4/05/2020
Local voice part of Reconciliation event
Tiffany sharing gambling insight
MILDURA’S Tiffany Griffin will add her voice to National Reconciliation Week on Friday when she is part of a State-wide online event focusing on the impact of gambling on Aboriginal communities.
Tiffany is Mallee District Aboriginal Services Bringing Them Home and Gambling services team leader and will draw a focus on the findings of new research into how gambling impacts Aboriginal communities.
“Reconciliation Week is all about looking at the issues and challenges facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and how we move forward towards true reconciliation in a more positive way,” Ms Griffin said.
The La Trobe University study “Gambling in Two Regional Australian Aboriginal Communities” hears from 50 Aboriginal people in Mildura and Gippsland who have experienced gambling issues or have been affected by another person’s gambling.
Ms Griffin said participants in the study talked about both the harms and some of the social benefits from gambling.
“For many people, they saw gambling as an opportunity for community gatherings and socialising,” Ms Griffin said.
“But community members also felt gambling addiction was contributing to poverty, depression, family violence, shame and isolation,” she said.
Aboriginal people who participated in the study suggested restrictions to the availability of pokies and internet gambling sites could help limit the harm of gambling.
MDAS Social and Emotional Wellbeing Manager Raelene Stephens said participants also identified culturally appropriate counselling and financial management services as important when managing addiction.
“Being part of this National Reconciliation Week event is a great opportunity for Tiffany to contribute to the discussion about the harm gambling can cause,” Ms Stephens said.
“Hopefully it also prompts some reflection with the community more broadly about the findings, and our future approach to this issue,” she said.
Tiffany will speak about this research as part of Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation event for National Reconciliation Week, which will be held online on Friday May 29 from 2pm to 3.30pm.
The foundation funded the research project, which was undertaken by La Trobe University researcher Sarah MacLean, in partnership with Mallee District Aboriginal Services and the Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Cooperative.
To hear Tiffany’s presentation for National Reconciliation Week, register for Event 2 at this link:
https://responsiblegamblingfoundation.createsend.com/campaigns/reports/viewCampaign.aspx?d=j&c=77DA483C4FE22744&ID=0464266CE8CD5C0F2540EF23F30FEDED&temp=False&tx=0&source=Report
The research paper can be accessed at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10899-019-09858-9?wt_mc=Internal.Event.1.SEM.ArticleAuthorOnlineFirst
Pictured: Tiffany Griffin and Raelene Stephens