About Our New Strategic Plan

This 2020-2022 strategic plan reflects new energy in the Council and our efforts. In 2018, staff and the Council Board of Directors (BOD) convened to outline priority areas for the Council to address. In early 2020, the Council’s new executive director again convened with the Board to formulate the strategic plan as presented in this document. In next three years of this strategic plan, the Council’s four overarching goals are:

• Enhance organizational infrastructure and capacity.
• Provide high-quality accessible services.
• Develop a concerted Oregon research agenda.
• Advocate on key issues affecting Oregonians.

Within the plan, each of the above four goals includes a series of strategies by which they will be executed. It is also relevant to note that this plan addresses a key new area of concern in the gambling field, namely, the convergence of where problematic gambling and video gaming intersect. Still, the Council will focus all efforts in keeping with our mission to “promote the health of Oregonians by supporting efforts to minimize gambling-related harm.”

Our staff and board of directors will continue to refer to this plan throughout our efforts as our organizational guidepost. While the future of gambling expansion, effects and other emerging trends are unknown, we expect the core of this plan to carry the Council to promising directions in carrying out our mission.

Our Mission Statement

“To promote the health of Oregonians by supporting efforts to minimize gambling related harm.”

Our Guiding Principles

1. As a Council, we have no opinion on the moralistic value of gambling. We do oppose illegal gambling.
2. As long as the State sanctions gambling as a source of income, it has a duty-of-care to its citizens to take measures to minimize gambling related harm including making available timely and effective interventions  to address issues related to problem gambling  as well as supporting effective prevention interventions.
3. Decisions made by the State to increase gambling, either by allowing new forms of gambling, by increasing access to gambling, or by increasing the promotion of gambling,  must be done  in a manner which takes into consideration  any potential harm associated with the expansion and place measures into effect to minimize potential social and emotional costs.
4. Treatment and prevention services provided, or fiscally funded, by the State must meet the outcomes standards of current evidence-based practices. Needs of diverse populations in the State need to be included.
5. Collaboration among all the stakeholders – State of Oregon; treatment and prevention providers; researchers; industry; and consumers and their Families – is essential to establish and maintain the highest quality of treatment and prevention opportunities.

Our Values

We believe in the values of:

• Collaboration and stakeholder development
• Open and transparent agency communication
• An informed public and industry
• Providing accurate and timely gambling information
• Inclusivity

Our Goals and Strategies

Goal #1: Enhance organizational infrastructure & Capacity.

Strategies to Accomplish this Goal

1. Create staff succession plan and improve staff effectiveness.
2. Evaluate and support effective organization governance.
3. Ensure financial stability.
4. Provide ongoing internal training for board and staff.

Goal #3: Develop a concerted Oregon research agenda.

Strategies to Accomplish this Goal

1. Establish research agenda.
2. Identify data sharing opportunities.
3. Administer research projects.