A new toll-free telephone counselling service for problem gambling will be up and running on Dec. 1. The service is open to all Nova Scotians and provides help to anyone who calls about a gambling problem.
Callers can seek help for themselves, friends, colleagues or family members.
The line, which is staffed around the clock seven days a week, provides readily accessible professional short-term counselling, information and referrals, as well as serving as an information source for the general public on problem gambling. It is an access point to all information and services on problem gambling in the province. To meet the caller's needs, referrals can be made to a range of services, including public and private counsellors and Gamblers Anonymous, financial counselling, social services and transition houses. Services offered on the toll-free line complement counselling services already provided through Drug Dependency Services of the Nova Scotia Department of Health. The telephone service and Drug Dependency will work together on a co-ordinated basis to ensure treatment continuity.