New forum provides added capacity for Problem Gambling to support community

Ontario’s 300-strong problem gambling community of therapists, counsellors and clinicians now has a dynamic new virtual forum where members can meet, discuss and learn together.

Introduced at the 2008 Ontario Problem Gambling Provincial Forum held in Toronto on March 18 and 19, the new secure, interactive site adds both a provincial and international capability to the already popular website problemgambling.ca. Launched in 2005, that website has already gained a solid reputation as a trusted and leading source of information and on-line tools for the specialized problem gambling treatment community, allied professionals and people affected by problem gambling.

Users will have an array of choices according to CAMH Problem Gambling Manager Robert Murray, the website’s champion and liaison with the larger Ontario problem gambling community. “We’ve focused on creating a self-contained, one-stop support for a wide range of communities,” says Robert. “Anyone accessing the site will be able to find self-assessment tools, on-line training modules, research resources plus dedicated diagnosis and treatment components. With the accessibility of gaming opportunities through lotteries, casinos and internet-based gambling sites, problem gambling is not a geographically defined or limited issue. Its everywhere and we have to be everywhere, too.”

Carolyn Thompson of Peel Addiction Assessment and Referral Centre, (seated) gets help from Sylvia Hagopian, Problem Gambling Online Content and Community Co-ordinator as she signs up to access new functions on the problem gambling web site. Behind Sylvia is CAMH Problem Gambling Manager Robert Murray. CAMH Webmaster Alan Tang, (back) keeps an eye on the system.

With the successful launch, the effort now turns to building a ‘community of practice’. “Our site will give the problem gambling counselling community its own forum, a place to discuss unique aspects of gambling problems from an Ontario perspective, exchanging approaches and collaborating on the unique challenges different communities face,” said Sylvia Hagopian, Problem Gambling Online Content and Community Co-ordinator. Sylvia also points out that problem gambling extends across and into Ontario’s many diverse communities. The website provides a forum to address cultural and community-specific issues and solutions in a safe and confidential environment. So far over 70 problem gambling therapists have registered for their individual passwords.

The new features are part of the emerging, larger concept of a website as a ‘portal’ or door through which users can access multiple sources of information that are customized to their needs. Flexible and adaptable, a portal makes communication, research and organizational administration a seamless and effective part of everyday work life, eliminating geography as a limiting factor to collaboration between individuals and groups.

For the Ontario problem gambling community, this portal capacity will grow to include additional features such as discussion boards and team workplaces, as well as possible future capabilities like streaming video and a discussion board for clients.