ABACUS has been a private training organisation specialising in mental health and addictions workforce development and professional supervision, and client work (for those not wishing to attend publically funded services) for the past 14 years. ABACUS comprises 3 directors located in Auckland and one in Wellington, as well as a consumer advisor and educator, several support staff and numerous contracted supervisors and trainers throughout New Zealand. 

ABACUS initially was a problem gambling workforce development provider for the Problem Gambling Purchasing Agency, and was contracted by the Ministry of Health (MoH) when they assumed responsibility for this sector in 2004.

Since then, ABACUS has provided clinical training for problem gambling services practitioners throughout New Zealand, and also provides training in the ‘Client Information Collection’ (CLIC) database for collecting statistical information and services’ contractual outputs for the MoH.

ABACUS trains services both individually and collectively in problem gambling–related topics on request, and also at forums arranged in consultation with the Problem Gambling Co-ordination Service (NCS), Te Kakano and HPA. In addition, ABACUS staff have presented on specialist topics at problem gambling conferences in NZ and overseas since its inception. ABACUS also participates in problem gambling-related research and delivers tertiary training in two problem gambling papers through AUT University.

ABACUS staff have worked in clinical and management roles in mental health and addiction services for over 25 years and are also DAPAANZ accredited clinical supervisors.

Abacus' Role

ABACUS is contracted by the Ministry of Health (MoH) as a workforce development provider for problem gambling services throughout New Zealand. A number of brief, half to full day training modules have been developed to support providers both clinically and administratively (providing training and support for the CLIC data collection system).

Orientation modules for those new to gambling treatment are provided on request, and also clinical intervention modules for treatment practitioners are available on request.

ABACUS can provide training by arrangement to providers at their own location. Also by arrangement, some relevant gambling-related additional training sessions can be delivered to include several providers in a collective environment as required, (this also occurs when problem gambling forums are held in different areas across New Zealand).

ABACUS has also developed and been granted approval by NZQA under section 251 of the Education Act 1989 to provide a Certificate of Addiction and Mental Health Supervision (Level 6).