What we talk about

Problem gambling is any type of gambling that disrupts other areas of your life, or the lives of the people around you. Our goal is to help individuals and organizations discuss this serious issue in ways that:

• Break down misconceptions and promote healthy communities.
• Find innovative community-driven solutions to promote responsible gambling.
• Develop community-wide awareness of what problem gambling looks like.

Who we talk to

The short answer is EVERYONE! And all you have to do is contact us to set up an initial discussion. More specifically, we’ve developed presentations that are targeted to groups at higher risk of problem gambling. These groups include:

• Teens (particularly those who spend significant time online or gaming)
• 18-25 year old African American men
• Asian American community
• Faith Based community
• Seniors

We have also developed presentations to community groups who interact regularly with problem gamblers, even if they don’t know it. These include the legal community and criminal justice groups (and parents!), as well as conferences about gambling, addictions and gaming. Learn more about these presentations on our Resources page.

Our Prevention Partners

The following is a list of organizations we work with in the community on prevention matters:

• OHMHAS (Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services)
• ADAMH Board of Franklin County
• Columbus Health Department
• Columbus Recreation and Parks (Barack and Glenwood rec.)
• Columbus City Schools
• Lead the Way Learning Academy
• Be the Village OHIO
• Prevention Alliance
• CI Arts institute
• Cap City Prep
• AACS (Asian American Community Services)
• Lu and Dr. Cora – Asian American Festival
• Marion Franklin Civic
• Ohio Adult Allies – youth led
• UMADOP Federation
• Global Insight productions
• Community in Schools
• North Community Counseling
• Youth to Youth International
• NAMI Franklin County
• MVNU – Mt. Vernon Nazarene University (new Albany branch)

Prevention Corner Podcasts

Mike Gersz: Maryhaven’s Director of Outpatient Services, Mike Gersz, MSEd., LPCC-S, LICDC-CD, joins host George Hicks to discuss his entry into the field and the latest happenings at Maryhaven.
LISTEN NOW

Dajon Reese: George connects with Dajon Reese, a prevention coordinator with Columbus Public Health, to discuss their joint efforts in the community and Dajon’s personal history with gambling.
LISTEN NOW

Shelia Smith: George talks with Shelia Smith, retired project coordinator for the Summit County Community Partnership, where she focused on drug, alcohol and gambling prevention. Shelia, from Akron, and George discuss their shared experience working on gambling awareness and prevention in Ohio’s urban areas.
LISTEN NOW

Danny Nam: George sits down with Danny Nam, an outreach specialist with Asian American Community Services. George and Danny have worked for several years on gambling prevention in Columbus’ Asian American communities, presenting their findings at various conferences across the state.
LISTEN NOW

Jenny Campbell-Roux: George and Jenny, who first introduced him to the field back when she was a Counselor and Prevention Specialist with Maryhaven, catch up on the latest work in the field.
LISTEN NOW

Maria Garner: George catches up with Maryhaven’s own Maria Garner to discuss her background and path to the gambling treatment world. Learn more about Maria on the Meet the Experts page.
LISTEN NOW PART I  PART II

George Hicks: George gets in the interview hot seat and talks with guest host Bruce Jones about his work as a problem gambling prevention specialist. Learn more about George on the Meet the Experts page.
LISTEN NOW PART I  PART II

Bruce Jones: George and Bruce Jones, the administrative coordinator of Maryhaven’s gambling intervention program, talk about the evolution of problem gambling work at Maryhaven. Learn more about Bruce on the Meet the Experts page.
LISTEN NOW PART I  PART II

Additional Resources

We encourage the community to use the following materials with their audiences, in addition to inviting us to present in-person or virtually!

• Read some tips for kids/parents in our blog
• Give a Tenth video

Use our confidential online form to request a presentation or, for answers to your specific questions, call us at 614-324-5425.