Gambling Minds - The Alfred’s Mental Health and Gambling Harm Program
Gambling Minds is a state-wide mental health and gambling harm program that specialises in the assessment and treatment planning for people with mental health issues and gambling harms. It is a multidisciplinary service based at Alfred Mental and Addiction Health that works with frontline gambling support services, primary and private health practitioners and public mental health services.
Highly experienced and qualified clinicians from various clinical backgrounds actively staff the program. Their mission is to increase knowledge and capacity within Gambler’s Help Services and to promote partnerships between Gambler’s Help Services and Victorian Area Mental Health Services to provide optimal outcomes for clients who present with co-occurring Problem Gambling and Mental Illness.
Client Services
The program provides diverse services, some of which are detailed below.
Assessments are tailored to meet the individual’s needs and goals. They can include diagnostic clarification, medication reviews or a biopsychosocial management plan with ongoing treatment and support recommendations.
Short-term support may be offered to individuals with complex presentations. The support is delivered with a view to providing a broader range of assessments with an emphasis on linkages and sustainable treatment planning.
Family-focused consultation is a process of engaging consumers, significant others and their supports. Consultations aim to allow the family to identify critical challenges, explore solutions, and strengthen relationships.
Naltrexone can be offered as a trial following a comprehensive assessment and confirmation of follow-up supports. Individuals will need to have some physical health checks completed before commencing.
For further details of all of the services offered, please visit https://www.gamblingminds.org.au/about-us/our-services/
Client referral form
Download the latest version of the referral directly from the Gambling Minds website under the resources tab: https://www.gamblingminds.org.au/resources/
Professional support and consultation services
Gambling Minds offers secondary consultations and support to various services, including Gamblers Help, General Practitioners, Private Practitioners and Area Mental Health Services. These services can be provided as a one-off or as reoccurring consultations.
Examples of how gambling mind may assist your service:
- Assist with case presentations, formulation and discussions.
- Peer supervision and mentoring programs.
- Joint assessments, in person or virtually.
- Multi-agency clinical reviews
- Staff meetings, clinical supervision and peer support
Rural Clinics offer a unique opportunity for Gambling Minds to attend non-metro services and provide in-person support, assessment, training and education. A key focus is promoting skill development and capacity building for counsellors and supporting collaboration between Gamblers Help and local mental health and medical services.
Education for Gamblers Help counsellors and mental health clinicians.
The service offers a range of training and education opportunities. A core suite of rapid information and education sessions can be provided with limited notice in person and online. Gambling Minds can also offer tailored education modules that meet the needs of individual organisations and may focus on specific topics. Examples of tailored sessions have included:
- Gambling and older people
- Gambling and young people
- Mental health response for emergency and crisis
Gambling Minds welcomes all enquiries about how they can support your projects, including community education, support and engagement.
Please send all enquiries to mhghvic@alfred.org.au or contact the team via phone at (03) 9076 9888
How to access services
If you are experiencing gambling harm and mental health issues, you can contact the service by calling (03) 9076 9888. You may be requested to organise a referral from a support service. However, this is not always the case with each enquiry considered individually.
Gambling Minds offers services for all who are affected by gambling, including affected others.
Contact us
Gambling Minds is located at the following address:
Level 3, 607 St Kilda Road
Melbourne, VIC 3004
Phone: 03 9076 9888
Fax: 03 9076 9855
Email: mhghvic@alfred.org.au
Services not provided
- Crisis interventions – in case of a crisis, such as acute suicidality, psychosis or mania, contact the Crisis and Assessment Team in your area. See Victorian Government Health Information for Area Mental Health Service telephone numbers.
- Long-term case management or treatment. Clients are encouraged to remain linked with their referrer to meet their long-term management needs. Recommendations for ongoing management and appropriate services are made to the client and referrer verbally and in a comprehensive report following a clinical assessment.
- This program does not provide reports for legal proceedings or WorkCover.