Our Mission

International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors






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Our Centre | Our Mission


Our Mission

The Centre is committed to the advancement of knowledge in the area of youth gambling participation and risk-taking behaviours, through the development of both basic and applied research. Members of the Centre and of our International Advisory Board are engaged in a multitude of research projects that directly address youth gambling problems and that of co-occuring disorders. As part of our broader mandate to understand youth gambling, the Centre is also engaged in training, treatment, prevention, information dissemination, and policy development.

Research

- One of the Centre's primary goals is to develop a broader knowledge base regarding youth gambling problems, as well as gaining a better understanding of youth involvement in high-risk behaviours.

The Centre has many ongoing international research projects. Our research expertise has developed over the years, and Dr. Derevensky is often asked to help design projects by various governmental and non-governmental agencies. Research results are often published in scientific journals, presented at national and international conferences, and are used by agencies to help develop prevention tools and programs, as well as adding to the discourse of social policies.

Training

- Dr. Derevensky is a professor at McGill University, where he continues to supervise master's, doctoral and post-doctoral students. Other staff members of the Centre offer training sessions to a number of educators and counslellors who are interested in educating themsleves about youth gambling issues. The Centre staff are actively involved in training clinicians, researchers, prevention specialists, and policy makers.

Services

- The Centre offers conferences, information and prevention workshops to various groups working closely with adolescents (teachers, clinicians, treatment providers, community agencies, health professionals and parents), locally, nationally and internationally. We also welcome visiting international researchers and students who wish to spend some time working with our team. Many members are called upon by journalists who are looking for information and data on youth gambling participation, and the risks and consequences associated with excessive participation.

Treatment

- The Centre is committed to the continued evaluation of effective treatment paradigms and best practices. As well, some of our clinicians offer private treatment services in English.

Prevention

- Over the past years, the Centre has developed various prevention tools for elementary, high school and college-age students, including brochures, self-evaluation screening cards, and a Centre-produced docudrama video entitled Clean Break. The Centre also has developed two interactive computer games, The Amazing Château for elementary school children, and Hooked City for high school students, which were distributed to all Quebec schools in November 2004, including public, private and alternative elementary and high schools. As of Fall 2008, we are pleased to feature our exciting, brand-new prevention game Know Limits (Dés Joués in French), for teens in high schools and treatment or rehabilitation centres. These tools are available upon request by visiting our Prevention section for more information. Our prevention tools are currently being used in North America, Europe, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

Knowledge transfer

- The Centre has made available a number of our published articles in PDF format; visit the Research and Publications section of our website. As well, the Centre publishes and distributes an online bi-annual newsletter. If you are interested in receiving any of these publications, please contact Lynette Gilbeau at 514-398-4438, or by email at < lynette.gilbeau@mcgill.ca>; your email address will be added to our distribution list. Almost 400 individuals and organizations are recipients of these bulletins.

Consultations

- The Centre is active in assisting different agencies, often governmental, in elaborating public policies regarding minors' participation and access to gambling activities and venues. Over the years, Drs. Derevensky and Gupta have been invited to many jurisdictions including the U.S., Canada, Austria, the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, South Africa, and Singapore to present their work.