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FMBA Nation
Podcast by New Jersey State Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association Language: en-us Genres: Business, Non-Profit Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Episode 66. Gambling Addiction and First Responders with Birches Health
Episode 66
Monday, 19 October, 2026
This episode was recorded live at the NJ FMBA Convention at the Hard Rock in Atlantic City, and it’s about something I’d call one of the pandemics of the fire service: gambling addiction. With sportsbooks on every phone, ads in every commercial break, and plenty of downtime in the firehouse, it has never been easier to fall down that rabbit hole. And the stakes are real. Gambling addiction doesn’t just hit your wallet. It hits your family, your future, and your mental health. I sat down with Andrew DiGiacomo and Jason G. from Birches Health, a virtual, outpatient program built specifically to treat gambling addiction. We talk about what happens when a member first reaches out, why a general therapist often isn’t enough, and how their model combines one-on-one care, peer support, group therapy, and financial wellness coaching. We also get into the related problems they see in first responders, like gaming and porn, and how it all ties back to the trauma we carry from the job. I also share my own story, from betting on horses at fourteen to putting myself on the self-exclusion list, and what changed after I did. If this is you, or someone in your firehouse, stick around. This one could make a difference.
