The Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling provides information on problem gambling to Massachusetts’ Asian American communities through the following programs and services:
Public Service Videos- Together with Quincy Asian Resources, Inc. (QARI), the Council has developed a 5-minute public service video to raise awareness about problem gambling and resources available for help in Massachusetts' Asian American communities. The informational video airs on Sunshine Travel buses traveling to Mohegan Sun from locations in Allston, Boston, Dorchester, Malden, Lynn, North Quincy, Quincy, Methuen, Lawrence, Lowell and Worcester. The Council also offers the video, free of charge, to community centers and health agencies serving Asian Americans. For more information, please contact Chien-Chi Huang, Asian Community Program Manager at 857-383-3563 or chienchi@masscompulsivegambling.org.
View the videos Khmer, Mandarin,
Vietnamese, Cantonese.
Lesson Plan - The Council, in collaboration with the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Coalition (BCNC), has developed a 60-minute lesson plan for English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers to use with their students. The lesson plan introduces recent Asian immigrants and refugees to problem gambling by introducing warning signs, risk factors, and resources for help. The program offers a platform to start the discussion about problem gambling in Asian American communities. For more information, please contact Chien-Chi Huang, Asian Community Program Manager at 857-383-3563 / chienchi@masscompulsivegambling.org.
Website - In an effort to make problem gambling information available to Asian American audiences, the Council has recently launched www.asianproblemgambling.org. Coming soon, visitors will be able to view the site not only in English, but also in Chinese, Vietnamese and Khmer.
Asian Problem Gambling Curriculum - An Asian-specific problem gambling curriculum has been developed, and is currently being used to train clinicians and providers from community organizations, health agencies and service agencies to provide help to Asian American clients experiencing problems with gambling.
Helplines - The Council operates three Asian Problem Gambling Helplines (English Helpline: 800-426-1234,Chinese Helpline: 857-383-3557, Vietnamese Helpline: 857-383-3567, and Khmer Helpline: 857-383-3577), which offer information and support to people concerned about their own gambling or a loved one’s gambling. While Helpline staff members do not provide mental health counseling to callers, they are equipped to respond empathetically and offer information and referrals for self-help, treatment providers and other community resources to people experiencing problems with gambling. Council Helpline services are free to everyone and completely confidential. Any information that you provide will not be shared with anyone else, unless you specifically ask us to do so.
Self-Help Guidebook -Your First Step to Change is a bi-lingual self-help guidebook that is available in Chinese, Vietnamese and Khmer languages. The self-directed guidebook was created as a joint venture between the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling and the Institute for Research on Pathological Gambling and Related Disorders at Harvard Medical School, Division on Addictions to help people struggling with gambling problems to determine their own appropriate steps to change.
Outreach - Providing outreach at cultural events and festivities is one way that the Council reaches out to Massachusetts’ Asian American communities with information about problem gambling programs and services, as well as referrals for help.
Public Awareness - The Council has engaged in a variety of public awareness campaigns, including: Chinese-English advertisements on the MBTA , Chinese newspaper ads and articles and bi-lingual brochures available in Chinese/English, Vietnamese/English and Khmer/English.
