By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Describe key national trends, emerging technologies and policy developments shaping the evolving landscape of problem gambling prevention, treatment, research and recovery efforts.
• Explain the importance of a public health approach to addressing gambling-related harm, including opportunities for prevention, early intervention, consumer protection and systems collaboration.
• Identify current challenges and future opportunities facing the problem gambling field and strategies to strengthen awareness, advocacy, workforce development and support services nationwide.


Heather L. Maurer
Heather L. Maurer, MA, CAE, is the executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing gambling-related harm through awareness, advocacy, education, and support. With more than 25 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, healthcare associations, and public health-focused initiatives, Heather is recognized for her collaborative leadership style and strategic approach to organizational growth, stakeholder engagement, and mission-driven advocacy. At NCPG, she is focused on advancing national conversations around problem gambling as a public health issue, strengthening and expanding partnerships across sectors, and supporting efforts to improve prevention, treatment, research, recovery and responsible gambling initiatives nationwide.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Describe gender-specific risk factors, stigma and hormone pathways to harm for women who gamble.
• Apply cycle-syncing knowledge when screening, assessing and treating women with gambling-related problems.
• Develop engagement and retention strategies that reduce stigma and enhance treatment outcomes for women.

Jody Bechtold, LCSW, ICGC-II, BACC
Jody is a licensed clinical social worker, internationally certified gambling counselor-II, board-approved clinical consultant and CEO of The Better Institute. With over 20 years of experience in gambling disorder treatment, training and program development, she is a nationally recognized speaker, educator and clinician specializing in assessment, intervention and clinical supervision.

Christina Cook, IGRS
Christina is a certified international gambling recovery specialist (IGRS) and the creator and host of The Broke Girl Society Podcast and Support Group, a leading platform for women in gambling recovery. Drawing on her lived experience, she advocates for awareness, connection and peer support, giving voice to women’s often hidden struggles with gambling harm. Christina works to bridge the gap between lived experience and professional practice, helping to reduce stigma and expand pathways to recovery.

Tunheim
By the end of this session, participants will understand:

• The strategy, insights and framework behind Tunheim’s Minnesota Department of Human Services problem gambling prevention campaign
• How specific campaign elements successfully raise awareness and connect struggling individuals, families and loved ones with vital support resources..
• How empathy-driven marketing can help to destigmatize a hidden public health issue to foster a more supportive and informed general public.

Kaleidoscope
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Increase awareness and understanding of problem gambling and its impact on individuals, families and the broader Hmong community.
• Share key insights and themes gathered from community surveys, focus groups and stakeholder engagement related to gambling behaviors, perceptions and barriers to support.
• Highlight culturally responsive outreach strategies and resource development efforts aimed at reducing stigma and improving access to prevention and support services.

Sandi Scott
A communications and media relations veteran at Tunheim, Sandi Scott has spent more than three decades helping clients tell their stories, build awareness and strengthen their reputation with the audiences that matter most. Her work spans strategic communications, content development, media relations, thought leadership and campaign development. Sandi currently supports Minnesota Department of Human Services’ problem gambling prevention campaign, helping develop content strategy, storytelling and digital outreach efforts in collaboration with partners to raise awareness and connect priority audiences with resources. She helps organizations navigate an evolving media and communications landscape while responding to the challenges and opportunities of the day.

Kong Vang, PharmD
Kong Vang, PharmD, is co-founder of Kaleidoscope-Kawm Thiab Siv, LLC, and is a clinically trained pharmacist with a diverse background spanning healthcare, community engagement, research and education. His work has included advancing culturally responsive healthcare initiatives, mentoring youth in STEM and robotics, and developing health profession pipeline programs for high school students. As co-founder of Kaleidoscope-Kawm Thiab Siv, Kong has spent the past four years leading community-centered initiatives focused on COVID-19 response, healthy aging, nutrition and physical activity, stroke awareness and problem gambling prevention within the Hmong community.

Pastor Tope Dosumu
Pastor Tope Dosumu is the executive director of LifeGate Services. He holds a Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW) from Augsburg University in Minneapolis. In addition to his leadership at LifeGate Services, Pastor Dosumu serves as the pastor of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Chosen Generation Parish in Rochester, MN.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Identify how youth and young adults are accessing and engaging with gambling in today’s digital environment.
• Recognize the emotional, relational and systemic impact gambling harm has on parents, caregivers and the broader family system.
• Understand common barriers families face when seeking support, involvement and guidance during a loved one’s gambling crisis and recovery process.
  Explore family-centered approaches, supports and recovery pathways that promote healing, connection and long-term recovery outcomes.


Kim Freudenberg
Kim Freudenberg is president of Parents Standing Together. After discovering that her 19-year-old son was struggling with gambling, Kim committed to learning about gambling disorder and its impact on families. In early 2025, she organized a peer support group for parents, which grew into Parents Standing Together, a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness about youth gambling and supporting families affected by gambling harm. Kim holds an international gambling recovery specialist certification and is deeply committed to education, connection and prevention to protect young people and support parents.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Describe three emotional and relational impacts commonly experienced by family members affected by gambling disorder.
• Recognize gambling-related family trauma indicators including secrecy, financial betrayal, chronic stress and emotional hypervigilance.
• Apply at least two gambling-specific family interventions that support stabilization, communication and boundary-setting.
• Integrate family recovery and grief considerations into treatment planning for individuals and families impacted by gambling disorder.


Nan Franks, LPCC, LICDC-CS, GAMB, AFC®
Nan Franks is a behavioral health clinician, trainer and community leader with more than 40 years of experience supporting individuals and families through addiction, grief, trauma and financial recovery. Her work brings together deep clinical expertise in problem gambling, substance use, family systems and affected others, along with the grounded compassion that comes from lived experience. She has served on the Warm Transfer Initiative with the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline since 2020 and is a board member of the Problem Gambling Coalition of Southwest Ohio, where she helps strengthen community responses to gambling-related harm.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Identify the structural barriers and name at least three barriers that prevent individuals experiencing gambling-related harm from accessing traditional treatment, and explain how digital interventions specifically address each.
• Describe the three-pathway harm reduction model and articulate how pathway fluidity supports client autonomy and increases engagement across the full spectrum of gambling behavior change.
• Apply digital tools in clinical practice and identify at least two concrete strategies for incorporating digital interventions into an existing treatment framework to extend impact.


Sam DeMello
Sam DeMello is the founder and CEO of Evive, and is a digital health innovator and a community advocate. He is a technology leader and digital health entrepreneur transforming gambling harm reduction through innovative, user-centric solutions. Sam brings a unique combination of personal lived experience through his own recovery from gambling addiction and a technology-first approach to addressing one of the most overlooked public health challenges facing the U.S. today.