MNPGA Adds New Project Manager

MNPGA Adds New Project Manager

Adina Black joined MNPGA in December as program manager. In her role, Adina will work to mobilize communities to become more educated about gambling addiction and to understand how to help people access resources. Adina is excited about this opportunity and plans to draw from her creativity and skill in strategizing. “I look to develop a vision for the community about how we can meet the needs of problem gamblers,” says Adina.

Adina has considerable experience in community engagement. She previously worked at the North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute, where she worked with community organizations to help them focus on their priorities and to advance the well-being of communities. Her efforts involved developing networks and coalitions around community issues, with an emphasis on developing collaborative partnerships.

In her first weeks at MNPGA, Adina has quickly gained an appreciation for the issue of problem gambling. “Learning how much it’s associated with substance use and other addictions but not receiving a proportionate amount of funding represents a challenge,” says Adina. “It seems like problem gambling has taken a back seat and not received the recognition it deserves.”

Adina has also learned about the way problem gambling has been viewed in different communities. “From my perspective as a Black woman, I think about the different kinds of behaviors that have been normalized in the Black community that I now recognize as people struggling with gambling issues. It’s been an eye-opener.”

We look forward to the impact Adina will make. Welcome to MNAPG, Adina!

2023 Minnesota Conference on Problem Gambling Highlights

2023 Minnesota Conference on Problem Gambling Highlights

Sonja Mertz, MNAPG community educator, and volunteer Dennis Alfton prepare to welcome conference registrants.

 

 

 

Cara Macksoud, CEO of Money Habitudes, and Alex De Marco, founder and CEO of MoneyStack, discussed the financial challenges facing problem gamblers. This included bringing awareness of financial counseling resources and tools available to support clinical work with clients, as well as learning how to use an assessment tool to have better conversations about money with clients.

 

 

 

Susan Sheridan Tucker, executive director of MNAPG, welcomes Jeffrey Wasserman (left), judicial outreach and development director for the Delaware Council on Gambling Problems, and Brian Hatch, peer recovery specialist for Bettor Choice. Jeffrey and Brian, cohosts of The Addicted Gambler’s Podcast, made a live recording of the podcast and touched on a wide range of problem gambling issues with an emphasis on lived experience.

 

Timothy Wong, MD, a professor of Psychiatry at the Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, gave two presentations. The first looked at cultural values of gambling among Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) that contribute to gambling and problem gambling. The second presentation examined how the rapid expansion of sports betting has and will impact a person’s mind, body and brain functioning.

 

MNAPG staff gathered at the end of the conference. From left to right:  Vicki Stark, contract designer, Sonja Mertz, MNAPG community educator, Bill Stein, contract writer, Susan Sheridan-Tucker, MNAPG executive director, and Eboun Wilbourn, MNAPG operations manager.

 

 

If you missed the conference or would like to take another look at a presentation, visit mnapg.org/conference, where you’ll find recordings of most of the presentations.

MNAPG Welcomes Two New Board Members

MNAPG Welcomes Two New Board Members

Becky Pakarinen Senior Director of Financial and Employment Services at Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, Treasurer

A: Before coming to work at Lutheran Social Service (LSS), I was an elementary school teacher, and along with teaching the kids you get to really know them and their families. There was a lot of addiction and financial struggles going on in the home, which then carried over into the classroom through their kids. It was hard to see these great families going through such tough times and not have a lot of knowledge or resources to help them. So, when I saw the opportunity to make a career change and become a financial counselor, it was a path that held a lot of interest for me. In my work as a financial counselor, I supported families directly, and then as a trainer and now senior director I bring in experts to ensure our counselors have the best knowledge and tools to help our clients achieve their financial goals.

Q: What do you hope you can contribute to the board and the mission?

A: Working at various levels in financial counseling has really allowed me to understand the struggles, whether large or small, that everyone has with their finances. It is important to me to normalize financial counseling so that folks reach out for help when they need it.

Q: Are there particular areas within problem gambling that are of special interest to you?

A: I am passionate about working to take the shame out of problem gambling. There are great services, tools and people out there who truly care and can help folks get back on track with their finances.

Q: What are some of your hobbies and interests?

