In 2017, the Office of Problem Gambling Services (OPGS) began conducting  Community Health Workers (CHW) and Gambling Needs Assessments (2017 CHW Needs Assessment) throughout the state. Results from the initial needs assessments demonstrated that CHWs could play a crucial role in educating, screening, and identifying problem gamblers as well as individuals who are at risk for problem gambling. CHWs are well equipped to deliver messages and services around problem gambling in a holistic and culturally appropriate manner. Additionally, findings highlighted that gambling is cultivated at the community level and is interrelated to various health issues. CHWs play a vital role in addressing inequities in health and access to care that result from the interrelationship of gambling and health.

In 2019, following the CHW and Gambling Needs Assessment, the OPGS launched the CHW and Gambling Initiative in Springfield, MA, a casino host community in the Commonwealth. The purpose of the CHW and Gambling Initiative was to enable CHWs to engage and educate local neighborhoods in Springfield on gambling related harms, resources, and services. Additionally, the pilot sought to gather and share local neighborhood concerns to inform local health policy, systems, and environmental change strategies. The interventions focused on increasing opportunities to establish neighborhood partnerships for the prevention and intervention of problem gambling and associated harms (2023 CHW Report).

The Community Wellness Project was designed based on the lessons learned from the CHW and Gambling Needs Assessment and the CHW and Gambling Initiative in Springfield. The purpose of the project is to enhance community-centered efforts to prevent and mitigate harm from problem gambling in Massachusetts by conducting community engagement, outreach, screenings, conducting individual/group psycho-educational activities, and supportive referrals for individuals and families that are disproportionately impacted by problem gambling and related issues. The central goals of this project are to engage individuals and families and provide education, resources, and support at the community level to ensure and promote health and wellness for all. This project conducts prevention and intervention strategies on the intersectionality of problem gambling with an explicit application of the socio-ecological model and an equity focus to promote health and wellness at the community level. By directly integrating this model to problem gambling prevention and intervention strategies, CHWs can take a multi-level approach that incorporates the individual, interpersonal, and community level components that impact health.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health Office of Problem Gambling Services currently funds the Edward Kennedy Community Health Center to implement the Community Wellness Project.