BETTER CHANGE STATESIDE
increase in the number of women gambling online compared to 28% for men. Only 2,000 women accessed treatment for disordered gambling across the UK last year. This figure is thought to be only 3% of the actual number that need treatment. (GambleAware 2019) Our unique women’s residential programme recently
celebrated its first anniversary. The programme has so far helped over 30 women since it opened its doors in November 2021. It was set up after a surge in women needing residential support, with applications for treatment at Gordon Moody more than doubling in the last year. The five-week programme involves one-to-one and group
sessions with a therapist to address their relationship with gambling along with support to deal with trauma and mental health issues. It is followed by a robust eight-week virtual aftercare programme and continuous support for up to a year through our wrap-around services. During their treatment and aftercare, service users engage with those with lived experience, and we collaborate with specialists including outreach organisations to enhance our holistic treatment. Harp Edwards, Women’s Residential Treatment Manager at
Gordon Moody, said: “The residential centre is made to feel home-from-home for the women so they can be in a stress-free environment to help them focus on treatment and to get the best possible outcomes for their recovery.”
How the pandemic changed Gordon Moody During the early days of the pandemic, Gordon Moody experienced an eight-fold increase in interactions which informed us of a rise in the severity of gambling addiction and mental health issues potentially triggered by the impact of lockdowns and covid restrictions. To respond to this, we introduced additional support both before and after treatment. This wraparound service enabled us to conduct 250 interactions with our service users each week. We would typically have seen 30 of these interactions a month pre-pandemic. Our Retreat & Counselling Programme quickly and successfully moved online and was able to reach men and women who would not have been able to access treatment otherwise. Our Outreach Programme also expanded through the use of video, groups offering peer support, question and answer sessions, women’s only groups, topic groups, family and friends’ groups, and pre-treatment support. These services were so successful that they have continued to develop ensuring that service users are at the heart of everything that Gordon Moody delivers. Post pandemic, more people continue to reach out to Gordon
Moody seeking support – with some demonstrating complex needs such as substance abuse or mental health issues. To ensure that people get the right intervention, collaboration with specialist addictions treatment organisations such as Adferiad – combined with the innovative outreach and wellbeing services that EPIC Restart Foundation and WHYSUP provide – are key to the success of the holistic treatment we offer. It is important that those with lived experience have a voice when we are designing, implementing and supporting our services to help reduce barriers to accessing treatment and building long-term recovery. Over the last five years, support has been provided to more
than a thousand people, three-quarters of which completed treatment and two-thirds achieved freedom from gambling disorder for at least 24 months after finishing their residential
treatment course or Retreat & Counselling Programme. Many people who have completed treatment at Gordon Moody have gone on to enjoy positive lasting changes and fulfilled lives. Service users have re-trained, gone back to school or changed careers because of their newfound freedom from gambling. Many have rebuilt relationships and family ties thanks to their recovery with Gordon Moody.
Innovation and collaboration Gordon Moody is working to advance the effective treatment and understanding of gambling addiction through clinical research and specialist training as well as innovative, and evidence-based rehabilitation programmes. Ensuring that services continue to improve using data driven evidence, with service users at the centre of that approach and with a plan to extend our reach and accessibility across the whole of the UK; diversity, equality and inclusion are at the heart of everything that we do. Key to this will be identifying new treatments to meet the needs of an everchanging demographic of service users. Moving further afield, Gordon Moody is excited to be collaborating with Better Change who are providing innovative safer gambling strategies across the sector and Mindway-AI, one of the leaders in the use of Artificial Intelligence to prevent and intervene with at-risk and problem gambling. This partnership aims to bring together a global network within the safer gambling community that has the user experience at its very heart. Developed as a worldwide service for a worldwide industry, it will offer a solution for both players and operators. Looking confidently to the future, we have new services on the
horizon that will ensure Gordon Moody can help more people build a life free of gambling addiction. The aim is to continue delivering treatment and support to those affected by gambling harm for another 50 years, and beyond. Gordon Moody has a key role to play in the future of gambling harm treatment and by using our expertise and evidence, we will help even more people live a life free from gambling addiction.
To find out more about Gordon Moody, visit
gordonmoody.org.uk.
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