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A new partnership in Wyoming is making free financial counseling for problem gambling available to people who often have nowhere affordable to turn.
Cheyenne Regional Medical Center (CRMC) has teamed up with GamFin, a national nonprofit focused on financial recovery from problem gambling, to offer free, confidential counseling to Laramie County residents, according to the American Hospital Association.
For anyone whose gambling has led to debt, damaged credit, or financial crisis, the cost of getting help is often its own barrier. This program removes that barrier entirely.
Who Qualifies for This Free Service
The addiction therapy is open to Laramie County residents harmed by problem gambling.
There is no price tag attached. CRMC frames the partnership as an extension of its community wellness mission, connecting residents with certified counselors who help with debt, damaged credit, budgeting and long-term financial planning.
“When residents face a financial crisis related to problem gambling, we want to connect them with the tools and support they need to rebuild,” said Brittany Wardle, CRMC’s Community Prevention Project Director, in the AHA’s report.
How to Access These Resources
Eligible residents can receive one-on-one counseling, personalized debt and credit recovery plans, household budgeting help and referrals to mental health and addiction recovery services.
Support is offered in person, by phone and through telehealth and CRMC says strict confidentiality is guaranteed.
Telehealth can be a lifeline for a largely rural state, because distance and transportation are real obstacles to care. Residents can connect from home rather than driving long distances.
Why Free and Low-Cost Help Matters
Problem gambling rarely stays financial. It often arrives tangled up with stress, depression, anxiety, substance use and dual diagnosis.
The fact that this program includes referrals to mental health and addiction recovery services means a single phone call can open the door to more than budgeting help.
This is the kind of community safety-net resource that people frequently do not know exists.
Hospitals, nonprofits and public health programs increasingly offer free or low-cost services that sit outside the traditional rehab system, and they are worth seeking out.
Finding Free and Low-Cost Help
If you are dealing with the fallout of problem gambling or another addiction and worried about cost, free and low-cost help is more available than many people realize. A few practical starting points:
- Contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700, which is free and confidential.
- Ask your local hospital or county health department about free counseling and community wellness programs.
- Call SAMHSA’s national helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for free, confidential referrals to treatment and support.
Rehabs.org provides a nationwide directory of free and affordable treatment programs. Call
800-914-7089
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