About this Course

This training explores the importance of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities, problem gambling concepts and terminology, variables associated with an increased or decreased risk of problem gambling, groups at risk for developing problem gambling, and connections with related health issues.

What you'll learn

At the end of the course, you will be able to:

• Better understand how to apply a public health approach to problem gambling
• Describe levels of gambling and their associated risk
• Identify problem gambling risk and protective factors 
• Identify groups at disproportionate risk for developing problem gambling
• Better understand the intersections between problem gambling and other behavioral health issues

Subject Matter Expert

• Jacqueline Dick, MS,
  Project Director
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Jacqueline Dick is a public health and wellness expert who brings over 30 years of experience leading and advancing community collaboration and grant-funded initiatives. She brings extensive expertise as a program manager, health educator, wellness coach, and tenured professor and has led programs at the federal and state levels. She is adept in utilizing and adapting learning management systems to accommodate diverse learning styles. As director of EDC’s Massachusetts Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling Prevention, Ms. Dick leads a team in providing high-quality and culturally responsive capacity building, training, and education to address problem gambling and related behavioral health issues. Previously, Ms. Dick was a program leader and tenured faculty for Northern Essex Community College’s Public Health Program and has extensive experience in program design and community health worker trainings. Additionally, she served on the advisory board for the Academic Public Health Corps of Massachusetts. Ms. Dick holds an MS from the Indiana University School of Public Health and a BA in Human Movement Studies from the Carnegie College of Human Movement in Leeds England.

• Haner Hernandez, PhD
  Training and Technical Assistance Associate
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Dr. Hernández has worked for 31 years in the health and human service field developing, implementing, and evaluating culturally and linguistically competent youth and adult health prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery support programs. He also has many years of experience in delivering addiction counseling and clinical supervision to professionals in the field. As a professional trainer and facilitator, he provides individualized technical assistance and support to organizations that provide addiction prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery supports. Dr. Hernández is in long-term recovery from addiction himself and is committed to eliminating health disparities by working at the national, state, and local levels. Originally from Puerto Rico, Dr. Hernández is fluent in English and Spanish.

• 
  Sarah Jerome, PhD
  Training and Technical Assistance Associate

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Ms. Jerome is a solution-oriented, versatile public health professional with research, consulting, policy, and leadership experience. She aims to reduce and ultimately eliminate health disparities in marginalized communities through education, capacity building, and advocacy. She has expertise and experience in areas that include infant and early childhood mental health, substance misuse prevention, adolescent health, adverse childhood experiences, collaborative learning, curriculum development, instructional design, motivational interviewing, and group facilitation. Ms. Jerome is fluent in Haitian Creole and conversational in French and Spanish.

Enrollment and Contact Hours

Select the Enroll Me button below to register for this course. If you have any trouble accessing the recording, contact  support@nephtc.org.

Acknowledgement: This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of award 2 UB6HP31685‐05‐00 “Public Health Training Centers.” The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

About this Course

This training explores the importance of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities, problem gambling concepts and terminology, variables associated with an increased or decreased risk of problem gambling, groups at risk for developing problem gambling, and connections with related health issues.

What you'll learn

At the end of the course, you will be able to:

Better understand how to apply a public health approach to problem gambling

Describe levels of gambling and their associated risk

Identify problem gambling risk and protective factors 

Identify groups at disproportionate risk for developing problem gambling

Better understand the intersections between problem gambling and other behavioral health issues

Subject Matter Expert

• 
  Haner Hernandez, PhD
  Training and Technical Assistance Associate
More

Dr. Hernández has worked for 31 years in the health and human service field developing, implementing, and evaluating culturally and linguistically competent youth and adult health prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery support programs. He also has many years of experience in delivering addiction counseling and clinical supervision to professionals in the field. As a professional trainer and facilitator, he provides individualized technical assistance and support to organizations that provide addiction prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery supports. Dr. Hernández is in long-term recovery from addiction himself and is committed to eliminating health disparities by working at the national, state, and local levels. Originally from Puerto Rico, Dr. Hernández is fluent in English and Spanish.

• 
  Emily Bhargava, MA
  Training and Technical Assistance Associate

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Emily has been providing technical assistance to support community-level prevention since 2005. Trained in medical anthropology, she brings a strong focus on cultural appropriateness and health equity as well as an interest in qualitative data to all of her work. She is also skilled in using collaborative art as a tool for health promotion. Emily served as a member of the statewide epidemiological work group that identified the emerging opioid epidemic in 2006, and has partnered with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health on multiple initiatives, including a toolkit for the application of culturally and linguistic appropriateness services standards to public health initiatives, a statewide plan to mitigate the harms of expanded gambling in Massachusetts, and a comprehensive workforce development plan for substance abuse prevention practitioners. She is a certified prevention specialist.

Enrollment and Contact Hours

Select the Enroll Me button below to register for this course. If you have any trouble accessing the recording, contact  support@nephtc.org.

