling, resulting in population-specific prevention strategies. Bishop holds an MA in Social Work, Health, and Mental Health Administration from Boston College Graduate School of Social Work and has a Certificate in Nonprofit Management and Leadership.   The Great Lakes A/MH/PTTC offered this training for individuals working in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI. This training was provided in response to a need identified by Region 5 stakeholders.  

Highlighting Youth Gaming and Gambling Risks and Strategies for Prevention Heather Eshleman, MPH March 23, 2022, 1:00pm-2:30pm EST COURSE DESCRIPTION With the expansion of gaming and gambling activities in communities and on-line, how will it impact youth and young adults? This population is affected by gaming, gambling, and activities that include a mix of both in their daily lives. Learn about youth gaming, gambling, and the warning signs of problems with these activities. Learn of strategies to prevent youth problem gaming and gambling behaviors that have been adapted from alcohol and drug misuse prevention. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Learn about youth gaming and signs of gaming problems in youth Learn about youth gambling and signs of gambling problems in youth Learn how youth gaming and gambling behaviors connect Learn prevention strategies that have worked to prevent alcohol and substance misuse that could work to prevent youth problem gaming and gambling behaviors. PRESENTERS Heather Eshleman, M.P.H., is the Prevention Manager at the Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling.  She works collaboratively with community organizations, schools, and government agencies to prevent underage and problem gambling as well as oversee special population and youth grants.  She currently leads the Center’s efforts in compiling an underage and problem gambling prevention needs assessment to provide baseline data to guide future prevention strategies.  She served as the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Supervisor at the Anne Arundel County Department of Health from 2006-2019, overseeing the Substance Abuse Prevention coalitions, the Opioid Misuse Prevention Program, the Strengthening Families Program, the Fatal Overdose Review Team, and Coordination of the Students Against Destructive Decisions Chapters.  Before becoming Supervisor, from 2002-2006, Heather was a Grants Administrator at Anne Arundel County Department of Health.  Heather received her Masters in Public Health from the University at Albany School of Public Health and her Bachelor’s degree in School and Community Health Education from Towson University.  Heather served in the United States Peace Corps in Morocco, North Africa, as a Maternal and Child Health volunteer, working on hygiene promotion and pre-natal care for two years.  

In March, we raise awareness to Problem Gambling. The 2022 Problem Gambling Awareness Month theme is “Awareness + Action”. If you feel you need support, you may contact the National Council on Problem Gambling operates the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network at 1-800-522-4700.     Español  En marzo, creamos conciencia a la Ludopatía. El tema 2022 del mes de la Concienciación sobre el Juego Problemático también conocido como ludopatía es "conciencia + acción". Si necesita ayuda, le animamos a ponerse en contacto con el Consejo Nacional de Problemas de Juego quienes operan la Línea de Ayuda de la Red Nacional de Problemas al 1-800-522-4700.     Português Em março, queremos aumentar a conscientização sobre o jogo problemático. O tema do Mês de Conscientização sobre Jogo Problemático em 2022 é “Consciência + Ação”. Se você sentir que precisa de apoio, você pode entrar em contato com a Linha de Ajuda do Conselho Nacional de Jogo Problemático, pelo telefone 1-800-522-4700.

The latest edition of our bi-monthly newsletter is available. This month’s edition features updates on our teams recent travel, training, and networking experience, a toolkit for Parks & Recreation Departments, a guide to Restorative Prevention, honoring and embracing Black history month in February, Awareness + Action: March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month, announcing the most recent Leadership Development Program, and regionally and nationally developed events and tools to support and grow the prevention workforce in New England. View the newsletter.

The National Hispanic and Latino Addiction and Prevention Technology Transfer Centers (NHL-ATTC and PTTC) are happy to provide new Fact sheets on Gambling Awareness in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Click here to download the files: English Spanish/Español Portuguese/Português

Problem Gambling Prevention: The Facts, Using Public Health Models, and Integrating Programming with Substance Misuse Prevention Heather Eshleman, M.P.H. March 24, 2021, 1-2 PM EST COURSE DESCRIPTION March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month. With the legalization of sports betting in mid-Atlantic states as well as increased internet gambling due to COVID-19 restrictions, gambling has never been more accessible to youth and adults. Basic facts on youth and adult gambling will be discussed with emphasis on data from MD, DC, WV, DE, PA, and VA. Public health models will be used to show how problem gambling can be prevented and integrated with alcohol and substance misuse prevention programming. LEARNING OBJECTIVES To learn problem gambling facts and the basics of problem gambling prevention. To examine how public health models can be used to prevent problem gambling in youth and adults. To explore how to integrate problem gambling prevention strategies with the work of alcohol and substance misuse prevention and mental health promotion. PRESENTERS Heather Eshleman, M.P.H., is the Prevention Manager at the Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling.  She works collaboratively with community organizations, schools, and government agencies to prevent underage and problem gambling as well as oversee special population and youth grants.  She currently leads the Center’s efforts in compiling an underage and problem gambling prevention needs assessment to provide baseline data to guide future prevention strategies.  She served as the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Supervisor at the Anne Arundel County Department of Health from 2006-2019, overseeing the Substance Abuse Prevention coalitions, the Opioid Misuse Prevention Program, the Strengthening Families Program, the Fatal Overdose Review Team, and Coordination of the Students Against Destructive Decisions Chapters.  Before becoming Supervisor, from 2002-2006, Heather was a Grants Administrator at Anne Arundel County Department of Health.  Heather received her Masters in Public Health from the University at Albany School of Public Health and her Bachelor’s degree in School and Community Health Education from Towson University.  Heather served in the United States Peace Corps in Morocco, North Africa, as a Maternal and Child Health volunteer, working on hygiene promotion and pre-natal care for two years.    

The March 2020 Dialogue contains articles on: Addiction: The Value of Social Work | Mental Health: Brain Awareness | Prevention: Substance Use Prevention and Preventing Problem Gambling | ORN: Partnering with Schools to Impact Addiction.  Additional sections include upcoming training and webinar events, behavioral health observances, new resources, and Region 3 news. The Dialogue is designed to inform behavioral and mental health professionals of news and upcoming events in the Central East states. This electronic newsletter is disseminated on the first Tuesday of each month. You are encouraged to provide us with any feedback or submit articles and topics for discussion in future issues of the newsletter.  Sign up to receive the Dialogue in your mailbox.