Gambling Assistance Program to Help General Practitioners

The Gambling Assistance Program, an accredited training resource to assist General Practitioners in responding to patients presenting with gambling issues, was launched today.

As General Practitioners are often the first point of contact for people who are experiencing difficulties with gambling, it is important that they are equipped to identify and respond effectively and appropriately.

The Gambling Assistance Program includes information about the prevalence, risk factors and health and social consequences of problem gambling.

It provides an effective single question ‘screen’ – a diagnostic tool – that assists General Practitioners to identify a patient’s gambling issues.

The Gambling Assistance Program assists GPs to assess the severity of the problem as well as the patient’s motivation to change.

It also provides GPs with a range of response options, including recommending counselling, self-help and venue exclusion.

To date, this is the only accredited GP training resource for problem gambling in Australia and I am proud that Tasmania has taken the lead in this important field.

Research by the Department of Health and Human Services shows there are gaps in knowledge and capacity for GP’s to respond to patients who present with problem gambling issues.

The Gambling Assistance Program has been developed in response to this research.

The project was developed through a collaboration between the Department of Health and Human Services, the Royal Australian College of General Practice and UTAS, with the assistance of Gamblers Help.

UTAS will monitor and evaluate the awareness of the Gambling Assistance Program amongst General Practitioners.

The Tasmanian Government currently provides a range of services and programs that address gambling issues in the community, including community education programs, counselling services and grants programs to support community organisations.

If you or someone you know might need support with a gambling problem, contact Gamblers Help, 1800 858 858 or go to www.gamblinghelponline.org.au.
Jacquie Petrusma, Minister for Human Services