Episode #19: Shebrikea Warburton
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This Problem Gambling Awareness Month, we are highlighting the work our partners at the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling (CCPG) are doing to address gambling related harm in the state of Connecticut. Shebrikea Warburton, Program Manager for the Multicultural Problem Gambling Prevention Program joins the podcast to share more about the CCPG’s efforts to better understand the culturally based motivation to gamble and increasing protective factors within communities. She provides insights on the importance of targeted prevention efforts while offering advice to others looking to implement similar programming.
Notes
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Jordyn: Hello, and welcome to another episode of Level Up with Wondr. I'm your host, Jordyn Mihok. I'm a marketing specialist at Wondr Nation.
March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month, and we're taking the time to highlight some of the great work that our partners at CCPG, the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, are doing.
I'd like to welcome Shebrikea Warburton to the show. She is the Program Manager for the Multicultural Problem Gambling Prevention Program at the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling. She has years of experience working at various non profit and public health organizations like Hartford Health and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation. In her current position, she designs and promotes activities that help the CCPG in their efforts to understand the culturally based motivation to gamble and increase protective factors within communities to decrease potential harm associated with gambling.
So first of all, I just wanted to say welcome to the show, Shebrikea.
So let's just get started with talking about your background. Kind of tell us, where did your career start and how it evolved?
Shebrikea: Sure. My career started at Community Health Resources in Manchester, Connecticut. It is a substance abuse and mental health clinic. I was working under the suicide prevention program there. That's where my career really first started and opened my eyes to the field of public health. From there, I went on to work for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation working on COVID 19 for a few years and then shortly monkeypox for a little while before transitioning over to working on problem gambling.
Jordyn: You have this background in nonprofit and public health and problem gambling definitely does kind of fall into that category. But how did you decide to transition into working with problem gambling?
Shebrikea: Personal connections to problem gambling. Unfortunately I do have an uncle who was affected. I come from a Caribbean background where we play a lot of dice and a lot of domino games and that was what got my uncle hooked. I felt as if programs such as the multicultural problem gambling prevention program, if programs like this were around, especially for individuals of my community and my culture, maybe my uncle would have had a different outcome.
Jordyn: Yeah, definitely. I know that CCPG has kind of developed this multicultural program. Is that something that you have seen in other places? Or is this program the first of its kind?
Shebrikea: It's one of the first of the kind that I've seen which is great because it's allowed us to jump out the door and really get a lot of people excited about this program.
Jordyn: So we're going to go into talking a little bit more about that program. You are the program manager for the Multicultural Problem Gambling Prevention Program. Could you just give us a quick overview of exactly what that is and why the program was developed?
Shebrikea: The impacts of legalized gambling in Connecticut study was a huge study done for the state of Connecticut, and it found that there were certain populations that were at a greater risk of developing gambling related harm. Due to that, the multicultural program was developed, and I am responsible for the planning, coordinating and implementing of the program here at CCPG.
Jordyn: Nice. So what are some of the current initiatives that you're working on with this program?
Shebrikea: A few goals of the program are to design and promote activities that help us to understand the culturally based motivation to gamble. Through that, we want to increase protective factors in vulnerable communities in hopes of decreasing gambling related harm. We also want to publicly promote the Know the Risks campaign and responsible gambling.
Jordyn: And I know that you guys partner with some different organizations. Can you talk about some of those partners that you have with this program?
Shebrikea: Sure. We partnered with five nonprofit organizations here in the state of Connecticut. Each of them target a separate population that was identified from the impact study. Our organization that targets our veteran population is called Veterans Strong. Our organization that targets our Asian American Pacific Islander community is called the New England Asian American Cultural Center.
Our Black Indigenous People of Color focus organization was awarded to the Afro Caribbean Cultural Center. Our Latin A and Latin X population was awarded to Windham Region Chamber of Commerce. And our LGBTQIA plus community was awarded to the Health Collective.
Jordyn: Since you've revamped this program with these new organizations, what are some successes that you've seen so far?
Shebrikea: Oh, some amazing things have been happening so far. Our veteran strong organization has done a gambling awareness public Service Awareness ad that is going wonderfully on YouTube. They've also recorded a segment on Nutmeg TV called Veterans Corner, where they spoke more about the program, its initiative, and all of the wonderful things that are happening.
Our Asian American Pacific Islander focused organization really amped up their outreach since the start of Lunar New Year and has performed a lot of outreach in our community via surveys to assess gambling attitudes, awareness and knowledge. They received a lot of information from that survey and have used that to plan a family friendly fun day happening in a few weeks where they will be having a lot of safeguarding measures of how to properly decompress.
There will be a lot of Kung Fu performances and face paintings. So, a lot of wonderful things are happening for the program.
Jordyn: Nice. I think that's great because I think when we think about problem gambling programs, there really isn't that targeted aspect that you guys are kind of looking for. And so
Shebrikea: Yes.
