§ 50-06-21 — Gambling disorder prevention, awareness, crisis intervention, rehabilitation, and treatment services

rehabilitation, and treatment services.
The department shall administer, develop, and implement a gambling disorder prevention,
awareness, crisis intervention, rehabilitation, and treatment services program or contract with
qualified treatment service providers for the development and implementation of a program for
gambling prevention, awareness, crisis intervention, rehabilitation, financial counseling, and
mental health treatment services. The program may provide outpatient services, partial care
services, aftercare services, intervention services, financial counseling services, consultation
services, or other forms of preventive, rehabilitative, or treatment services for individuals with a
gambling disorder. An individual who provides treatment services must be a licensed
professional operating within the individual's scope of practice. An individual who provides
financial counseling services must be a certified consumer credit counselor with an accredited
financial counseling agency. The department may establish a sliding payment scale for services
under the program. The department may establish a centrally located repository of educational
materials on identifying and treating gambling disorders. Any service fee collected by qualified
treatment service providers for services provided under the contract must be applied toward the
program's gambling disorder services. The term "qualified treatment service provider" means an
entity based in North Dakota which is experienced in and capable of delivering gambling
disorder education, prevention, awareness, crisis intervention, rehabilitation, financial
counseling, and mental health treatment services as defined by the department of health and

human services. The term "gambling disorder" means a chronic, progressive disease that is
characterized by a preoccupation with gambling, loss of control over gambling behaviors, and
oftentimes disregard for the negative consequences as a result of gambling. Gambling disorder
includes gambling behavior that compromises, disrupts, or damages personal, family, or
vocational pursuits.