Acknowledgement: This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of award 2 UB6HP31685‐05‐00 “Public Health Training Centers.” The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

About this Course

This training consists of a two-part presentation given in partnership with the Massachusetts Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling Prevention, you can find more information about trainings like this on their website,  www.mcoepgp.org

• Part 1: What's Equity Got To Do with It? explores how to center health equity in problem gambling prevention by enhancing cultural proficiency and addressing structural and institutional factors that impact community health. Participants will examine the historical and policy influences shaping communities and identify practical strategies to apply health equity principles to improve the well-being of individuals and communities.

• Part 2: Partnering for Change explores how the social determinants of health (SDOH) impact problem gambling and addresses ways to promote health equity. Participants learn strategies for using data to inform action plans and building authentic community partnerships to address key issues within their communities. It provides actionable insights for integrating SDOH into prevention efforts.

What you'll learn

After completing Part 1: What's Equity Got To Do With It? the training, you will be able to...

• Define and describe common concepts and words associated with disparities, health equity, and cultural-linguistic responsiveness 
• Describe how structural and institutional factors impact community health 
• Identify how discrimination and oppression of all kinds are a threat to the health of communities 
• Identify ways to apply health equity and cultural responsiveness to our work to improve the individuals we serve and the overall community’s health 

After completing Part 2: Partnering for Change the training, you will be able to...

• Identify key issues to analyze and address when planning to eliminate health disparities caused by the social determinants of health.
• Describe the social determinants of health and explore how they can be addressed through problem gambling prevention efforts.

• Identify methods for collecting and analyzing data on health disparities to inform and prioritize key issues within the community, contributing to a health equity action plan.
• Identify strategies for building authentic partnerships within the community to facilitate a process of community change.

Subject Matter Expert

• Debra Morris, MPH,
  Health Equity Advisor and Trainer
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Debra Gardner Morris, an expert in advanced training and technical assistance, helps build strong systems to promote health and support substance misuse prevention. She brings extensive experience in evidence-based prevention strategies, cultural competency, effective methods to address health disparities, school-based prevention, management of large national public health centers, and systems change. Morris is a lead training and technical assistance specialist for Prevention Solutions@EDC. Nationwide, she provides coaching to engage and mobilize communities to implement environmental prevention strategies. Drawing on a deep understanding of the needs and challenges of the public health workforce, she builds capacity to launch, monitor, improve, and sustain public health initiatives. Morris specializes in guiding agencies in coordinating their services to enhance efficiency and improve outcomes. She has managed and provided training and technical assistance at all levels of government and nonprofit organizations, and uses a wide range of on-site, virtual, and blended methods. Morris holds an MPH from Emory University focused on Behavioral Sciences and Health Education. She is a Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES).

• Ben Spooner, BS, CPS
  Associate Project Director
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Mr. Spooner is an experienced project manager and training and technical assistance (TA) provider, and has a passion for advancing cultural and linguistic responsiveness and helping communities do the same. He brings expertise in communications planning, sustainability planning, strategic planning, event organizing, and developing and facilitating virtual events. He specializes in providing training and developing tools that build the capacity of prevention professionals in key areas such as SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework. Mr. Spooner holds a BS in Marketing from the University of Connecticut and a PMD Pro Certification from APMG International. He is a Certified Prevention Specialist in Massachusetts.

• 
  Carol Musallam,
  Training Coordinator

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Carol holds a master’s degree in Global Studies and International Relations from Northeastern University, and she is passionate about social impact, health equity and international development. As a global development professional, she brings expertise in digital and communications strategy, project management, policy analysis and advocacy. She is fluent in English and Arabic with hands on experience in projects based in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Mexico.

• 
  Ivy Jones Turner,
  Training and Technical Assistance Manager

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Ivy Jones Turner has provided training and technical assistance (T/TA) on the promotion and prevention of behavioral health issues with nonprofit, state, and community-based organizations, faith-based agencies, and school districts for more than 15 years. Her capacity-building skills include formative and summative program evaluation, program design and implementation, organizational development, and partnerships/collaborations. As the Training and Technical Assistance Manager of EDC’s Massachusetts Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling Prevention, Ms. Jones Turner oversees the Training and Technical Assistance Team in providing a range of capacity-building services to support local communities in understanding, addressing, and implementing projects focused on problem gambling prevention. In addition to working with MCOE PGP, Ms. Jones Turner provided TA to substance misuse prevention providers as part of SAMHSA’s Prevention Technology Transfer Center system and has assisted both urban and rural school districts with implementing and sustaining school and community interventions to prevent youth violence and promote social-emotional and mental health. Previously, Ms. Jones Turner served as a T/TA Specialist and Co-Director of the Center for Strategic Prevention Support (CSPS), providing TA and resources to Massachusetts communities seeking to prevent and reduce the misuse of alcohol and other drugs, assisted both urban and rural school districts with implementing and sustaining school and community interventions to prevent youth violence and promote social-emotional and mental health through the Safe Schools/Healthy Students initiative, and served as project director for The Center for the Advancement of Mentoring, a national T/TA center for youth mentoring programs serving youth who were in foster care, at risk of gang-involvement, were former juvenile offenders, or would have otherwise benefited from a mentor. She is a certified prevention specialist.

Enrollment and Contact Hours

Select the Enroll Me button below to register for this course. If you have any trouble accessing the recording, contact  support@nephtc.org.

Acknowledgement: This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of award 2 UB6HP31685‐05‐00 “Public Health Training Centers.” The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.