Initial Engagement in Problem Gambling Treatment
Free · On-demand · 2 CE hours · Learn at your own pace
On-Demand Course
at your pace and convenience.
This course is approved for 2 continuing education (CE) hours. To earn CE hours, you will need to complete 1) all required course activities and 2) the course evaluation survey. A certificate of attendance will be made available on the Student Dashboard upon course completion.
What You'll Learn
After completing this course, you will be better prepared to:
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engage problem gambling first time callers in treatment;
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develop a therapeutic relationship;
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identify stages of change; and
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use motivational interviewing to engage clients in the change process.
Who This Course Is For
Behavioral health providers across the globe, including:
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family therapists, art therapists, mental health counselors, social workers, psychologists, and other mental health clinicians,
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problem gambling treatment providers,
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Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors (CADCs),
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Certified Gamling Addiction Counselors (CGACs),
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problem gambling treatment supervisors, and
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prevention specialists.
What Is Included
This training focuses on early interactions with clients, from the initial message or phone call to the first counseling session. The goal is to help you develop effective strategies for engaging clients with gambling-related concerns. The training explores common barriers to treatment and shows you how to build a strong therapeutic relationship and use motivational interviewing techniques to strengthen client engagement and support readiness for change.
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The course includes three modules, each featuring a combination of immersive case studies, presentations, and readings.
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This course includes videos of experienced mental health clinicians demonstrating clinical skills in scenarios adapted from real sessions. Clients are portrayed by actors. This provides authenticity while protecting client privacy.
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We suggest you take your time and view content as many times as you like. It is not necessary to complete the course in a single sitting. You are free to open and close the course as many times as you like.
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Once you have reviewed and mastered the content of each module, you will be required to pass a short quiz before proceeding to the next module. You must pass all of the quizzes before you are eligible for verification that you have successfully completed the course.
Who Developed This Course
Senior Instructor Rick Berman
Rick Berman, MA, LPC, CADC III, CGAC II specializes in integrated treatment of co-occurring mental health and addictive disorders. He trained and supervised addictions and mental health counselors for more than 20 years. In recent years his work focused more specifically on problem gambling. He has presented at national problem gambling conferences in Canada and the United States. He is the past coordinator of Lewis & Clark’s Problem Gambling Services and instructed Gambling Counselor Pre-Certification Courses for many years.
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Senior Instructor Teresa McDowell
Teresa McDowell, EdD, LMFT is professor emerita at Lewis & Clark, where she served as department chair and co-founded the college’s Problem Gambling Services. With over 40 years of experience as a clinician, educator, administrator, and consultant, Teresa focuses on workforce development, equity-based clinical practice, integrated treatment for problem gambling, and clinical supervision. She is a social researcher, program evaluator, and consultant with Partners in Social Research and Senior Instructor for ACORN. Dr. McDowell has authored more than 50 scholarly publications and is lead author of Socioculturally Attuned Family Therapy: Applying Third Order Thinking to Theory and Practice (3rd Ed., 2026).
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What Others Are Saying
Great study!
Ted Woodruff
I feel like learning more about the treatment of Problem Gambling.
I feel like learning more about the treatment of Problem Gambling.
Read LessGreat example to follow.
Lloyd Durbin III
Coupling tools and examples nicely exhibited the way and processes of conducting a first session.
Coupling tools and examples nicely exhibited the way and processes of conducting a first session.
Read LessInformative
Bilal Simms
Good information
Good information
Read LessVery educational and insightful.
Brian Lee
Very educational and insightful.
Very educational and insightful.
Read LessAwesome!
Melanie Emming
Awesome!
Awesome!
Read Lessexcellent well done
CURTIS DORSEY
This was another excellent webinar was able to learn a lot to use in my practice
This was another excellent webinar was able to learn a lot to use in my practice
Read Lessgreat
Tiffany Wolleat
awesome
awesome
Read Lesshelpful
Laurie Ellett
helpful
helpful
Read Lessgood
Jordan Limbach
Great info
Windy Clevenger
good stuff
good stuff
Read LessIt was to the point.
Bobby Benton, CADC II. QMHA I
I was unsure of some of the questions, ambiguity.
I was unsure of some of the questions, ambiguity.
Read LessExcellent
Angela Alexander
This course is really very helpful. The vignettes are really helpful and showing you how to use the different skills. And helps you pay attention so that you...
Read MoreThis course is really very helpful. The vignettes are really helpful and showing you how to use the different skills. And helps you pay attention so that you can pass the exam. I really appreciate it. Everything in this course was really really helpful especially also unable to do the exam more than once..
Read LessWhat About CE Hours
Certificate of completion will be made available on the Student Dashboard after you complete all required course activities and the course evaluation survey.
ACORN is approved by the Mental Health & Addiction Certification Board of Oregon (MHACBO), Provider ID: 26-0044, to provide continuing education courses. Additionally, ACORN is approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7274. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. ACORN is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
Start Learning Today
Free of charge, courtesy of Oregon Health Authority, Problem Gambling Services.
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Enroll
Free
2 CE hours
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