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National Council on Problem Gambling
2013 Annual Conference
Seattle, Washington
What Counselors/Sponsors
Do – And Don’t
Charles F. Vorkoper, M.S.S.W. Certified Gambling Counselor II – BAAC
5646 Milton Street, Suite 432. Dallas, Texas 75206
Phone: 972-490-1007 Fax: 972-490-9337 E-Mail: [email protected]
Web Site: www.gamblerscounseling.com
Marc Lefkowitz California Certified Gambling Counselor Phone: 949-412-9322 E-Mail: [email protected] California Council on Problem Gambling Web Site: www.calpg.org
Counselor’s Role and Its Limits
The purpose of this presentation is to describe that role and its
importance and its limits in treating Compulsive Gamblers
Differentiating Gamblers Anonymous and Professional
Counseling
Differentiating Sponsors in Gamblers Anonymous and
Professional Counselors
An Outline of Opportunities for Help
HELP FOR COMPULSIVE GAMBLERS (Brochure)
Written by Ed Looney and Charles Vorkoper
This brochure was written to describe the help offered by Gamblers Anonymous and that offered by Professional Counselors
The point is they have two different and complementary roles. They each are a part of successful Help for Compulsive Gamblers.
A second point is that they are not exclusive or competitive. They work together when Compulsive Gamblers are well served.
Differentiating Sponsors and
Professional Counselors
Gamblers Anonymous Makes It Clear:
The Unity Program (In order to maintain unity our experience has shown that:)
6. Gamblers Anonymous ought never endorse, finance or lend the Gamblers
Anonymous name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems
of money, property and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
7. Gamblers Anonymous should remaining forever non-professional, but our
service centers may employ special workers.
Page 17 (To All Gamblers Anonymous Members, Particularly The New Gamblers Anonymous Members:)
6. GET A SPONSOR. IT IS DIFFICULT TO RECOVER ON YOUR OWN.
Sponsorship gives an opportunity for members to work on an one-on-one
basis to achieve recovery by sharing, practicing , and working the 12 steps of
recovery.
SOURCES
White, William L., “Sponsor, Recovery Coach, Addiction Counselor:
The Importance of Role Clarity and Role Integrity.” Philadelphia, PA,
Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Mental Retardation
Services. 2006
Gamblers Anonymous Official Website: gamblersanonymous.org
“Short Term Group Sponsorship”
https://www.gamblersanonymous.org/ga/products
“Sponsorship Booklet”
https://www.gamblersanonymous.org/ga/products
“What is the Role of Sponsorship?”
http://www.anonymousone.com/faq19.htm
“GA Combo Book - Page 17; The Unity Program”
https://www.gamblersanonymous.org/ga/products
SPONSORS AND COUNSELORS
I. Getting Started
Counselor: Responsible to assess, create a treatment plan,
and deal with any beginning crises.
Sponsor: Responsible to help the new member understand
the Gamblers Anonymous Program and how it works.
Sponsors and Counselors
II. Role – overall
Counselors: Also serves people who do not have the “desire
to stop gambling.”
Sponsor: Serves newcomers/members who “have a desire to
stop gambling”
Sponsors and Counselors
III. Nature of the relationship
Counselors: Creating enduring relationships of any kind are
not appropriate and not legal.
Sponsors: It is possible to develop an enduring relationship
with the newcomer/members.
SPONSORS AND COUNSELORS
IV. Dependency
Counselors: Minimize all tendencies of the client to
become dependent on the counselor. The point, for the
counselor, is the empower the client, not to give them a
new way to be powerless and dependent. The goal of
counseling is to successfully stop the counseling.
Sponsors: Help guide the newcomer/member to work
and understand the Principles and Steps of the GA
Program – and to get him/her on the path toward
recovery.
Sponsors and Counselors
V. Money
Counselors: Receives fees for work with Compulsive
Gamblers and others connected with gambling clients.
Sponsors: There can be no fee, lending, or borrowing from a
newcomer or any other GA member.
Sponsors and Counselors
VI. Support
Counselor: Is there, in part, to treat the client, never ask the
client to be a part of the Counselor’s own treatment or to be
a part of the Counselor’s personal support network –
covertly or overtly.
Sponsors: Are there, in part, to support his/her own
recovery and establish a personal, friendly or cordial
relationship with the newcomer/member.
Sponsors and Counselors
VII. Power • Counselors: Have significant power in relationship
(transference, receive money, knowledge about client and
client’s problems, supervision about client, etc.). Therefore
Counselors have rules to protect clients: informed consent,
legally governed confidentiality, professional supervision,
complaint and redress procedures, licensing requirement,
etc.
• Sponsors: Has a continuum of power (from passive to direct)
in the relationship with the newcomer/member.
Sponsors and Counselors
VIII. Education
Counselors: Prescribed educational background and specific
training.
Sponsors: No formal education required, except for
experience in Gamblers Anonymous.
Sponsors and Counselors
IX. Personal Information
Counselors: Never tells personal stories or very carefully
uses them when it can be demonstrated that they are useful
for the client.
Sponsors: Usually shares personal information.
SPONSORS AND COUNSELORS
X. Family and Others
Counselors: Will frequently include family and others in the
treatment process with the gambler.
Sponsor: Has a relationship and responsibility primarily with
the gambler, except in the Pressure Relief Program.
SPONSORS AND COUNSELORS
XI. Confidentiality
Counselors: Have ethical and legal responsibility to keep the
relationship and information about the gamblers confidential
except within very proscribed guidelines.
Sponsors: Aside from the anonymity of Gamblers Anonymous
the sources of guidance rest with historical and
contemporary practice.
SPONSORS AND COUNSELORS
XII. Boundaries
For the sake of the gambler/client it is important that both
sponsor and counselor keep a boundary between their tasks
and roles. Each has something important to do.
Compulsive Gamblers, in part, are having trouble with having a
self. Clear role definitions between helpers is important in
helping develop a strong sense of self.
SPONSORS AND COUNSELORS
XIII. Linkage
Except during exceptional circumstances, (interventions,
crises, Pressure Relief Group) there is no technical
connection between sponsors and counselors. The
gambler/client may be the same but each has their own role
to play. The Gamblers Anonymous member is each one’s
concern, and each needs to respect the other and the other’s
role.
COUNSELORS ATTENDING A GA MEETING
“Open vs. Closed” Meetings
Guests can only attend open meetings
Get to the meeting a few minutes early and identify yourself
“The only requirement for Gamblers Anonymous membership is a desire to stop gambling”
Guests are not allowed not allowed to share
You might be asked to leave the room
No notes or recording devices
Do not market yourself or give advice (even if asked)
Avoid meetings where a client might be present
Do not bring a group or a date
THE POINT --------------------------------------
It is critical, if we are to help Compulsive Gamblers, that
we are clear about our role within the available sources
of help.
We can have a positive and supportive attitude toward
Gamblers Anonymous and its Sponsors and program.
And we can be clear: We are Counselors, not Sponsors in
Gamblers Anonymous. And Sponsors also are important
in the lives of our clients.
National Council on Problem Gambling
2013 Annual Conference
Seattle, Washington
What Counselors/Sponsors
Do – And Don’t
Charles F. Vorkoper, M.S.S.W. Certified Gambling Counselor II – BAAC
5646 Milton Street, Suite 432. Dallas, Texas 75206
Phone: 972-490-1007 Fax: 972-490-9337 E-Mail: [email protected]
Web Site: www.gamblerscounseling.com
Marc Lefkowtz California Certified Gambling Counselor Phone: 949-412-9322 E-Mail: [email protected] California Council on Problem Gambling Web Site: www.calpg.org