Cincinnati nonprofit launches new program for problem gamblers

CINCINNATI - Just in time for the grand opening of Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati, there’s a new treatment program in town for problem gambling.

The Ohio Department of Alcohol & Drug Addiction Services has awarded a $25,000 grant to the Cincinnati-based Center for Chemical Addictions Treatment, or CCAT to support the agency’s new problem gambling treatment program.

“One of the concerns is that the gambling is going to get out of control for some people, and there’s not going to be a lot of places for them to get any help with that,” said Steve Walkenhorst, vice president of patient services at CCAT.

Walkenhorst said CCAT began preparing to offer services for problem gambling nearly two years ago. He and two staffers are now trained to offer treatment services.

Now local people who call the state’s toll-free problem gambling helpline posted in the casino will be referred to CCAT’s program, said Steven Goodin, chairman of CCAT’s board and a partner in the litigation department of downtown-based Graydon Head. CCAT’s board has been pushing for the new program, he said.

“When a new casino pops up, there is kind of an underside to the business,” Goodin said. “There are folks who are going to be in there who shouldn’t be in there. They don’t have the resources or self-control.”

With the new program in place, CCAT plans to screen all of its clients to figure out if gambling plays a part in their other drug or alcohol addictions. Walkenhorst said typically a small number of people with drug and alcohol problems also are compulsive gamblers.

CCAT’s direct service will include screening for problem gambling in addition to treatment planning, which will include access to financial counseling and family counseling when needed. The organization also will extend its Strengthening Families Program to include Gam-A-Non on-site.

For more information about CCAT or its new problem gambling program, go to www.ccatsober.org .