Workforce - Problem Gambling

Intervention Training Opportunities

Problem Gambling in New Zealand
Workforce

On this page:
Introduction
Overview of problem gambling workforce
Workforce development initiatives
- Public health
- Intervention
Scholarships

Find a service near you

The Ministry of Health is committed to supporting the development of the problem gambling workforce.

One of the objectives of the Ministry’s Preventing and Minimising Gambling Harm Strategic Plan 2004-2010 is to enhance workforce development.

The Ministry currently contracts a clinical workplace trainer to support problem gambling intervention (counselling) staff.

The Ministry also supports workforce development by allocating a proportion of its funding to non-government organisations for workforce development. This allows staff to put aside some time each year to undertake training and further develop their skills.

A scholarship programme to support emerging gambling researchers has been developed, and commenced in the 2009 academic year.

Overview of problem gambling workforce

The Ministry of Heath, through the National Problem Gambling Team, contracts a range of non-government organisations (NGOs) to provide problem gambling intervention and/or public health services throughout New Zealand.

Problem gambling intervention practitioners provide intervention (counselling) services to people experiencing gambling harm, which includes both gamblers and those affected by someone else’s gambling.

Public health is concerned with keeping people healthy and improving the health of populations rather than with providing individualised care for people who are unwell. Problem gambling public health practitioners perform a variety of activities in the community to reduce gambling related harm.

Most problem gambling practitioners are tertiary qualified, and there is good representation of Māori and Pacific participants in the workforce.

Workforce development initiatives

Public health
Intervention (problem gambling counselling)

Public Health
Generic public health competencies have been developed by the Public Health Association of New Zealand. Twelve core competencies have been developed, split into two groups (knowledge and practice), under the following headings:

Public Health Knowledge

Health systems
Public health science
Policy, legislation and regulation
Research and evaluation
Community health development
Public Health Practice
Te Tiriti o Waitangi
Working across and understanding cultures
Communication
Leadership, teamwork and professional liaison
Advocacy
Professional development and self management
Planning and administration.

The document, Generic Competencies for Public Health in Aotearoa-New Zealand, can be found on the Public Health Association’s website: http://www.pha.org.nz/keydocs.html.

The generic competencies for public health were developed to provide a minimum baseline set of competencies common to all public health roles across the public health disciplines, including the problem gambling public health sector.

The Ministry of Health is working with tertiary institutions to get diploma and degree courses based on the generic public health competencies; and with Careerforce, an Industry Training Organisation, to develop workplace based training and NZQA unit standards based on the generic public health competencies.

The Manukau Institute of Technology starts a new undergraduate diploma in health promotion in 2009. This diploma was specifically designed to align with - and cover - the generic public health competencies.

There is, however, a raft of other public health courses available. Further information about public health courses can be found in the Ministry of Health publication, Working for a better Future: Careers in Public Health

The Ministry is exploring the development of specific problem gambling public health competencies that will build on, and align with, the generic public health competencies.

Intervention (problem gambling counselling)
At the invitation of the Ministry of Health, Matua Raki is overseeing a Review of Addiction Sector Competencies, working closely with DAPAANZ, Abacus, and representatives from the tobacco treatment sector.

The purpose of the review is to support the broad addiction treatment workforce to have the essential knowledge, skills and attitudes required to deliver effective co-existing treatment services. This will take into account a core set of competencies in common, and acknowledge specialist skills required in each of the three areas.

In line with the direction in Te Kokiri: The Mental Health and Addiction Action Plan 2006-2015, the review will explore the development of integrated core addiction treatment competencies (inclusive of AOD, problem gambling and tobacco cessation). This project will also build on the Ministry’s Let’s get real competencies framework

There will be a range of options for participation in the review from key stakeholders of AOD, problem gambling and tobacco treatment sub-sectors from the outset of the project until its completion.

The Ministry is also intending to develop public health problem gambling competencies, but these will be developed separately from the Review of Addiction Sector Competencies

Scholarships

The Ministry has engaged Te Rau Matatini (www.matatini.co.nz) to develop and coordinate Problem Gambling Workforce and Research Scholarships to support the integrated problem gambling strategy to prevent and minimise the harm from gambling.

A minimum of one PhD scholarship up to $20,000 per year, and two Masters scholarships of up to $12,000 each per year are available.

The postgraduate scholarships are available to those undertaking and Masters thesis or PhD involving research associated with gambling.

A minimum of two undergraduate scholarships of up to $4,000 each per year are available.

The undergraduate scholarships are available to those currently working in the problem gambling or gambling sector, and those undertaking a relevant study programme.

Te Rau Matatini will be seeking applications for the 2010 academic year by the end of November 2009. More detailed information on the scholarships is available of Te Rau Matatini’s website: www.matatini.co.nz.

All eligible applications will be considered, however a limited number are available and eligibility cannot guarantee a scholarship award.

For further information about the scholarships, please contact Seru Tiqatabua at Te Rau Matatini Te Rau Matatini (www.matatini.co.nz) on phone 0800 MATATINI (628284).

Page last updated: February 2009

Website feedback
We welcome your feedback on this page.