Special Guest: Lorie Rugle, Ph.D. is Director of Problem Gambling Services (PGS) with the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services for the State of Connecticut. PGS has established the Connecticut Women’s Problem Gambling Project which brings together stakeholders from diverse community groups to address the issue of women and problem gambling. Her work in the public sector included many years as Director of the Gambling Treatment Program at the Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Deputy Director of their Veterans Addiction Recovery Center. She has also developed privately funded inpatient and outpatient treatment programs and has provided consultation for state funded problem gambling programs throughout the US, for the military in Germany and the Government of Singapore.

Special Guest: Noella Piquette-Tomei, Ph. D. is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Lethbridge. She is also a Registered Psychologist. She has led a small study exploring women’s perceptions of successful treatment options for their gambling issues and an exploratory study based on running a new women’s only problem gambling support group. Currently she holds grants to investigate the trajectory of women from social gambling to that of problem gambling, and one to hold an international workshop entitled “Behind the Mask: A symposium on women problem gamblers” to be held in April 2010. Dr. Piquette-Tomei is interested in gender differences identified in gaming activities, support for interventions, co-morbid issues and general public knowledge of how gambling issues can impact women in a unique fashion.