In the third of a series profiling organizations receiving grants from Minnesota’s Department of Human Services (DHS), this issue of Northern Light features Progressive Individual Resources, Inc.
Progressive Individual Resources, Inc. (PIR) is a multi-cultural provider agency that specializes in working with new African immigrant refugee children and their families to promote healthy social adjustment.
PIR’s DHS grant is for creating culture-specific gambling prevention programs. It’s focusing outreach on communities from the Sub-Saharan African region, including 46 countries with representation in Minnesota.
PIR is working to sustain a collaborative partnership with five leading African organizations, develop an engagement strategy consistent with the needs of the African community, and create a culturally relevant outreach and education strategy.
Some of the ways that PIR is seeking to achieve these goals includes:
Extending outreach to new and established African communities
Utilizing a culturally specific, community-based model and tailored approaches
Engaging in culturally relevant community conversations about problem gambling and its effects
Dr. Richard Oni, Ph.D., PIR behavioral health consultant, and Bili Banjoko, M.A., LMFT, PIR psychotherapist, are performing the work. They have started by identifying communities in need, coordinating with their existing meeting schedules and making sure they connect with community spiritual leaders.
Not surprisingly, they have confronted some challenges and barriers as they seek to raise awareness about problem gambling and survey the communities to learn more about their gambling activities and attitudes. “We find that there are a variety of barriers, such as shame and trust, that keep people from speaking openly,” says Bili. “We’re also finding that people still don’t know that this is all confidential. We need to make sure community clinicians know this is confidential and that the community trusts us.”
“People are confused about the cost and whether it’s covered by insurance,” adds Dr. Oni. “Of course grants ensure that the service is free of charge even without insurance.”
“The more people hear about this, the more we think we can make an impact,” says Dr. Oni. “People continue to learn and we share new approaches with them, not just therapy. For example, if gambling issues are presented as part of cultural healing, they may be more apt to actively participate in it.”
PIR is using different communication modalities to spread the word as well as partnering with other organizations to develop messaging across different mediums. “We’ve learned to use language familiar to each community because language matters,” says Dr. Oni. “We try to express things in local dialect, which can help with participation.” There’s also the strategic use of proverbs that resonate to motivate and encourage community members. (See accompany graphics for examples.)
“You have to have awareness before you can start managing illness,” says Bili. “We’re happy now to provide both outreach and treatment.”
It takes time, but progress is being made. Dr. Oni says, “There is an African proverb that says, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’ Together we can provide resources to those who need it most and serve this community as effectively as possible.”
Minnesotans now have the ability to see how their gambling behavior compares with other residents of the North Star State. MNAPG now provides a survey that will provide both feedback and useful information.
The survey, produced in partnership with Evolution Health, provides information on a respondent’s gambling habits and attitudes in comparison with other Minnesotans. Survey takers are asked to provide their first names, basic demographic information and answers to questions about their level of engagement with gambling.
As answers are provided, a pie chart graph pops up so that the viewer can see how other Minnesotans participate in that particular form of gambling. The respondent will also receive a personalized report identifying where they fall in the problem gambling spectrum as well as tips and resources. The report is private and is not held by Evolution Health or MNAPG. Aggregate data will be collected and will not be identifiable by name, IP address or any other identifying method. Our hope is that as an individual is considering whether they are experiencing negative consequences relating to gambling that this will be the start of further personal awareness and opportunities to seek helpful resources. The survey can be found at HERE.
In the second of a series profiling organizations receiving grants from Minnesota’s Department of Human Services (DHS), this issue of Northern Light features Asian Media Access.
Asian Media Access (AMA) is a comprehensive community media arts education agency supporting creative solutions for problems facing the Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) community through education, production, information technology and community organizing. It’s bringing its resources and mission to bear on the issue of problem gambling to this community.
AMA’s effort began with research to understand more about the cultural impacts creating different problem gambling behaviors. They conducted interviews with 25 members of the AAPI community representing different ethnicities and social status.
“We found that our communities share the secrecy surrounding problem gambling like other communities,” says AMA founder and executive director Ange Hwang. “There is the challenge of people recognizing that they have a gambling problem and seeking help.”
According to Ange, approximately 25% of those interviewed say they gamble because they want more money. In one instance, a woman with low income explained she hoped to get more money to support newborns. “This type of thinking was a surprise to us as we thought they might gamble because they needed an escape from the stress of trying to speak English.”
“Many think that gambling, even in small amounts, is the best route to get more money,” says Ange. “We need to change that mindset so that people understand that if you lose a little, it’s still a large percentage of their assets. We’re trying to find a new way to discuss this with the community.”
The AAPI community uses a communication style that’s different than the Eurocentric way of contacting a hotline and talking to a counselor. Thus, the goal is to create messages that can become immersed in the environment so that it starts to build context and trust.
Another emphasis is to educate members of the community about the importance of financial management. “Many people don’t have exposure to mainstream society and don’t understand the complex financial structure present in the U.S.”
AMA is working to share messages in a variety of ways, including brochures, educational workshops and in-person. “From past experience, we know it’s hard for people to come and say, ‘Yes, I’m a problem gambler and need this workshop,” says Ange. The use of creative materials to open up community discussion is part of a four-year process.
AMA will also be creating YouTube videos that they can present at events and share through social circles. They’ve also started a youth group of “cultural brokers” that will use the heritage language to create postcards and other items that will be circulated to the community. “Communication through heritage language is a key for members who don’t know English,” says Ange.
AMA is collaborating with various organizations to educate the community about problem gambling. These include Asian temples in the Twin Cities, local chambers of commerce, restaurant owners and other organizations that help those new to the area.
