| RIVERSIDE
COUNTY, Calif., October 21 /Dave
Downey/ -- Riverside
County officials have decided
to set up a program that will
provide counseling for gambling
addicts and double the number
of certified counselors equipped
to address their problems in
this vast 7,200-square-mile
county.
The
county Board of Supervisors
voted 3-0 on Tuesday to establish
the initiative through a contract
with the California Council
on Problem Gambling. The project
is an expansion of the Department
of Mental Health's existing
Substance Abuse Program, which
treats alcohol and drug abuse
problems that tend also to plague
people who have trouble resisting
the urge to gamble.
"This
is really an exciting expansion
of our services and a logical
one," said Karen Kane,
program administrator for substance
abuse services in the Department
of Mental Health, by telephone
Wednesday.
The
project is being funded by $47,310
provided by the Pechanga Band
of Luiseno Indians through a
state trust that collects money
from California casinos to offset
the impacts of their presence
in nearby communities. County
mental health officials applied
for the funding in February.
Under
the contract, the problem gambling
council pledges to provide counseling
for up to 250 Riverside County
residents and families and up
to 2,600 hours of training for
counselors.
Kane
said the program will fill a
crucial need in this region.
"Right
now we have very few problem
gambler counselors in the county
of Riverside," Kane said.
And overnight, she said, as
a result of the board's decision,
the number of available counselors
has about doubled.
"As
of Tuesday, there are 26 more
people in the county of Riverside
who will be able to provide
this service," Kane said.
"They're available immediately."
People
in need of counseling are encouraged
to call 1-800-GAMBLER.
About
60 percent of the 26 people
work for the county, and the
rest in the private sector.
Those seeking help from private
counselors will have to work
out fees with them, Kane said.
For those who get counseling
through county substance abuse
or mental health counselors,
she said, "it'll be free
or it will be combined with
some other service that they
are getting."
Kane
said the program will complete
the certification process for
the 26 new counselors.
The
National Council on Problem
Gambling estimates that 2 million
Americans struggle with an addiction
to gambling.
Call
staff writer Dave Downey at
951-676-4315, ext. 2623.
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