Why Advocate? An “Inside Out” Comparison By: Denise Quirk

I love the movie “Inside Out,” which beautifully depicts five primary emotions in primary colors. I love how I can call up “angry with my hair on fire” as an image by relating other folks to the red, angry guy in “Inside Out.” This blog post is my effort to supplement my recent interview with Heather Haslem on the subject of gambling counseling professionals in Nevada, with some emotional gusto. I’m inviting you to reflect on what you’re already doing as an advocate and to decide what you’re going to do for Nevadans who need behavioral health services. I know it is true that one person—you—can impact thousands of people.

When a caring human like you embarks on the arduous path of becoming certified as a gambling counselor intern in Nevada (a.k.a. Certified Problem Gambling Counselor-Intern or CPGC-Intern), you are immediately directed to check the regulations in NRS 641C, specifically, NRS 641C.440. Does opening up legal regulations elicit some kind of reaction for you? Maybe the little purple guy, Fear from “Inside Out,” pops up? Perhaps you have a “busy brain,” as I lovingly refer to my (currently undiagnosed by another professional) neuro-spicy, or neurodivergent, brain.

Yes, “neuro-spicy” is how I describe what we often label as attention deficit, hyperactivity, or traits on the autism spectrum. I believe many of our families are full of neuro-spicy brains that are not necessarily in need of an illness label. So as we learn, serve, and cope, we may want to adjust our labels and the way we speak them when it comes to neurodivergence. That’s another topic, so I’ll get back to my task at hand. Picture the yellow “Inside Out” character, Joy, smiling because you are a caring professional, a student, or a person considering this great work and about to recognize what you have, what you’ve already done, and what you can do next.

I am fond of NRS 641C and have been for more than thirty years as a therapist in Nevada. So when I open up the document today, the “Inside Out” character that comes to mind for me is not in the original movie but is closer to the orange Anxiety character in “Inside Out 2.” I’m a bit anxious about forces attempting to take away some of our power by literally changing one word in important legislation—with what I consider selfish and ignorant reasons. It’s our duty to say what we know as experts and stand our ground.

This doesn’t need to be an Atticus Finch speech from “To Kill a Mockingbird”… unless you are gifted like our friend Dayvid Figler, lawyer, advocate, and poet from Las Vegas. As Agata Gawronski, our Executive Director of the BOEADGC, recently reminded us, it can be as simple as clicking on upcoming legislative bills and saying, “I oppose this bill.”

I recommend we toot our horns by pointing out we are the professional experts who know this material that some people are suggesting to change—and a few words about why we know it’s wrong. Truly, just one sentence—10 to 20 words—is often enough.

I also have hope that with the current legislative activity in Nevada, the handful of advocates and a few stalwart lobbyists around the state who are watching out for bills affecting our field will alert us and ultimately prevent drastic changes. Perhaps I’m an eternal optimist, as Joy usually demonstrates. I would say that as one of the old-timers in the substance use and related disorders field, I see us as a scrappy, amazing, tolerant, and beautiful mix of kind-hearted, hard-working do-gooders. (Insert the pictures of all the “Inside Out” folks here!)

Of course, there are many professionally appropriate words to describe our field. I’m here to remind us of our varied qualities and gifts and how we use them in remarkable ways—including the often uncomfortable and awkward emotional characters like Sadness, Disgust, Fear, and Anger. I know you all have gifts that you use to guide others to channel these energies for good. I know we can harness these energies to make a difference that will affect thousands of Nevadans and beyond our borders because advocacy has a far-reaching impact on families.

The NRS 641C spells out what is required. Agata and Paula are the heart and soul of administration at the Board of Examiners for Alcohol, Drug, and Gambling Counselors (I abbreviate it BOEADGC) and do the interpretation for us—thank heaven! They have excellent legal counsel to use as well. When I served on the BOEADGC years ago, I saw how the sausage was made. Wow, the need for dedication and expertise in that office is very large and important.

So, every time I come up against a question, I email Agata or Paula and I’m so relieved that they are there to help with the many questions each of us has. It often feels like you need a PhD in counseling, law, and patience to do that kind of work in the State offices which serve the licensing board for our professions. Please remember to be kind to them. And I am hoping for apprentices to start showing up at board meetings who will become willing to do what they do and serve the next generation.

NRS 458A is another piece of legislation I marvel at and am so grateful for in Nevada. It is the “prevention and treatment of problem gambling” law, also known as the gambling treatment diversion law. Many of us who did the work to help this come to fruition were even more excited when gambling treatment diversion court (GTDC), the first of its kind in the U.S., began in Las Vegas in 2018.

I have heard stories, met families, and helped real people who have been given gambling treatment diversion—meaning sanctions from the Court to make restitution, participate in gambling-specific treatment, attend support meetings, maintain regular accountability with the Court, and continue serving their families and communities throughout the one-to-three-year duration of a gambling treatment diversion program. At the end of successful completion, these people have maintained a bet-free lifestyle and progressed on their healing path without incarceration, and are eligible to have their felony dismissed—which, if you can imagine, is life-changing.

As I’ve testified before, this is no “get-out-of-jail-free card” like in the Monopoly game. The individuals I’ve evaluated and recommended for diversion have clear understanding and ability to complete all the court’s sanctions, which are rigorous and not for the faint of heart. One individual spent three years paying a $2,900 monthly restitution to the victim of his financial crime, which was motivated by his gambling disorder. This was in addition to working at least two jobs to pay for his normal bills, attending and paying for multiple counseling sessions, and checking in consistently with the Court. I’m actually minimizing what this valiant person accomplished—it was far more.

I’m sharing this story because almost no one thought he would endure the three years and successfully complete his court-ordered program, and yet he stayed bet-free and did it all. He experienced so many losses and so much pain in the process of his active addiction, yet he was grateful to be diagnosed and recommended for diversion so that he could make some kind of good happen after the awfulness of his active gambling disorder.

He and several other people come to mind when I think about the specific words in NRS 458A, which spell out the law that allows any judge in Nevada to create their own version of gambling court in their jurisdiction. If the judge determines that the defendant may have a gambling disorder contributing to their non-violent offense, the judge SHALL recommend that the defendant be professionally assessed for gambling disorder.

That one word made the difference for a dear friend who was already in prison, and thank heaven she reached out to the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling and found a willing attorney to appeal the decision, since her original judge hadn’t known—or somehow didn’t decide—to have the diversion process considered at her first hearing. And yes, she’s free today in many ways: bet-free, free of guilt because she has completed her court-ordered sanctions in diversion court, free to advocate for others, and free to continue to serve her family and other Nevadans. I hope you’ll read Nann Meador’s story and feel the power of what one woman can do.

You may not know of anyone yet—or any family members trying to support someone who is facing legal charges relating to what they stole, embezzled, or defrauded in an effort to get gambling money. However, in the behavioral treatment field, I believe you will meet someone in the future. You are now equipped with useful information, real stories, and resources to offer immediate support to that family who is suffering and looking for professional guidance. Be that advocate for them. And please be the advocate for what Nevada has created and will continue to need going forward—our dear NRS 641C and 458A and more laws to come, empowering us to educate, prevent, lead, counsel, and treat people affected by gambling disorder.

You have knowledge—go out and use it to do good. Thank you for advocating!