William L. White
Encyclopedia
William L. White is a prolific and influential writer on addiction recovery and policy.
White was born in 1947 to an Army family, his father a construction worker and his mother a nurse. His family grew quite large with more than 20 adopted, foster, related and siblings living in a small rural home in Illinois
. White received a scholarship to Eureka College
and showed an interest in psychology, sociology and history. His first job was with the Illinois Department of Mental Health in 1967, where his responsibilities were to tour the wards of the mental health institution and screen the alcoholics and addicts for community placement.
The late 1960s brought the decentralization of many mental health hospitals. White was exposed to the depraved conditions, the over-crowded wards, the stench of urine, the bizarre and near lethal medical procedures such as lobotomies, shock therapy and sterilization. In the seventies, White became an outreach worker, gathering addicts and alcoholics from jail or hospitals and connecting them with services like Salvation Army shelters, SRO’s and AA meetings. In 1970, landmark funding from the Federal Government channeled dollars to local communities to develop addiction treatment programs to augment the paltry rehabilitation assistance. White worked at Chestnut Health Systems one of the first treatment centers in Illinois, and within months he became the clinical director of the facility.
In 1975, William White left to pursue a master’s degree in Addiction Studies at Goddard College. Upon graduating he began working with the Illinois Dangerous Drug Commission, and then became deputy director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s Training Center in Washington DC. In 1986, White returned to the Chestnut Health System and founded the Lighthouse Institute, a research center focused on developing and disseminating information about addiction treatment. In 2003, he published his most recognized book; Slaying the Dragon, a seminal history of addiction and addiction treatment in the US. He continues to dedicate himself to research and writing on addiction treatment and recovery coaching (Blackwell Publishing, 2007).
White was born in 1947 to an Army family, his father a construction worker and his mother a nurse. His family grew quite large with more than 20 adopted, foster, related and siblings living in a small rural home in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. White received a scholarship to Eureka College
Eureka College
Eureka College is a liberal arts college in Eureka, Illinois related by covenant to the Christian Church and founded in 1855. It has a strong focus on the mutual development of intellect and character. Stated core values are learning, service and leadership...
and showed an interest in psychology, sociology and history. His first job was with the Illinois Department of Mental Health in 1967, where his responsibilities were to tour the wards of the mental health institution and screen the alcoholics and addicts for community placement.
The late 1960s brought the decentralization of many mental health hospitals. White was exposed to the depraved conditions, the over-crowded wards, the stench of urine, the bizarre and near lethal medical procedures such as lobotomies, shock therapy and sterilization. In the seventies, White became an outreach worker, gathering addicts and alcoholics from jail or hospitals and connecting them with services like Salvation Army shelters, SRO’s and AA meetings. In 1970, landmark funding from the Federal Government channeled dollars to local communities to develop addiction treatment programs to augment the paltry rehabilitation assistance. White worked at Chestnut Health Systems one of the first treatment centers in Illinois, and within months he became the clinical director of the facility.
In 1975, William White left to pursue a master’s degree in Addiction Studies at Goddard College. Upon graduating he began working with the Illinois Dangerous Drug Commission, and then became deputy director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s Training Center in Washington DC. In 1986, White returned to the Chestnut Health System and founded the Lighthouse Institute, a research center focused on developing and disseminating information about addiction treatment. In 2003, he published his most recognized book; Slaying the Dragon, a seminal history of addiction and addiction treatment in the US. He continues to dedicate himself to research and writing on addiction treatment and recovery coaching (Blackwell Publishing, 2007).