Could it be gambling harm? Repaving pathways to recovery

While gambling harm is increasingly understood by the public, it still slips under the radar in many situations. Join us as Fred Rubinstein talks to Zana Bytheway about his experiences of dealing with poor mental health and gambling harm, and how understanding these co-occurring conditions has helped his recovery.
An expert panel will then discuss gambling harm in various health settings: helplines, GP clinics, in the emergency department and in private counselling sessions. The panel will consider the day-to-day challenges they face, the importance of screening for gambling harm, and the need for an integrated referral pathway.
GUESTS
Fred Rubinstein is a young, inspiring member of the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation’s Lived Experience Advisory Committee. As a teenager, Fred gambled and lost more than $100,000 of his inheritance. Now in his early 20s, Fred finds fulfilment through his work as a soccer coach, as a teacher of children with special needs, and in raising young people’s awareness of the risks of gambling by sharing his story.
Zana Bytheway is a Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation board director. During 22 years at JobWatch, Zana has made a significant contribution as a strong advocate for workers’ rights. A practicing lawyer and qualified mediator, Zana was admitted to practice in 1986 and is an experienced senior executive, board member, committee member, and mentor for young lawyers. Zana is an Honorary Senior Fellow in Law at The University of Melbourne.
PANELLISTS
Angus (Gus) Clelland FCG, FGIA GAICD
Chief Executive Officer, On the Line Victoria
Gus joined On the Line in March 2022 after five years as CEO of Mental Health Victoria, the state’s peak body for mental health, which successfully advocated for a royal commission into Victoria’s mental health system. Previous roles Gus has held in the mental health and disability sectors include Lifeline Australia general manager responsible for the 13 11 14 crisis service, secretary of Mental Health First Aid International, and chief operating officer of Guide Dogs Victoria.
Dr Hester Wilson
Practicing GP
Hester is a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), a Fellow of the Chapter of Addiction Medicine in the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, and chair of the RACGP Special Interest Group in Addiction. She works for NSW Health in Sydney and Wagga Wagga, and in private practice settings. An experienced medical educator, Hester has written widely on general practice and substance use issues and was involved in planning and facilitating recent RACGP alcohol and other drugs training.
Tony Clarkson
Principal Clinical Advisor, Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation
Tony’s role at the Foundation involves providing clinical advice in relation to the statewide Gambler’s Help service system. He is the vice-president of Psychotherapy & Counselling Federation of Australia and sits on the board of South Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network, where he chairs the Clinical and Community Council. And he co-chairs the National Mental Health Commission’s Self Stigma Technical Advisory Group, which contributes to the development of a national stigma and discrimination reduction strategy. Tony also works in private practice as a psychotherapist with long-term patients who present with trauma, addiction and relationship issues.
Dr Evan Symons
Consultant Psychiatrist, Alfred Health
Evan has held a clinical role within Alfred Health’s Emergency and Trauma Centre since 2013 and became unit head for Consultation-Liaison and Emergency Psychiatry in 2016. He was the consultant psychiatrist with Gambling Minds, a statewide Victorian problem gambling and mental health program, from 2010 through 2017. Evan’s clinical and research interests include emergency psychiatry, suicide prevention and addictions, particularly problem gambling.
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