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Social Workers: “Golden Voice” Man Needs Continued Support

Ted Williams

SocialWorkersSpeak.org went on its Facebook page to ask social workers what kind of help Ted Williams will need to avoid falling back into drug and alcohol addiction.

Ted Williams, the man with the “Golden Voice,” was homeless but is now landing sports announcing and voice-over deals.

Lorette Lavine, a social worker at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago, adjunct instructor at the Loyola University School of Social Work, and adjunct faculty member at the university, wrote on Facebook that she blogged about Williams. To read Lavine’s opinion, click here.

Others weighed in on Facebook. Here are some of the comments:

“I would recommend long term involvement in drug and alcohol treatment on an outpatient basis, including 12-step meetings, a strong support system, and probably some mental health therapy to deal with the myriad of changes he’s experienced recently.” — Steve Salomonsen

“You don’t just go from homeless to home owner. Money isn’t going to solve his core issues. He isn’t Eddie Murphy and this isn’t “Trading Places” I am happy for Mr. Golden Throat but now what about the other 43,000 homeless in Tampa alone that aren’t so photogenic?” — Shaw Eberhardt

 “I agree with Steve on plan of action. This enormous change in his life is dangerous to his alleged sobriety of 3 years. He will need people around him that are going to be honest with him because they aren’t getting something from him & his new celebrity. From what I understand he hadn’t seen his daughter for many years. In TV land, you reunite with a hug & some tears, but in real life it takes time to reconnect & work through long-term issues between family.” — Nicole Taylor James

Police this week briefly detained Ted Williams after he got into an argument with his daughter. To read more about the incident in the Los Angeles Times, click here.

Several articles have mentioned that Williams’ new found fame could cause him to relapse. To read more about these concerns click here to read a CNN article and click here to read a Woman’s Day commentary on Williams’ new found fame and continued family problems.

Social workers help people overcome addictions, mental illness and homelessness every day. To learn more about the myriad services social workers provide, visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Web page by clicking here.

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1 Comment

  1. Thank you for all the wonderful post!

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