The problem gambling counselling line service consists of a team of counsellors who provide callers with a multilingual 24/7 service.

• Types of help available
• Counselling line statistics
• Caller profile
• Integrated Care Programme (ICP)
• Staff profiles

Types of help available

These telephone counsellors are able to:

• Provide information about the service to would-be referrals and referrants
• Counsel problem gamblers over the telephone when referral for treatment is not required or requested
• Facilitate the referral of problem gamblers to the treatment network when indicated
• Deal with crisis calls, hoax callers and non-problem gambling calls in a positive manner

Counselling Line statistics

More than 25 740 problem-gambling specific callers to the problem gambling cousnelling line since inception have received assistance, of 8 795 callers (on average about 95 monthly) were deemed to warrant referral for outpatient treatment. A further 2 818 callers were assisted telephonically. Nearly 50 former patients are currently active in self-help organisations across the country.

Caller Profile

Updated figures for the year 2005/2006 (figures since inception in brackets)

• Predictably 51% (48%) of calls were from Gauteng, which is where most of South Africa’s gambling takes place
• 69% (62%) of callers were from a spouse or partner, 14% (9%) from a parent, 5% (4%) from a sibling and 9% (9%) from the problem gambler’s children
• 72% (56%) of callers were married; 38% (26%) single and 16% (11%) divorced
• 82% (64%) of callers were employed; 15% (15%) unemployed; 19% (8%) self-employed; nearly 3% (2%) on pension, with the balance being people who described themselves ‘other’
• 61% (54%) of callers ascribed their problem to playing slot machines and 21% (20%) to table games. Of the balance, horse racing 2% (4%) and the lottery nearly 1% (nearly 1%) featured most prominently; 11% (11%) more than one type of gambling.
• 54% (40%) of callers were women
• 57% (36%) were over 40 years of age, and 63% (46%) between 20-40 years of age; nearly 12% (4%) were under 20 years of age and 1% (15%) were unwilling to state their age
• Consistent with other counselling lines, nearly 2,5% (5%) of calls received have been from people deemed to require inpatient medical help.
• Treatment referrals of problem gamblers 44% (34%)
• Telephone Counselling of problem gamblers 10% (12%)
• Information supplied on problem gambling 46% (54%)
• Repeat outpatient treatment 11% (12%)
• Inpatient treatment referral 2,5% (5%)
• Treatment referrals – Family Programme 86% (83%)

Integrated Care Programme (ICP)

How exactly does the Integrated Care Programme – the heart of the NRGP’s process – function? Everyone is familiar with the general referral-and-treatment process, but the devil lies in the details, because the ICP deals with the most difficult and unpredictable piece of “software” in the world – the human being.

The ICP is set in motion when a problem gambler takes the first and most difficult step of all, namely admitting that he or she has a problem, and then goes on to something almost as difficult: calling the problem gambling counselling line and asking for support.

Once he (or she) has taken that second step the ICP starts rolling. The client is referred to a treatment professional, and, if sincerely desiring help, undergoes a course of treatment.

When the treatment has been completed the client is referred back to the problem gambling counselling line. The counsellors (where possible the counsellor who made the original referral) supports the client by making calls one month, three months, six months and eighteen months after completion of treatment, with more frequent calls if the client requests them.

The primary aims of the calls are to provide support for clients’ resolve to change his ways, and also to identify clients who have relapsed or are going through a difficult period and are in danger of relapsing.

Depending on the need, the counsellor handling the case will support the client by telephone, urge him or her to attend Gamblers Anonymous meetings or request further ICP treatment.

The ICP’s scope has grown over the past few years. Initially it ended after seven sessions with the treatment professional concerned. Then telephone follow-ups were instituted, and thanks to the new computer programme which was installed in 2005 it will be possible to conduct the follow-up calls on an even more systematic basis than before.

These follow-up calls play another valuable role, of course. Because contact with clients is maintained for so much longer, the ICP can gather valuable statistics which were out of reach in the original dispensation, allowing better forward planning and improvement.

Staff Profiles

Barbara van der Spuy – NRGP counselling line co-ordinator

Barbara van der Spuy is a key player in the National Responsible Gambling Programme, as the problem gambling counselling line co-ordinator.

She is responsible for the day-by-day functioning, co-ordination, management and control of the problem gambling counselling line, and selects, trains, supervises and manages the problem gambling counselling line counsellors, both individually and as a group. In addition she supervises the privately practicing counsellors in the treatment and counselling network.

Barbara is well-equipped to do all this. She has a BA from Unisa with a distinction in social psychology, and a certificate in trauma debriefing, and before joining the NRGP she worked at organisations such as ChildLine and LifeLine.

To make her busy life even busier, she attends numerous courses,lectures and conferences to keep abreast with developments in such fields as retrenchment, upliftment of disadvantaged communities, suicide and marital problems.

Barbara attended an in-depth think tank and conference on problem gambling which was held in Auckland, New Zealand in May2004. Many of the topics raised and discussed had relevance to South Africa, while others raised aspects which had hitherto received little or no attention.

The highlights of the think tank proceedings are reported in the first issue of the NRGP News. Send an email to info@responsiblegambling.co.za to get on the mailing list.

Profile of problem gambling counselling line callers

The demographic profile of callers most commonly using the problem gambling counselling line is still a married, employed male in the 20-40 year old age group, who has run into trouble on the slot machines.

Demand for services during 2005/6 increased by 20%, with nearly 44% (or 121) of callers being referred a month to a medical professional for treatment.

The NRGP is nearly seven years old. Up to the end of 2006 more than 70 000 calls had been received.

The problem gambling counselling line team