National Council on Problem Gambling Annual Awards

Each year the National Council on Problem Gambling honors individuals and organizations for their work on problem gambling issues.  The process is overseen by the NCPG Awards Committee.

Awards are for activities from Jan 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018

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AWARD CATEGORIES: Click on the award title for award descriptions and nomination criteria.

Lifetime Awards:

• Monsignor Joseph Dunne Lifetime Award for Advocacy (formerly called Herman Goldman Award for Advocacy)
• Dr. Robert Custer Lifetime Award for Direct Service
• Lifetime Research Award

Annual Awards:

• Don Hulen Annual Award for Advocacy
• Joanna Franklin Annual Award for Direct Service
• Jim Wuelfing Annual Award for Prevention
• Jeff M. Beck Recovery Ambassador Award
• Corporate Social Responsibility Award
• Service Award

Communications Awards:

• Media Award
• Public Awareness Award
• Website Award
• People’s Choice Award
• Holiday Responsible Gaming Campaign Award
• Newsletter Award

Research Awards:

• Research of the Year Award
• Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award
• Dr. Durand Jacobs Dissertation Award

LIFETIME AWARDS

Monsignor Joseph Dunne Lifetime Award for Advocacy (formerly called Herman Goldman Award for Advocacy): is given in recognition of career dedication to improving the lives of problem gamblers and their families through advocacy, research, training, or the promotion of public awareness. The Mons. Dunne Award is only bestowed in exceptional times and circumstances to individuals who exemplify at least twenty years of advocacy on behalf of problem gamblers.

Criteria:

1. The individual nominee must have a minimum of twenty (20) years of documented advocacy on behalf of problem gamblers and their families.  The NCPG Awards Committee may, under very rare and exceptional circumstances, recommend exceptions to this requirement.
2. The individual nominee has demonstrated exemplary work in support of the goals and objectives of the NCPG and/or its affiliates.
3. The individual nominee’s twenty years of advocacy must be verified by three or more letters of recommendation that specifically delineate the nominee’s competency, length of service, dedication, and his/her local, regional or national impact on problem gambling.  A minimum of one of the three or more letters of recommendation and verification must be received from a member of the NCPG Board of Directors.
4. Previous recipients of the Mons. Dunne Award will be invited to serve as ad Hoc members of the awards selection committee.  Each member of the NCPG Awards Committee (including past Herman Goldman Award recipient ad hoc members) shall be eligible to vote for the Mons. Dunne Award. The Awards Committee shall determine the best candidate and make one recommendation to the NCPG Board of Directors for their vote and approval.
5. The individual nominee selected by the Awards Committee must receive the support by secret ballot of at least two-thirds (2/3) of all members present at the subsequent NCPG Board of Director’s Meeting. A maximum of one Mons. Dunne Award winner shall be awarded in any given year.
6. The individual selected for the Mons. Dunne Award will be invited to make a special presentation at the next NCPG Annual Conference.  This presentation is designed to further honor and highlight the lifetime contribution of the award recipient.

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The Dr. Robert Custer Lifetime Award for Direct Service: is given to honor a person for exceptional long-standing achievement in the direct provision of services to problem gamblers and their families. Direct service is defined as prevention, direct awareness outreach, treatment/counseling, helpline work, and other related activities. Named after the problem gambling pioneer Dr. Robert Custer, the Custer Award for Service is only bestowed in exceptional times and circumstances, to individuals who exemplify at least twenty years of service on behalf of problem gamblers.

Criteria:

1. The individual nominee(s) must have a minimum of twenty (20) years of documented work that has directly impacted problem gamblers and their families.  This includes, but is not limited to, counseling, helpline, crisis management, case management, and financial management.  The NCPG Awards Committee may, under very rare and exceptional circumstances, recommend exceptions to the length of service requirement for this award.
2. The individual nominee(s) must have demonstrated exemplary work in support of the goals and objectives of the NCPG and/or its affiliates.
3. The individual nominee’s twenty years of treatment work must be verified by three or more letters of recommendation that specifically delineate the nominee’s competency, length of service, dedication,  and his/her local, regional or national impact on problem gambling.  A minimum of one of the three or more letters of recommendation and verification must be received from a member of the NCPG Board of directors.
4. Previous recipients of the Dr. Robert Custer Award for Service will be invited to serve as ad Hoc members of the NCPG Awards committee.  Each member of the NCPG Awards Committee (including past Dr. Robert Custer Award recipient ad hoc members) shall be eligible to vote for the Dr. Robert Custer Award for Service. The Awards Committee shall determine the best candidate and make one recommendation to the NCPG Board of Directors for their vote and approval.
5. The individual nominee selected by the Awards Committee must receive the support of at least two-thirds (2/3) of all members present at the subsequent NCPG Board of Directors meeting.  A secret ballot is required to determine the 2/3 majority vote.  A maximum of one Dr. Robert Custer Award for Service winner shall be awarded in any given year.
6. The individual selected for the Dr. Robert Custer Award for Service will be invited to make a special presentation at the next NCPG Annual Conference of his/her choice.  This presentation is designed to further honor and highlight the lifetime contribution of the Dr. Robert Custer Award for Service recipient.

