The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is making a multimillion-dollar investment in preventing problem gambling among youth and supporting the related workforce. A total of $3.1 million in grants has been awarded to several community organizations. These funds are earmarked for two specific initiatives: one focusing on youth engagement and the other on bolstering the workforce for outpatient treatment programs, as stated by the Department of Public Health.
With gambling access growing, the DPH's move aims to tackle the issue early, especially among young people. As announced in a statement by Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD, the focus remains on "supporting and promoting prevention, referral, and treatment options" for those grappling with gambling issues. According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, $2.1 million from the grant will support the Youth Leaders in Problem Gambling Prevention initiative, and an additional $1 million will fund Project Build Up 2.0 for workforce development.
Engaging youth aged 12 to 21, the peer-to-peer Youth Leaders initiative is expected to empower them to lead gambling prevention, advocacy, and community strategies. To highlight the seriousness of problem gambling and its associated health issues, the program will be implemented statewide by the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, the Public Health Institute of Western MA, and the Latino Education Institute at Worcester State University. Each organization will receive $700,000 annually to bring the project to life and provide $5,000 higher education scholarships to youth participants who complete the program. Presented as a proactive measure, the initiative is based on the troubling findings of the 2021 MA Youth Health Survey, which revealed alarming gambling activity among high school and middle school students.
Fostering the backbone of treatment, Project Build Up 2.0 extends to the workforce involved in outpatient substance use and gambling treatment. With this effort comes a $25,000 annual grant for two years that up to 20 organizations may receive, supporting workforce development, recruitment, retention, and promotional strategies for treatment services. Health Resources in Action, Inc. (HRiA), tasked with overseeing the grant selection process and advisory committee assembly, is further detailed in their roles to infuse community input into this critical area, especially since this project is set to run through June 30, 2029, with about $1 million allocated annually.
In reflecting on the sizable chunk of young individuals swept into the tides of gambling, Victor Ortiz, the Director of the Office of Problem Gambling Services, highlighted the importance of "reaching young people before they start down a path to gambling." According to his statement to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, supporting development initiatives for treatment providers promises to expand the capacity for addressing problem gambling and co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. These initiatives, as underscored by DPH’s Assistant Commissioner for Health Equity, Hafsatou Diop, are set to deepen community engagement, reach broader audiences, and foster partnerships with the potential to alter lives significantly.
