NCDHHS Problem Gambling Program, ECU’s Gambling Research and Policy Initiative, and Birches Health join forces to provide access to metrics-based clinical treatment

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ (NCDHHS) Problem Gambling Program, ECU’s Gambling Research and Policy Initiative (“GRPI”), and Birches Health announced today a pioneering initiative to offer metrics-based gambling disorder treatment and resources to all individuals reaching out to the North Carolina Gambling Hotline.

Through this new partnership, North Carolina residents seeking help for gambling-related behavioral health problems will receive care from Birches Health, a leading national clinical provider of gambling disorder treatment, in partnership with the Gambling Research & Policy Initiative (GRPI) and the NCDHHS Problem Gambling Program. Specialized virtual therapy from licensed clinical providers will be available as part of an integrated clinical program. Funding for non-insured and underinsured individuals is being provided by the NCDHHS Problem Gambling Program to ensure there are no financial barriers to services.

The GRPI intends to conduct research exploring how specialized counseling services should be adjusted for different identities and comorbid issues individuals may be facing in addition to gambling-related harms, such as depression, substance abuse, and/or PTSD.

According to Dr. Michelle L. Malkin, Director of the GRPI, “the more providers can identify the types of support different clients need based on a whole person approach, the better results we can have to getting clients to stay in recovery and reduce potential negative outcomes, such as the high suicide rate among those with gambling disorder.” By measuring outcomes with scientific rigor and regularly updated screenings of gambling behavior and comorbidities, individuals will be able to receive the most appropriate forms and types of treatment.

“We are excited to support our partners at the GRPI and Birches Health in their work launching a first-of-its-kind problem gambling metrics-based telehealth treatment pilot program,” says Amanda Winters, Problem Gambling Administrator for NCDHHS. “These initiatives are crucial to ensuring that North Carolina residents have access to the highest quality treatment and services.”

Elliott Rapaport, Founder and CEO of Birches Health, added “We are proud to support the groundbreaking research done by the GRPI in direct partnership with NC Department of Health and Human Services Problem Gambling Program. We believe this initiative will inform best-in-class gambling disorder treatment and help steer clinical outcomes for programs nationally to ensure the reduction of gambling-related harms.”