Welcome to Firstep Whether you are visiting this site for personal reasons or for care and concern for a loved one, you have taken an important step to getting on a path to recovery from problem gambling. If the progressive grips of this addiction have left you or someone you care about in crisis, help and hope is available. At Firstep we are committed to helping the problem gambler sustain lifelong recovery from the addiction, and restore families and lives back to manageable and healthy again. We pride ourselves on treating the whole person as well as the illness and this is implemented with dignity and respect. Our primary focus on individualized care opposed to a group approach gives the gambler a unique opportunity to receive the personal attention necessary and deserved. Our problem gambling programs are a personalized approach designed specifically with the needs of the gambler and family in mind. As our area of specialty we understand the illness and the importance of treating it in a manner that differs from that of a chemical addiction. The uniqueness of our program is that our primary emphasis is on an individualized approach opposed to one that is group focused. In addition, we treat the gambler exclusively and do not combine addictions. This effective approach allows the needs of the client to be addressed in a manner that fits them specifically. We feel this approach promotes a higher level of success for and in recovery, which is the primary goal. Another feature to our program is the ability to work with the gambler on various levels. For most, a removal from the current environment for an extended period of time is needed. This allows the illness to be addressed and the cycle to be diffused while treating the underlying issues. Our successful 5 week program requires the client to focus on themselves and addressing their addiction on a daily basis. We provide unique housing opportunities as a feature to this program so whether one is local or half way around the world treatment through our program is possible. Because treatment levels can vary, it is necessary to first conduct a phone evaluation and assessment to determine what criteria the client meets to be admitted into a program. The phone evaluation is confidential and is the first step to getting on the path to recovery. From the point of admission to our extensive aftercare programs, we are committed to providing the gambler and family what is needed to move into recovery and restore life to manageable and healthy once again.