Charlie Sheen And Social Worker Role

Charlie Sheen, the 46-year-old actor infamously known for his verbal rampage on Warner Brothers executives, will be playing an athlete-turned-social worker helping criminal defendants on the new sitcom "Anger Management." Sheen's character as well as his clients will struggle with anger problems. The show will be based on the 2003 movie, starring Jack Nicholson, and will be produced by Joe Roth, who also produced the film. At this point, no network has agreed to pick up the sitcom, though Lionsgate Television Studios has agreed to produce the show.

It is thought that the show will attract a significant amount of attention based on the recent public interest in Sheen's personal life. Sheen was fired from the CBS sitcom "Two and a Half Men" in March 2011 due to problems with drugs and alcohol in addition to making negative comments about the series creator on a radio broadcast.

Some social workers are worried about the conclusions viewers will draw about the social work profession when the sitcom airs. Social workers have already been concerned that Sheen's lackluster enthusiasm about drug and alcohol rehabilitation may negatively affect the public's views of clinical rehabilitation.

While drug and alcohol abuse can have serious affects on people's physical and emotional health, the glamorization of the rehabilitation process leads people who follow Hollywood stars to neglect taking it seriously. Of course there are some wonderful success stories of those in the entertainment industry that faced themselves and got beyond their past issues.

Sheen has also not attracted positive attention in the light of his recent maladaptive behaviors and public rants, and some social workers are concerned that the social work profession may be tainted by association. It is also likely that the social work profession will be portrayed inaccurately on the television sitcom and may contribute to stereotypical beliefs about social work.

On a positive note, Sheen is able to take criticism as has been illustrated by the recent "roast" on television that focused on him. There were over six million viewers. At one point, Jeff Ross asked, " Charlie, don't you want to live to see their first 12 steps?" Having a sense of humor despite going through losing so hopefully shows he is ready for real change.

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