  Tamara Hulen, Exec Director |
A Tribute to Don Hulen
Donald "Don" Hulen co-founded the Arizona Council on Compulsive Gambling (ACCG) in 1993. The Council was established as a non profit agency to bring education and awareness of compulsive gambling--and its social and economic impact--to the public and private sectors.
Don served as our executive director from 1993 until his death on February 15, 2010. For over 17 years, Don worked tirelessly for education, awareness, treatment and prevention, both in the state of Arizona and at the national level.
For thousands of compulsive gamblers and their families, Don's was the first voice on the other end of the telephone, offering them hope in the midst of fear, confusion, despair and devastation. Don became their first ally--and their best line of defense, support and guidance--in their battle with this powerful, insidious and deadly addiction.
For his dedicated and ceaseless efforts, Don Hulen was honored in 2005 by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) as a pioneer in the field of gambling awareness.
Thank
You, Don! You will be greatly missed, and you will never be forgotten.
Rest assured, the Arizona Council is committed to continuing your pioneering
and life-saving work.
I would be remiss if I did not express my gratitude to Jon Jenkins, President and CEO of Casino Arizona at Salt River for his ongoing support in providing the majority of funding to this council.
The Arizona Council on Compulsive Gambling Inc. is strictly a nonprofit organization, with Federal tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status. We have a serious mission of education, awareness and training on issues of compulsive gambling. We are neither anti nor pro gambling.
Compulsive (pathological) gamblers have a severe negative social and economic impact on our society. As gambling becomes available and accessible, more recreational gamblers cross the line into compulsive gambling.
Suicide, embezzlement, theft, family violence, business failures and bankruptcy are just some of the issues that burden our state and local social agencies due to the problem. Millions of dollars in revenues are wasted when the damage may have been avoided, not to mention the cost to the legal system. Those agencies that have direct contact with the public could receive some basic training in order to refer the gamblers (and their families) for education and proper treatment programs before more families are destroyed, and other societal and economic costs escalate. The devastation of this disease need not have the social and economic impact it now carries in our state.
In keeping with its Unity principles, the 12-step program of Gambler Anonymous cannot mention outside treatment options to its membership. While it is doubtful in my mind that long term recovery is possible without involvement in GA, I firmly believe that many compulsive gamblers will have a better opportunity of long term recovery if they are counseled by a behavioral health professional who is trained and certified in the treatment of the disorder. The recovery rate for those who are provided formal treatment through a certified professional in Arizona is undetermined at present. However, the little information we have been provided indicates encouraging success..
Calls to our Helpline from compulsive gamblers have increased steadily since 1993. Of the thousands of callers, over 50% are from or about women with serious gambling related problems. Over 95% of those women meet our criteria as "ESCAPE" gamblers. Of the male callers, about 40% also meet the" ESCAPE" criteria. We strongly urge individuals with gambling problems to contact our office for information and attend a Gamblers Anonymous (GA) meeting. We believe it is important for women to speak with women about gambling problems when possible and recommend women attend a women-only meeting. GA membership is increasing daily.
Cordially,
Tamara Hulen
Tamara Hulen, Executive Director