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Lifetime Research Award: is given to honor a person for exceptional long-standing achievement in the field of research to assist problem gamblers and their families. Research is defined as the deliberate scientific study which fosters assistance to problem gamblers, families and the prevention of problem gambling. The Lifetime Research Award is only bestowed in exceptional times and circumstances, to individuals who exemplify at least twenty years of treatment on behalf of problem gamblers.

Criteria:

1. The individual nominee(s) must have a minimum of twenty (20) years of documented research leading to increased understanding of problem gambling.  The NCPG Awards Committee may, under very rare and exceptional circumstances, recommend exceptions to the length of service requirement for this award.
2. The individual nominee(s) must have demonstrated exemplary work in support of the goals and objectives of the NCPG and/or its affiliates.
3. The individual nominee’s twenty years of research work must be verified by three of more letters of recommendation that specifically delineate the nominee’s competency, length of service, dedication,  and his/her local, regional or national impact on problem gambling.  A minimum of one of the three or more letters of recommendation and verification must be received from a member of the NCPG Board of directors.
4. The Awards Committee will verify that candidate/candidates meet required criteria and forward the nominations to the Research Subcommittee.
5. The Research Subcommittee will review the nominations and recommend a recipient to the Awards Committee.
6. The Awards Committee will send their recommendation to the NCPG Board of Directors for their vote and approval.
7. The individual nominee’s submitted by the Awards Committee must receive the support of at least two-thirds (2/3rds) of all members present at the subsequent NCPG Board of Directors meeting.  A secret ballot is required to determine the 2/3rd majority vote.  A maximum of one Research Award shall be awarded to one individual on any given year.
8. The individual selected for the Lifetime Research Award will be invited to make a special presentation at the next NCPG Annual Conference.  This presentation is designed to further honor and highlight the lifetime contribution of the award recipient.

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Awards for lifetime achievement must be approved by the NCPG Board of Directors following review and recommendation by the Awards and/or Research committees.

ANNUAL AWARDS

Don Hulen Annual Award for Advocacy: given annually to recognize dedication to improving the lives of problem gamblers and their families through advocacy, training, or the promotion of public awareness.

Criteria:

1. At least one year of documented advocacy work that has directly impacted problem gamblers and their families.  This includes, but is not limited to, advocacy, research, training, or the promotion of public awareness.
2. The individual nominee’s advocacy work must be verified by one or more letters of recommendation that specifically delineate the nominee’s competency, length of service, dedication,  and his/her local, regional or national impact on problem gambling.

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Joanna Franklin Annual Award for Direct Service: given annually to recognize achievement in the direct provision of services to problem gamblers and their families. Direct services are defined as prevention, direct awareness outreach, treatment/counseling, helpline work, and other related activities.

Criteria:

1. At least one year of documented treatment work that has directly impacted problem gamblers and their families.  This includes, but is not limited to, counseling, helpline, crisis management, case management, and financial management.
2. The individual nominee’s treatment work must be verified by one or more letters of recommendation that specifically delineate the nominee’s competency, length of service, dedication,  and his/her local, regional or national impact on problem gambling.

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Jim Wuelfing Annual Award for Prevention: Outstanding annual achievement in advocacy, development, integration, outreach, research or training in the area of prevention of problem gambling.

Criteria – Nominees must meet at least one of the following:

1. Consistent advocating for the inclusion of prevention in the full continuum of problem gambling services
2. Development of effective prevention of problem gambling programming
3. Integration of prevention research into prevention of problem gambling efforts
4. Emphasis on reaching out to high risk groups and underserved populations
5. Collegiality with others in advancing prevention of problem gambling efforts
6. Adding to the body of knowledge of prevention of problem gambling through research and publications
7. Adding to the professional development of others through training and curriculum development

The Interest Group on Prevention will review the Prevention Award submissions and recommend a recipient to the Awards Committee.

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Jeff M. Beck Recovery Ambassador Award: An award given in recognition of a person in recovery who is active with NCPG and offers their personal experience with addiction and recovery to the problem gambling and/or responsible gaming fields in the same spirit that Jeff did – with warmth, professional expertise and an open heart, serving as a resource in pursuit of better outcomes for all concerned.

Criteria:

1. Nominee must be part of the recovery community and active with NCPG.

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Corporate Social Responsibility Award: An award given to an organization that has demonstrated outstanding commitment to social responsibility as it relates to problem gambling in the past year.

Criteria:

1. Organizations must provide information on their groundbreaking legislation, funding, research, organization, etc in their state.

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Service Award: An award given in recognition of extraordinary volunteer contributions to the NCPG over the course of the past year by an NCPG member.