Jordyn: Why do you think it is important to target and consider these specific populations and demographics when it comes to your programming?
Shebrikea: I think it's important to target these populations because as stated before, the impact study shows that these communities unfortunately do make up a large percent of Connecticut's gambling revenue. We know that they gamble and we're trying to figure out why exactly they gamble, what is motivating them to gamble, and how we can better help these communities.
Jordyn: So when it comes to these different organizations that are participating, what is the process to get them involved in this program?
Shebrikea: Through a request for application process, they submitted an application where they had to detail a work plan of how exactly they would implement the usage of the grant funds, which happens to be 25,000 in their work plan. They detailed how exactly they would interact with these communities, how they would target these communities and how they would host the community conversations about gambling and how they would plan and implement activities to also raise awareness in these vulnerable communities.
Jordyn: Nice. So is that something that is going to change year after year or are you locked in with these companies for a specific amount of time?
Shebrikea: These specific organizations receive the grant funds for one year. The program has guaranteed funds for three years however. Hopefully with the continued wonderful things that are happening, we can increase the grant years.
Jordyn: For community organizations that might be interested in participating in this program in the future, what do you think makes an ideal partner and what are you looking for in that application process?
Shebrikea: An ideal community partner would just be one that is willing to learn. As simple as reaching out for us to host a community conversation, which certainly be a plus an addition to your application, but just the willingness to learn and be involved in gambling prevention and in our gambling awareness meetings is the perfect candidate for us.
Jordyn: For any of those organizations that might not have been selected, what are some other ways that they can help educate their communities about problem gambling?
Shebrikea: One of the main ways is through our ccpg.org website. We host a lot of trainings, free webinars, that is one of the main ways to stay involved and to remain active in the program and in the initiative. And also again, simply reaching out to us to host a community conversation or a lunch and learn at your organization is a wonderful way to stay involved.
Jordyn: That's awesome. How long have you been in this position?
Shebrikea: I'm fairly new. I started August of 2024. So almost 1 year in.
My proudest moment thus far was getting an AAPI organization to apply for the grant and to sign on. We know that Asian Americans gamble a lot, again based on the impact study that was done for the state of Connecticut. However, just due to cultural barriers, there are resistances to meeting with someone of that community to speak with them about such touchy subject.
Getting one on board and selecting one and awarding one of the 25,000 for the grant has definitely been one of my proudest moments thus far.
And then also attending the grantees community conversations and their activities. It's nice to see the turnout and to see the grant recipient excited to speak about the program. And I've been taking lots of pictures in the background like a proud mom.
Jordyn: That's awesome. I think that's great because I mean, you have these organizations that know how to really like connect with these specific populations and then you're
able to help each other. So that's awesome. So what kind of vision do you have for the future of the multicultural program? What are some goals that you might have or things that you want to do going forward?
Shebrikea: I would love to again, see the program extend beyond the guaranteed 3 years. I would love for the program to be successful in its pilot year. So successful that we are able to fund more than just 5 organizations because the impact Of legalized gambling in Connecticut study did identify, unfortunately, a plethora of communities who are at an increased risk for developing gambling related problems.
This program only focuses on 5 so far, so hopefully in the future, we are able to extend it beyond just these 5 and focus on more organizations to fund to do the work to increase gambling prevention.
Jordyn: Besides those 5 target populations that you're targeting specifically, what were some of the others that were mentioned?
Individuals with a lower socioeconomic status, I do believe that individuals who are Developments developmentally delayed. I do believe that also individuals, Department of corrections, individuals with mental health, substance abuse issues. So, very, very long, lengthy list. It's a wonderful study. I recommend everyone to check out the study.
If someone is part of one of these target populations of your program and wants to get help, what are the steps that they should take?
Shebrikea: If they want to get help, one of the main ways they can do that is by directly calling CCPG. Our number is directly on our website. We are available via call, chat, or text. There is someone to answer the phone 24 7. And what I love about our hotline is that the individuals who answer, Are in recovery themselves, they have lived experience, so they really can connect with someone calling on a one on one basis on a personal basis and direct them to the appropriate treatment facility.
Jordyn: That's awesome. I think that can be like really comforting, especially to, to have somebody who understands and not feel judged when you're taking that step to get help.
I agree.
What other programming are you planning outside of problem gambling awareness month?
Shebrikea: Well, we just had our wonderful PGAM kickoff at the end of February. I believe we had about 60 plus attendees at Gaylord Hospital, which was wonderful. We gave program updates and we had some individuals with lived experience, family members of individuals, come and speak as well because we know based on data, a person with a gambling problem affects roughly 7 to 20 other people.
So we thought it was important to also highlight family members of individuals going through things as well. Outside of that, we're also supporting a lot of our other organizations With their PGAM events, and then also in April, we are hosting casino tours at both Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun just to look around the property and to see if there's proper signage and to see if a person with any gambling issues would be able to find the help needed.
