ST. PAUL, Minn., March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Representatives of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association (MIGA) announced today that MIGA will underwrite a statewide conference on problem gambling organized by the newly formed Northstar Problem Gambling Alliance. The conference is set for this Friday, March 14 at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in St. Paul.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Northstar Alliance was established last year to build public awareness of problem gambling, and to develop educational programs and information-sharing opportunities for counselors, educators, treatment providers and public health professionals. The Alliance board of directors includes representatives from each of Minnesota's gambling entities -- the state lottery, charitable gambling, Canterbury Park and tribal casinos -- as well as professionals in problem gambling counseling and treatment.
John McCarthy, MIGA Executive Director, said Minnesota tribes have been at the forefront in addressing problem gambling issues. "We've helped fund several major problem gambling events over the years, working with organizations in Minnesota and elsewhere," he said. "These conferences have brought together the best and brightest minds in the field, with impressive results. We expect the Northstar Alliance conference to be equally productive, and we're very glad to be part of it."
Northstar Alliance spokesman Lance Holthusen said the upcoming conference will focus on diagnosing and treating problem gambling. Dr. Jeffrey Derevensky, Professor of Applied Child Psychology at McGill University, will deliver the keynote address, "Working with Youth and Problem Gambling: The McGill Model." Breakout sessions will focus on the special needs of minorities, teens, women and elderly gamblers; diagnosing and classifying gambling disorders; using drugs to treat problem gambling; and understanding the unique characteristics of gamblers.
The conference convenes at 8:30 a.m. with welcoming remarks, followed by a drum ceremony performed by the Prairie Island Drum Group.
| 