A: I enjoy watching my kids play sports and spending time outdoors traveling, hiking and snowshoeing with family and friends.

 

Muhannah Kakish Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist, Member at Large

Q: Tell us a little bit about your background.

A: As a person in long-term recovery, I offer a unique perspective to the group. My understanding of recovery and specifically the continued sustainability of positive growth, is evidenced by my achievements in the field. I am a certified peer recovery support specialist, forensics peer recovery specialist, certified peer support specialist, as well as a certified wrap 1 facilitator. In addition to the titles I have earned, I’ve engaged in numerous other trainings and community endeavors. I am the host and creator of The Rise Up Hour, a weekly radio broadcast on WFNU 94.1 FM. The Rise Up Hour has given me the platform to reach the community by embracing all forms of recovery, celebrating allies to recovery, and espousing opportunities of involvement available. In addition to my focus on recovery, I am in the process of re-launching my eyecare business, EyEs Limited. I have taken every experience I’ve had, as well as everything I’ve learned from those experiences, to enhance my success to build the entity I’ve always envisioned.

Q: What do you hope you can contribute to the board and the mission?

A: Given my unique perspective, I hope to bring my lived-life perspective to the board. I want problem gambling to receive the recognition and inclusion, in terms of services available for recovery, that it demands. That includes the inclusion of problem gambling in the peer support recovery coach curriculum. I intend to offer my common sense, my background as a professional in a business context and the insight I’ve gained through my certifications and training. One of my biggest goals in serving on this board is to help remove the stigma of problem gambling and make getting help in dealing with the situation less taxing and more common.

Q: What are some of your hobbies and interests?

A: In my spare time, I am an avid volunteer in the community for a variety of causes, including The Steve Rummler HOPE Network, Minnesota Recovery Connection, the Peer Support Alliance and others. I also enjoy a variety of hobbies, including rock collecting, bird watching, gardening and playing with my two energetic dogs. I’ve recently embraced journaling and have begun to explore my artistic aspirations through sketching and painting.

New Board Member: Sean Copeland

New Board Member: Sean Copeland

Sean Copeland

Sean Copeland New Board Member MNAPG

Sean Copeland, an attorney for the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, is MNPGA’s newest board member. He brings the important perspective of tribal interests to MNPGA.

Sean first learned about MNAPG from attending Minnesota Indian Gambling Association (MIGA) meetings. Although he doesn’t have an in-depth knowledge of problem gambling, it’s an area that he hopes to better understand.

“One of the reasons I joined the board was so that I could learn more about problem gambling and hopefully bring some of that knowledge back to the Band and perhaps help implement some problem gambling solutions,” says Sean.

Sean has worked as an attorney for the Band since 2010 and has served as the Band’s tribal attorney since 2013. He performs legal work related to tribal governance, natural resources, education, healthcare and gaming.

Sean, who enjoys mountain biking around Duluth, grew up in Seattle but has lived all over the country. He came to Minnesota for a volunteer program and law school. “I previously worked in the criminal justice system as a prosecutor and public defender, which is one of the reasons I’m interested in problem gambling,” says Sean. “I’ve dealt with a lot of people with chemical dependency issues so I have some familiarity with addiction. I’m excited to be here and work on these important issues.”

MNAPG in the News

MNAPG in the News

Over the last six months, we contracted with Preston Spire’s public relations team, One Simple Plan, to increase the visibility of numerous issues pertaining to problem gambling. Since starting this effort, MNAPG has had two op-ed pieces published, one which is circulating among various statewide outlets. This is important, as we want to reach as many Minnesotans as possible. The first piece was published in the Star Tribune and the second in the Duluth News Tribune. MNAPG also received air time on local stations, with interviews on KTTC (Rochester), KARE11 (Twin Cities) and Fox News 9 (Twin Cities). Our media communications can be found at mnapg.org/news.

MNAPG Strategic Planning

MNAPG Strategic Planning

MNAPG is undergoing a refresh of its strategic plan, initially approved in 2019. We’ll be reaching out to our stakeholders for additional input as we get closer to finalizing our goals and strategies. The updated plan will capture and reflect some of the changes that have taken place in the industry since the original plan was created.

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