Balances in Law Enforcement Series IV -
Bring Comfort and Wisdom to Others
SIP takes on mission of helping pathological gamblers
By now, Mr Kwan, who is the Assistant Manager of the Police Officers' Club, has even elevated his vital engagement to a lifelong mission of helping the Chinese over the world with their pathological gambling problems.
Since 1996, he has been studying pathological gambling and helping those beset by the problem. And he has put all his first-hand information and experience in a handbook published at the beginning of 2005. The book has been much sought after by both local and overseas organisations sharing his mission.
Mr Kwan's interest in pathological gambling came by rather accidentally. Having worked in UB and CID after passing out of Police Training School in 1986, he applied for a post in the Psychological Services Group (PSG) at the end of 1995.
"A desire to learn new things, plus the fact that I majored in social work and social studies in university, prompted me to apply for the post," he explained during an interview with PSG and Staff Relations Group.
After his application was approved, Mr Kwan helped out with administration work and PSG's research projects and worked alongside Police Clinical Psychologists in conducting new projects on stress management for officers and recruits, as well as support services for officers' families. His work was later extended to cover advice on financial prudence, planning and management for OUD officers, after PSG had identified the need to make Force members more aware of the consequences of pathological gambling.
"So it was with a background of job requirement and my interest in social work that I began to take an interest in pathological gambling. Another factor could be the fact that I tried to help a relative with such a problem but didn't know what to do," he recalled.
Mr Kwan's chance to brush up his knowledge of pathological gambling came in 1998 when he was sent by the Force to study a training course on professional counselling in a university in Canada. Topics of the course included assessment, handling approach, analysis of pathological gamblers' psychology and behaviour, prevention of relapses and support for gamblers' families.
"I believe the Force is the first government department to send staff to attend such a course. The Force has a lot of vision and far sight of the issue of gambling!" he declared.
After returning from Canada with the status of Certified Gambling Counsellor, Mr Kwan shared his newly acquired knowledge with fellow officers at some training projects, including stress management workshop for OUD officers, Unit Training Days and training course for Force Gambling Experts.
Although by then his work on pathological gambling was mainly confined to the Force, Mr Kwan's expertise of the issue gradually came to the fore in Hong Kong during the debates on regulation of soccer betting. This came about when his article on pathological gambling published by a Christian organisation had caught the attention of academics and media probing soccer betting. Thereafter he was interviewed by RTHK and TVB on pathological gambling and assisted in the production of television documentaries on the same subject. At the same time, he was sought after by the printed media for similar interviews.
Mr Kwan was also a key speaker at seminars on pathological gambling organised by the University of Hong Kong. In addition, he shared his knowledge and experience with the Home Affairs Bureau regarding regulation of soccer betting.
At the invitation of the Education Department and Social Welfare Department, he addressed school principals, school discipline masters, teachers and other parties on the ways of steering students and youths away from gambling.
In 2003 the Social Science Faculty of the University of Hong Kong appointed him an Honorary Clinical Associate - a recognition of his contribution to society on the issue of pathological gambling.
Meanwhile on the other front, he also offered advisory services to a Christian organisation helping pathological gamblers with an evangelical approach.
Mr Kwan said his voluntary work of "sharing, giving and supporting" had brought him a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment, as well as a driving force for his own work.
He agreed with PSG's view, published in a previous issue of Offbeat, that "Helping Others is the Source of Happiness". "Voluntary work has also elevated my psychological well-being!" he noted.
Lifelong mission
With the blessings and support of his family, Mr Kwan has made his voluntary work a lifelong mission. "Both my wife and children are very supportive of my voluntary work. They also support me in doing more to help people with their pathological gambling problems."
Having witnessed the proliferation of pathological gambling among overseas Chinese during his university education in Canada, Mr Kwan feels the urge to take on a mission to address this problem. For his approach to the problem, he will blend profound Chinese wisdom and philosophy with the western theories and approaches of counselling.
"The Force has given me the necessary training. What is required is determination to share and give. I think step by step I can accomplish my mission, which is complementary to my work in the Force," Mr Kwan concluded.
Comments by Psychological Services Group
Senior Inspector Edward Kwan Wood-kai found his lifelong mission of helping Chinese with their pathological gambling problems all over the world. The mission motivated him to make different ground-breaking attempts in this area - being among the first local counsellors for pathological gamblers, promulgation of the concept of "pathological gambling" through the media, and publication of a self-help book summarising his knowledge and experiences. One can imagine the countless hours and effort he had put in pursuing this lifelong mission. Yet, because of his giving out, his life was never the same again. From his experiences, Mr Kwan appreciated the old Chinese saying "It is more blessed to give than to receive". Apart from the widened exposure and the building up of his self-esteem, the joy from a sense of genuine contention about his life is the most precious gift he received from his "giving". In recent years, psychologists in the field of positive psychology have proposed a number of factors behind a happy and contented life. Among others, two factors are always on the list - (a) a deep conviction of our mission in life and discovering the meaning and purpose of our lives, and (b) practising love and giving for the others.
Want a lustrous and contented life? A wisdom we can learn from Mr Kwan is to find your mission in life, and be generous in giving and sharing with others.
Seek advice and help from the Psychological Services Group: 2866-6206 (5th floor, 111 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay). PEN:psg@police.gov.hk
(All cases will be kept in strict confidence.)
The diverse natures of police work could have a bearing on the vital engagements officers might cultivate. A case in point is Senior Inspector Edward Kwan Wood-kai, who has taken on helping pathological gamblers as a vital engagement. Another example is retiring Superintendent Patrick Kung Pak-sing, a dedicated and long-time trainer and counsellor featured earlier in this series.
For SIP Kwan, the Force has vision and far sight of the gambling issue