Criteria:

1. Documentation of the contributions made by the nominee.
2. Current members of the NCPG Board of Directors are not eligible for this award.

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COMMUNICATIONS AWARDS

The NCPG Communications Committee reviews the Media, Website, Public Awareness and Newsletter award nominations (with the exception of the People’s Choice award) and recommends a recipient to the Awards Committee.

Media Award: Outstanding news reporting by a news organization in the past year in any format that has best covered problem/pathological gambling issues.

Criteria:

1. Reporting must increase public knowledge of problem/pathological gambling.
2. Name and date of the media source and article must accompany all nominations.
3. The report must be original and not a reprint/rebroadcast of previous article.
4. A copy of an article appearing in print must accompany the nomination along with the date and place where the article was published.  Broadcast reporting should be accompanied with a copy of the broadcast on DVD or CD, a transcript of the story, a link to a web site containing the story, or if none of the preceding items are available, a detailed summary of the story.  If the article or broadcast is not in English, a translation or detailed English-language summary should be provided.
5. Recipients will be judged based on the breadth of impact.  Local, regional or national reports shall be given equal weight and shall be judged based on impact, quality, and ability to reach gamblers and their families.

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Public Awareness Award: Outstanding TV or radio public awareness message in the past year.

Criteria:

1. The nomination must include the name of the sponsor of the message, the advertising agency or other creative consultant responsible for content and production (if any), the date the message first aired, and a copy of the message on DVD or CD.  Documentation of the extent of the distribution of the message is encouraged but not required.

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Website Award: Outstanding website that has best raised public awareness of problem/pathological gambling.

Criteria:

1. Nominations must identify the owner of the website and include a link to the website.

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People’s Choice Award: The most popular print public awareness message as voted on by the attendees at the National Council on Problem Gambling conference.

Criteria:

1. Submit two original printed copies (or photo in the case of a billboard or other large medium) and (if possible) an electronic copy
2. Limit one submission per organization.
3. Eligible materials include any problem gambling/responsible gaming public service or paid advertising that was printed on a poster, flyer, newspaper, magazine, billboard, or other medium.

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Holiday Responsible Gaming Campaign Award: For the best material prepared by a lottery in support of the holiday campaign.

Criteria:

1. Submit two original printed copies (or photo in the case of a billboard or other large medium) and (if possible) an electronic copy. If the nomination is for a TV or radio ad, include a copy of the ad on DVD.
2. Limit one submission per organization.
3. Eligible materials include materials in any medium (print, web, radio, TV) specifically developed to promote responsible purchase of lottery products during the holiday season.

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Newsletter Award: An award for an outstanding problem gambling-related newsletter issue in the past year.

Criteria:

1. The nomination must include a copy of the newsletter in either print or electronic form along with identification of the organization producing the newsletter and information about distribution and readership.

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RESEARCH AWARDS

The Research Subcommittee will review the Lifetime, Annual, Masters and Dissertation Award submissions and recommend recipients to the full Awards Committee.

Research of the Year Award: The best original peer-reviewed research article on problem and pathological gambling published within the past year. The research must contribute substantially to the understanding of this disorder. The criteria include the impact, quality and relevance to gamblers and their families.

Criteria:

1. At least one article published in a peer-reviewed journal within the past year on problem gambling issues.
2. The individual nominee’s research work must be verified by one or more letters of recommendation that specifically delineate the nominee’s competency, length of service, dedication,  and his/her local, regional or national impact on problem gambling.

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Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award: for the outstanding graduate master’s thesis in the area of problem gambling. The award will be presented annually to a student who has successfully completed a Master’s Thesis that merits special recognition. The recipient shall have completed a research study that has the potential to contribute to our scientific knowledge and clinical understanding of problem and pathological gambling behavior.

Criteria:

1. Nominee’s curriculum vitae.
2. TWO letters of support from members of the student’s committee.
3. A Maximum 10 page executive summary of the research inclusive of the following sections:
   1. A 250 word abstract
   2. BRIEF summary of background introduction
   3. Statement of hypotheses/purpose of research
   4. Description of population, study procedures, data analysis methodology
   5. Results and Discussion
4. One copy of the complete thesis or dissertation should also be included.

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Dr. Durand Jacobs Dissertation Award: for the outstanding graduate doctoral dissertation award in the area of problem gambling. The award will be presented annually to a student who has successfully completed a Doctoral Dissertation that merits special recognition. The recipient shall have completed a research study that has the potential to contribute to our scientific knowledge and clinical understanding of problem and pathological gambling behavior.

Criteria:

1. Nominee’s curriculum vitae.
2. TWO letters of support from members of the student’s committee.
3. A Maximum 10 page executive summary of the research inclusive of the following sections:
   1. A 250 word abstract
   2. BRIEF summary of background introduction
   3. Statement of hypotheses/purpose of research
   4. Description of population, study procedures, data analysis methodology
   5. Results and Discussion
4. One copy of the complete thesis or dissertation should also be included.