Jordyn: There's some other organizations that you're working with for problem gambling awareness month, what are you doing with them specifically?
Shebrikea: We're providing support to other organizations such as our regional gambling awareness teams. There are five different regions in Connecticut, so each member of CCPG is going to a separate region to help out the awareness coordinators in that region, just to help boost audience rapport and to have a well attended event.
Jordyn: Do you see any differences between the different regions of Connecticut when you're, like, talking to different people in those spaces about problem gambling? Are there any I guess, geographical or regional differences.
Shebrikea: I do see a few differences. Some regions are closer to the casino, obviously, so that makes a bigger impact. Other regions that are a bit separate , I do notice that their betting tends to be more scratch offs, or they kind of tend to do local betting amongst groups or amongst friends.
So the types of betting definitely varies depending on which region of Connecticut you are in, yes.
Jordyn: Speaking of differences, when you were looking at the different target groups in your multicultural program, are there also differences with their behaviors and how they bet or gamble?
Shebrikea: Yes, absolutely. I've learned so much about the different types of betting across different cultures. Again, I come from a Caribbean background, so we're very big on dice and domino. I learned recently that the Latino population is very big on rooster fights. And there's a game that they played from the time that they're children, I will probably butcher the name because I cannot pronounce it, but there's a game that they play from childhood where they hit a mango seed and if you hit a person's seed, you get to take their seed. So you kind of see how little bits of gambling are integrated throughout different cultures.
We also know that Asian American cultures, they play a lot of casino games and things of that nature. So, yeah, the different types of gambling definitely varies across you know, cultures.
Jordyn: About responsible gaming and problem gambling a little bit more generally, how do you kind of see responsible gaming and problem gambling programs changing over the next few years, or what do you want to see?
Shebrikea: Hopefully I see it changing for the better. Hopefully we get problem gambling recognized as a public health issue, hopefully we get a lot more eyes on this issue. Unfortunately, it is one that you cannot visibly see, unlike alcohol or opioids or any of those other major issues, gambling is one that you cannot physically see.
Getting people to buy in and really see it as a possible issue has been very difficult. Hopefully in the years to come with programs such as the multicultural programs and all of the other wonderful programs at CCPG really helps to shine light on the issue of gambling, and that it can be an issue if left untreated or if left without knowing the risk.
Jordyn: Definitely, definitely. And when you're talking about like that buy in, are you talking about people on an individual level or more legislation or people higher up that aren't really seeing problem gambling as much of an issue?
Shebrikea: Both, I would say both. We do see a little bit of resistance when we do try to speak to vulnerable communities about problem gambling, we do receive pushback from community members who do not see it as a major issue. Then also legislatively same thing again, because it is something that you cannot physically see on a person, they do not deem it as a huge issue.
Jordyn: Are there any upcoming events that are part of the multicultural program that Connecticut residents can participate in?
Shebrikea: Yes, absolutely. We have quite a few community conversations on gambling happening during the month of March for PGAM, quite a few of our organizations are having them. Our veteran strong organization is performing one at the Burlington Senior Center. Our other organization, the Health Collective, is also performing another community conversation, lots of things are happening in the month of March.
Jordyn: Sounds great. And I know we're kind of talking about Connecticut programming specifically But I know that we have listeners that might be in other states, so what advice do you have for people in other states in a similar position to yourself that might want to execute a similar program?
Shebrikea: First, I would say assess your needs. We've had an impact study done for the entire state of Connecticut, but maybe scale it back and have something done on a smaller scale, such as a survey to local neighborhoods to assess gambling needs to see the gambling attitudes to see what kind of materials are needed to see if materials are needed in another language and really build on that.
Jordyn: Great, great advice. some more advice for you to give, what advice do you have for young professionals looking to get into the problem gambling or public health spaces?
Shebrikea: Get involved as much as you can. Again, CCPG has a lot of webinars, a lot of them are free. Get involved in as many things as you can, sign up for as many things as you can. The world of public health is huge and there are many different topics that you can immerse yourself in. Even if there is a price tag attached to a convention or an event, I think that it would be worth the while to experience it and to soak up as much knowledge as possible and to see who are all in the room and to do as much networking as you can.
Jordyn: I totally agree. Even though I've been in the gaming space for a couple of years now, I feel like there's still so much more to learn, like, when it comes to this multicultural program, I think that it's a different approach to things that are already happening, it's really important that you're targeting specific demographics that might be ignored otherwise. And it's just helping me and the rest of the people within our organization kind of understand how to be better partners and different things that we can look for.
Thank you so much Shebrikea for taking the time to talk with me today. Wondr Nation, we're always very proud to be partnering with CCPG specifically this month with an upcoming community conversation. We're just excited to continue getting out in the community, making an impact, making those connections.
So thank you so much for being such a great partner.
Shebrikea: Thank you for having me, it was wonderful speaking with you. I look forward to seeing everyone in person at the community conversation on the 24th, and I look forward to partnering with you all again in the future.
