The Cambridge Health Alliance Readiness for Gambling Expansion (CHARGE) Initiative is an opportunity for Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) to maintain its well-deserved reputation for treating addictive behavior by being a model service provider for those who suffer with gambling disorder and related conditions. The CHARGE Initiative will help make CHA a leader in gambling-related treatment and research through provider education, community outreach, treatment practices, and innovative public health and medical research. Leading CHA’s initial charge toward problem gambling preparedness are two key Department of Psychiatry CHA organizations: (1) Outpatient Addiction Services and (2) the Division on Addiction.

Vision

CHARGE’s vision is to make Cambridge Health Alliance the leading gambling education, outreach, research, and treatment services provider in Massachusetts and serve as a national model for such efforts.

Mission

CHARGE’s mission is to advance healthy communities across the Massachusetts through the promotion of and participation in provider training and research related to gambling disorder, addiction, and other related mental health conditions.

Values

CHARGE values evidence-based practices, professional learning opportunities, and scientific research as foundations for building healthy communities. We are committed to mitigating the impacts of expanded gambling on the public. We will demonstrate our dedication to these ideals by creating a model gambling disorder-treatment system.

Goals

The goals of CHARGE are to:

  1. Build awareness of gambling-related problems and treatment solutions among CHA providers and support staff;
  2. Implement a graduated education program for CHA providers;
  3. Support and advance existing and new community outreach and assessment partnerships;
  4. Support and advance existing and new treatment evaluation efforts;
  5. Develop CHARGE’s visibility and influence as a source for gambling-related research, education, and treatment; and
  6. Build an independent research and training infrastructure for CHARGE.