NCRG Visits Boston For Fifth Annual Road Tour Event
Experts to Provide the Latest Research on Gambling Disorders and Expand Knowledge of Responsible Gaming Programs
Jul 25, 2011
BOSTON–The National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) will kick off its fifth annual Road Tour tomorrow in Boston, Mass., where participants will share information about the latest research on gambling disorders and inform key stakeholders of the science-based programs and resources the NCRG has to offer. For 15 years, the NCRG has been the only national organization devoted to funding peer-reviewed research on gambling disorders and creating public education initiatives to help increase the understanding of pathological and youth gambling and find effective treatment methods of gambling disorders and youth gambling.
“Promoting responsible gaming practices and the development of effective prevention and treatment strategies for gambling disorders are important initiatives that all community members – legislators, regulators, researchers, treatment professionals, industry representatives and informed citizens – have a responsibility to support,” said Alan Feldman, member of the NCRG board of directors and senior vice president of public affairs for MGM Resorts International. “We are excited to be in Boston for our annual Road Tour to find ways to partner with new organizations from all sectors to better serve the Massachusetts community.”
The NCRG Road Tour provides an opportunity to gather those with a vested interest and explain the NCRG’s work to advance research, education and awareness of gambling disorders and responsible gaming, both nationally and in Massachusetts.
The NCRG Road Tour events include:
- Treatment Provider Workshop:The NCRG and the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling will co-host a workshop for treatment providers entitled, “Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Problem Gambling,” led by Lisa Najavits, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. Najavits will present information on her program “Seeking Safety,” an evidence-based treatment for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders, and her research on problem gambling in PTSD populations.
- College Gambling Roundtable:The NCRG and the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling will co-host a discussion with representatives from area colleges and universities to share resources and best practices to address gambling and gambling-related harms on college campuses. Alan Feldman, Christine Reilly, senior research director for the NCRG, and Jim Wuelfing, CPP-R, NRPP, prevention director for the Massachusetts Council, will lead the discussion, which will include an overview of the NCRG’s new website CollegeGambling.org.
- Stakeholder Breakfast on Building Partnerships to Promote Responsible Gaming:The NCRG will host a breakfast for legislative, industry, health care and non-profit stakeholders to learn about the work of the NCRG and receive an in-depth briefing on how communities can effectively work together to address gambling disorders and encourage responsible gaming. Alan Feldman and Christine Reilly will be joined by Dr. Ken Winters, member of the NCRG’s Scientific Advisory Board and professor of psychiatry and director of the Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse and Research, University of Minnesota, who will discuss the important role of research in developing effective programs.
- Grants Workshop:The NCRG will host a luncheon workshop for research investigators to learn more about the NCRG’s research funding opportunities. Christine Reilly and Dr. Lisa Najavits will discuss the NCRG’s grant-review process, the key ingredients of a proposal competitive for funding by the NCRG and opportunities to receive NCRG funding for research on gambling disorders.
The NCRG’s visit to Boston represents the fifth city on the NCRG annual Road Tour. Previous tours have visited Cleveland, Ohio; Denver and Central City/Black Hawk, Colo.; Chicago, Ill.; Des Moines, Iowa; Kansas City, Mo.; Las Vegas, Nev. and Philadelphia, Pa.
To schedule interviews with participants, please contact Amy Martin at 202-552-2689 oramartin@ncrg.org. For more information about the NCRG and the Road Tour, visitwww.ncrg.org.Tostay up-to-date on the Road Tour events, visit the NCRG’s blog –Gambling Disorders 360°– and connect with the NCRG on Facebook and Twitter.
