IGCCB Problem Gambling and Spiritual Outreach Certification| Community Outreach

Welcome to this course as one of an 8 part series (4 clinical/4 nonclinical) of courses for Clergy/Lay Ministers Problem Gambling and Spiritual Outreach Certification presented by the Indiana Problem Gambling Awareness Program (IPGAP) as a part of Prevention Insights at Indiana University Bloomington. IPGAP is a project funded by the Division of Mental Health and Addiction to provide technical assistance for prevention and treatment in Indiana. IPGAP also raises the awareness of addiction issues, including problem gambling with co-occurring issues in Indiana. Funding for this program comes from the Indiana Problem Gamblers’ Assistance Fund.  Courses for this certification are approved by the International Gambling Counseling Certification Board (IGCCB). For more information, visit https://www.igccb.org/clergy-certification/Links to an external site.

As part of IPGAP’s ongoing mission of providing training and support for those treating and supporting disordered gamblers, we have developed this series for community and faith-based individuals.  Completion of the 12 hours also fulfills the IGCCB Certification education requirement and provides a standard of excellence to let the public and your communities know you can "meet them where they are." Thank you for providing problem gambling support and help.  You provide public health and spiritual outreach before persons develop chronic symptoms and behaviors.

According to the 2021 Pew Research Center survey, Christianity is the largest religion in the US at 63% of the population with the various Protestant Churches having the highest numbers.  In this same survey, religiously unaffiliated adults rose to 29%.  Some also responded with being spiritual and not religious. Culturally diverse communities practice Indigenous practices that are native to their culture and provide healing supports.  When people are hurting, they often seek help and support from their pastoral leader and/or lay supporter, and we want to include these "first responders" as public health advocates and supporters. 

This Community Outreach course is a part of the Clergy/Lay Ministers Gambling and Spiritual Outreach Certification series. This course will focus on gambling disorder. The course content delves into supporting March Problem Gambling Awareness Month and the importance of year-round public awareness/advocacy/spiritual outreach, summarizing how to have a conversation about problem gambling strategies with gamblers/affected others, and comparing the do’s and don’ts recommendations for conversations with persons/affected experiencing gambling problems. 

By taking this course, you will be eligible to receive a certificate for 2.0 CEUs. In order to get this certificate, you must score 80% or higher on the self-assessment quiz. This course will take about 2.0 hours to complete.