Clergy / Lay Ministers Certification

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The IGCCB Clergy / Lay Ministers Certification is designed to provide basic knowledge about gambling addiction and treatment and recovery resources, to enhance the clergy person’s skills at recognizing disordered gambling, and to provide information for the gambler’s family on dealing with their loved one’s addiction. With specialized training leading to national/international certification, knowledgeable clergy/faith-based workers, can offer guidance, educational materials, support, hope, spiritual care, and other resources.

This Certification will equip clergy/lay ministers to serve as the best First Responders to persons seeking help for problem gambling. They will be able to provide knowledgeable consultation, adequately refer individuals to Certified Gambling Counselors and Support Groups (specific to gambling issues), and provide knowledgeable outreach and education to persons within the parish and community. They will, also, be equipped to serve persons in a problem gambling-specific, supportive way during the individuals’ processing through recovery.

The specialized 12 Hour Training for Clergy and Lay Ministers leads to IGCCB Certification
(Non-Clinical). Additional work toward certification can include:

  • adherence to a Professional Code of Ethics
  • Recommended Readings
  • Completed, quizzes and/or Individual Class Project (completed and approved)
  • Attendance at one Gamblers Anonymous Meeting and at one Gam-Anon Meeting, and
  • A written reflection of one’s attendance at each Meeting.

There is a $50 application fee for certification. The recertification fee, payable every three years, is $95 for the Clergy/Lay Ministers Certification. Recertification requires documentation evidencing completion of 18 hours of gambling-specific CEU hours earned every three years.

The Clergy/Lay Ministers Certification is granted by the International Gambling Counselor Certification Board and is of international certification status.  This certification is for pastors/clergy/Ordained Deacons and designated religious workers or Lay Ministers who will be trained in both clinical information and spirituality issues, along with parish application.  

Core Curriculum:

  • The dynamics and psychology of addiction.
  • Problem gambling defined and described; pathological gambling defined and described; the scope of problem gambling in American society.
  • The impact of problem gambling on families; the components of effective support for the loved ones of gamblers.
  • The financial issues that gamblers and their families/members of the problem face.
  • The goals of problem gambling treatment; the options for treatment.
  • Spirituality and its significant role within the recovery process:the spiritual issues commonly encountered by disordered gamblers and their loved ones.
  • The unique role of certified clergy within the recovery care process.
  • Problem gambling support groups:  GA; Gam-Anon; Celebrate Recovery; others.

(Note: the clergy certification process does not train clergy to be therapists; rather, clergy will learn about treatment and what individuals in treatment may encounter as they go through the recovery process.)

The following is an outline of the requirements for Clergy / Lay Minister Certification:

The required 12-hour core level training will assist clergy persons in meeting the International Gambling Counselor Certification Board (IGCCB) Clergy Certification professional requirements.  The program’s emphasis targets (1) early intervention through prevention education, (2) awareness-outreach, (3) informed, supportive consultation to accompany referral care, (4) spiritual care and (5) recovery support.

The following will be required in the IGCCB Certemy certification software:

  • Completion of 12 hours of IGCCB Clergy/Lay Minister Certification Training requirements
  • Adhere to a Professional Code of Ethics
  • Completion of the Application for Certification and remittance of Administration Fee of $50.00 in the Certemy software. 
  • (optional based on the training completed) Passing score on Oral Examination based on the Core Training and Recommended Readings
  • Recertification: Documented completion of 18 hours of gambling-specific Continuing Education hours every three years following initial Certification.