Asian Problem Gambling

Media Campaign

A WORK IN PROGRESS

John Pearson – Multnomah County, Portland,

Oregon - Problem Gambling Programs

Coordinator

Ami Hsu – Oregon Health & Science

University, Director of Intercultural Support

Center

David Hsiao – Clinical Counselor / Problem

Gambling Counselor

Lincoln County, Oregon

Asian Problem Gambling

Workgroup

Multnomah County,

Portland Oregon

Work Group Members and Languages

• Bounsang Khamkeo – Laotian, French,

• Joyann Song – Korean

• Azusa Ogawa – Japanese

• Victor Leo – Chinese

• Ami Hsu – Vietnamese, Chinese

• John Pearson – English

• David Hsiao - Chinese

Presentation Outline

• Campaign Purpose and Goals

• How We Got Started

• Billboard Pictures in the Community

• Impact of a Citizen Complaint

• Billboard Redesign

• Call Center Voice Message

• Campaign Impacts

• Costs

• Lessons Learned / Next Steps

Campaign Purpose and

Goals

• Provide gambling treatment and information in

Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, Laotian, and English

• Use billboards to promote community-level

discussions

• Increase awareness and participation in treatment

HOW WE GOT STARTED

• First event in 2009

• 2012, informal surveys showed few Asian Americans

aware of free, culturally specific problem gambling

treatment services

• Brainstormed how to raise awareness. From this came

the current billboard project.

• January 2013, seven full size billboards erected in areas

having concentrations of Asian businesses, restaurants,

and regular foot and vehicle traffic.

Chinese Billboard

January 15, 2013

Korean Billboard

English Billboard

Laotian Billboard

Impact of a Citizen

Complaint

• County Chairs office and the Office of Diversity receive a

written complaint.

• County takes the complaint seriously and calls a high level

meeting.

• County Chair’s staff concerned they had not been

adequately informed of the media campaign and were

unprepared to address the complaint.

• Workgroup and County meet.

Meeting At Multnomah County Chair’s

office, all different levels involved.

4/5/13

Portland Chinese Times

• Work group, graphic artist, and representatives from County meet and revise

billboard campaign.

• Billboards will include strengths-based messages, two Asian languages and

English on each billboard, and graphics that are more neutral.

• County has better understanding of the purpose of the billboard campaign,

and Asian cultural, linguistic, and programmatic barriers to treatment.

•Takes seven weeks for new installation. The week of May 13, 2013 five

billboards installed.

Billboard Redesign

CALL CENTER VOICE

MESSAGE

• Call answering process cumbersome and lengthy

• Between January 15, 2013 and April 10, 2013 232 calls

with many hang-ups

• With the redesign of the billboards came the redesign of

the call answering system.

• New protocol in place approximately June 5, 2013

Voice Message

• “hello” in five languages and English

• Message saying - You have reached the Asian Problem

Gambling Helpline. Your call will be answered by a

helper and a language interpreter. For _____ (insert

language) press ____ (insert #) and stay on the line.

CAMPAIGN IMPACTS

• Strengthened work group

• Increased understanding of media use.

• Deeper reach into the Asian American communities.

• Social groups, like a Chinese Red Hat Society group and

a large Korean church, have begun talking about the

billboards.

• Discussions are a counter to the Asian gambling movie

stereotypes (like Jackie Chan)

• Four years ago in 2009 there was no community

discussion after first event. Now beginning discussions in

the community.

Impact continued

• Tool for practitioners to open discussions for outreach

and education

• Original billboards are thought by some in the work group

to be more visual, made more of an impact, and raised

more discussion than new billboards.

COST

• The funding came from Multnomah County’s annual

allocation of problem gambling treatment funds.

• $31,460 for Clear Channel Outdoor to create and locate

the billboards and $4,700 for creative design by Les

Overhead Advertising for a six-month campaign.

Lessons Learned and

Next Steps

• Lengthy process, allow time for all parts to come

together. Staff commitment needed.

• Campaign length at least one year.

• Experienced media consultant needed

• Simultaneous community follow-up to promote campaign

• Asian American call center staff

• Expand the work group participation

• Secure additional funding