THE SHIFTING LANDSCAPE: CLINICAL TRAINING ON GAMBLING, GAMING AND EMERGING TRENDS
On October 20th, 2025, PEI Mental Health and Addictions Clinicians gathered for a full day of training in Charlottetown. This valuable training day offered clinician focused education in treating Islanders facing gambling harms and addiction.
The training day was developed by The PEI Gambling Support Unit (PEI Department of Health and Wellness) as we continue our ongoing efforts to help foster awareness and promote education around the potential harm from gambling and gaming.
This clinical focused education day feature an amazing trio of guest presenters including:
- Dr. Youssef Allami: Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Professor at Université Laval’s School of Psychology
- Serge Bourque: Senior Health Consultant with Addiction and Mental Health Services New Brunswick
- Dr. Andrew Hyoun Soo Kim: Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University
There were over 100 attendees from across Prince Edward Island's three counties which saw representation from:
- Community Mental Health and Addictions Youth, Adult and Family counsellors
- Psychologists
- Mental Health Nurses
- Social Workers
- School counsellors and Student Well Being Team members
- Mobile Mental Health and Addictions Help Line counsellors
- Red Shores and ALC PlayWise and Healthy Play Program Team
- Health and Wellness Gambling Support Unit
1. Building Comfort: Clinical Training in Harmful Gambling and Related Concerns (Parts 1 and 2)
Serge Bourque is the Senior Health Consultant with the Government of New Brunswick’s Department of Health, Addiction and Mental Health Services Division. With over 20 years of experience as a clinical social worker, he has worked in diverse settings including withdrawal management, youth treatment, adult mental health services as the gambling treatment specialist, and as Clinical Coordinator for group services in Moncton.
As senior health consultant, Serge leads efforts to improve gambling and substance use services in New Brunswick, including expanding treatment programs, integrating outpatient withdrawal management, and launching outreach teams to support unhoused individuals with coordinated health, substance use/harmful gambling and mental health care.
WORKBOOK PDF for clinician use
2. Comorbidity, Addiction Substitution and Pathways to Recovery
Dr. Youssef Allami is a clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor in the School of Psychology at Université Laval. Prior to joining the university, he worked as a clinician at Montreal’s largest public addiction rehabilitation center. His research now focuses on psychological factors influencing the severity of harm related to various addictive behaviours. He explores care access pathways and the psychological mechanisms underlying addictions, including the interaction between addictive behaviours and other mental health problems.
3. Emerging Trends in Gambling: Sports Betting and Video Gaming/Gambling Convergence, with Clinical Treatment Strategies
Dr. Andrew Hyoun Soo Kim is a Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University. His clinical interests are in providing evidence-based care for people with co-occurring addictions and mental health difficulties. Relatedly, his research interest lies in developing an integrated treatment for substance and behavioural addictions and their mental health comorbidities.