Gordon Moody: treatment should be tailored to the individual

Ensuring that the needs of the individual are met shapes the foundation from which Gordon Moody is built. However, in addition to moulding treatment to the specific needs of each user, it is equally as vital that support is offered to loved ones.

This outlook, says PlayItForward, which first donated to Gordon Moody in July 2021, is crucial in ensuring that those on this path can focus on building their confidence and making improvements to their life.

PlayItForward is committed to creating partnerships with charities who support those affected by gambling harm, making sure that service users’ needs are prioritised.

In conversation with SBC News, Ryan Murphy, Gordon Moody Commercial Director, hones in on the importance of treatment, as well as looking into projects and services that have received a funding boost courtesy of PlayItForward, and how the industry can enhance its support of those suffering from gambling harms.

SBC News: Who is Gordon Moody and what services does it provide?

Ryan Murphy: Gordon Moody is the UK’s leading charity dedicated to providing support and residential treatment for people severely affected by gambling-related harms. We offer a range of unique treatment programmes including:

• Specialist residential treatment centres, for men aged 18+ offering treatment in locations across the UK.
• One-of-a-kind women’s treatment centre, offering residential treatment for women aged 18+.
• Recovery house residential relapse prevention and aftercare programme, for men and women who have completed our treatment programme and need extra respite support before returning to living independently.
• Retreat & Counselling programme, an intensive treatment programme of short-stay residential treatment followed by virtual at-home therapy.
• Wraparound support programme, providing seamless care and support for those in pre- and post-treatment.
• Experts by experience programme, providing support during treatment and post-treatment.
• Affected Others programme, offering emotional and holistic support for those with a loved one in treatment.

SBCN: How long has Gordon Moody been in operation?

RM: Our founder’s involvement in gambling dates back to the 1950s and he was influential in shaping the 1968 Gambling Act. Gordon House, our first residential treatment centre, was opened in south London in 1971 as a safe place for gamblers to focus on their recovery. We have been on the frontline for over 50 years helping people reclaim and rebuild their lives free from gambling-related harms.

SBCN: How is Gordon Moody funded? 

RM: Our residential treatment programmes are funded through GambleAware – the commissioner of gambling harm education, prevention, early intervention, and treatment across Great Britain.

SBCN: Do you have any thoughts on the 2023 UK white paper – High Stakes Gambling Reform for the Digital Age?

RM: At Gordon Moody we are supportive of the white paper, however, delays in implementing continue to have an impact on the work we do, and we urge the new government to clarify and implement the remaining recommendations.

SBCN: What is your approach to treatment and why is it so important?

RM: Our programmes are delivered by highly qualified professionals, from accredited psychotherapists to clinical psychologists, who are trained and equipped to focus not just on the gambling-related harms, but also on other addictions or mental and emotional health conditions.

We carry out comprehensive assessments that help us integrate appropriate therapies into personalised treatment programmes which address each service user’s individual needs.

Our programmes combine a wide range of specialised individual and group interventions, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, dialectical behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, motivational interviewing, integrative psychotherapy, psychodynamic therapies, creative and art therapies, and family therapy.

Our recovery workers also provide health and social care services and have experience across housing, welfare benefits, advice and information, psycho-education, teaching, and group work.

We are constantly optimising our prevention and treatment interventions by adapting to current gambling environments, particularly the rapid growth of online gambling and the changes in regulations.

SBCN: Tell us more about the women’s only treatment centre? Is anything else like this on the charity’s radar?

RM: Our women’s residential treatment centre is unique and is the world’s first dedicated centre to treat gambling harm for women. It offers a home away from home for women to live in a therapeutic community where they can work through their recovery and rehabilitation journey together.

Opening the women’s centre meant we can offer recovery housing for women for the first time. The step-down recovery programme helps people who need extra support before returning to living independently.

We are opening a new treatment centre in Redditch in November 2024. This centre is a significant leap forward in our mission to provide state-of-the-art treatment facilities to meet the needs of our diverse applicants.

SBCN: What projects has PlayItForward supported and why are these important when it comes to treatment?

RM: Donations from PlayItForward support our Comfort Fund – a fund we use to support the affected others of those in treatment at Gordon Moody. 

Whether it is funding a day trip during the school holidays for a family, presents at Christmas or birthdays, or travel costs for affected others to attend family therapy sessions or the graduation service for their loved one, the donations from PlayItForward help our service users to focus on their recovery safe in the knowledge that their affected others are also being supported.

SBCN: How can the industry support Gordon Moody and those suffering from gambling harms?

RM: As a charity, we rely on donations and grants for most of our services. GambleAware currently provides funding for the majority of our commissioned services, but we also receive donations from individuals and organisations who support the work we do.

Donations allow us to provide additional services outside our commissioned treatment, such as the Comfort Fund, our Alumni programme, and our Affected Others programme. These additional services make an incredible and tangible difference to our treatment programmes.

Conclusion 

Kate Moughtin, PlayItForward’s Senior CSR & Marketing Manager: Gordon Moody’s approach to treatment is all about the person, they know how to tailor their services to what the individual needs, a great example of this is if a working mother is going through treatment, they can still login in to work from the centre. 

This thoughtful space at the centre, provides peace of mind and normality. PlayItForward is proud of the support we have provided to Gordon Moody projects. Our favourite is the comfort fund designed to support the loved ones of those going through treatment, this is where we can provide respite for the person in treatment in the knowledge that their families are ok.  

Gordon Moody’s treatment process is always evolving, building upon their success over the decades and they are constantly learning new ways to provide treatment to specific groups.