Developed by CAMH clinicians and researchers, the Youth Making Choices: Gambling Prevention Program comprises 10 lessons that fit well with the published expectations of several intermediate and senior level courses in mathematics, social sciences and humanities, English, and health and physical education. The lessons are designed using the principles of differentiated instruction.

The program’s objectives are:

• to enhance students’ coping skills
• to develop students’ knowledge of randomness and probability
• to improve students’ ability to recognize and avoid problematic behaviours associated with gambling.

The key is prevention: youth must be sufficiently informed so they can decide on appropriate levels of involvement and identify behaviour that is becoming problematic. Equipped with these lessons, teachers can provide students with the information needed to make sound decisions about gambling and to better understand the potential risks.

Lessons:

Introduction
Includes overview of program, references and glossary of terminology.

Unit 1 Risk and Reward
Objectives: Understand that youth make decisions about risky behaviours based on a number of factors and there are rewards and consequences for every risk taken

Unit 2 What Is Gambling?
Objectives: Understand what gambling is

Unit 3 Probability
Objectives: Learn about how the probability of winning can be calculated for games of chance

Unit 4 What Is Problem Gambling?
Objectives: Understand when a behaviour or an activity becomes “problematic”

Unit 5 Effects of Gambling on the Individual, Family and Community
Objectives: Understand the impact of problem gambling on the individual, his or her family and on the community

Unit 6 Moving to Change
Objectives: Investigate how a person moves toward change and seeking help

Unit 7 Reducing Risk
Objectives: To be introduced to the biological, psychological, social, cultural and spiritual aspects that influence us all

Unit 8 Planning Responses to Problems
Objectives: Learn about decision-making skills and coping skills

Unit 9 Getting Help
Objectives: Learn about how to live a healthy life. Learn about where to go for help

Unit 10 Where Do You Go from Here?
Objectives: Summary of learning and future planning