Linda knew her husband, Tom, needed help. With the success of his most recent album, his tour schedule had become hectic, keeping him on the road and away from his wife and their baby daughter. He became increasingly depressed, and then he began drinking again – after seven years of sobriety.
Their finances were a mess, their marriage was on the rocks and as his drinking and depression both escalated, Linda worried for his safety.
Fortunately, she knew about the SIMS Foundation, a nonprofit organization that has provided mental health and addiction recovery services to Austin musicians and their families since 1995.
SIMS was founded by the friends and family of Sims Ellison, a talented local musician, after his long battle with depression ended in suicide. They knew the “Live Music Capital of the World” is home to thousands of professional musicians (8,000, according to the City of Austin), and that many of these musicians are struggling with mental health and addiction issues.
Austin’s live music culture is a powerful engine for the local economy, boasting world-renowned festivals like Austin City Limits and SXSW. Even our local grocery stores attract customers with family friendly live music.
However, it’s not always an easy gig for the musicians themselves. Irregular hours, financial insecurity and proximity to alcohol and drugs often result in or exacerbate depression, anxiety, relationship problems and substance abuse for this population, the majority of who are uninsured or underinsured and unable to pay out of pocket for expensive counseling and substance abuse treatment.
To access SIMS services, potential clients call the Confidential Client Line and talk to one of two licensed mental health counselors who conduct in-depth clinical assessments and provide short-term counseling. Based on the clients’ needs – which range from psychiatric services and couples counseling to medical detoxification from drugs and alcohol – our staff refers them to the most appropriate long-term provider within our network of 60 therapists and treatment centers.
Austin is fortunate to have an abundance of both musicians and licensed therapists in private practice. Members of the SIMS provider network are licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs), licensed professional counselors (LPCs), psychologists, psychiatrists, adult psychiatric nurses (APRNs) and licensed substance abuse programs.
They serve SIMS’ clients at a significantly reduced rate, resulting in more than $500,000 of in-kind support each year. Some providers take only one or two SIMS clients; some take up to 20.
When Linda reached out to SIMS, she received low-cost counseling for herself with a therapist who was familiar with the dynamics faced by families in the music industry. With Linda’s support, Tom received SIMS-funded inpatient treatment at Austin Recovery when he was ready a few months later. He was also referred to a SIMS therapist for ongoing support, as well as a SIMS psychiatrist to prescribe and monitor antidepressants for his depression.
SIMS serves between 600 and 700 clients, and provides more than 6,000 counseling sessions each year. The therapists in SIMS’ provider network offer long-term individual and couples counseling, and have a variety of specialties to meet clients’ needs.
SIMS also works with both psychiatrists and adult psychiatric nurses. The nurses first provide a comprehensive assessment to determine the need for medication and then offer ongoing sessions to monitor and manage psychotropic medication. Psychiatrists provide ongoing sessions to monitor and manage psychotropic medication that is beyond the scope of what the nurses are able to prescribe.
In addition, SIMS offers a full range of addiction recovery services through its partners, Austin Recovery and Hickory Wind Ranch (HWR). When there is a need for medical detoxification, clients receive round-the-clock nursing care while safely withdrawing from all mood-altering chemicals under the guidance and direction of an M.D.
Clients attend Intensive Residential Treatment, a 30-day inpatient drug and alcohol treatment program, and often continue treatment at HWR, a transitional housing option that provides a structured and supportive living environment for people early in their recovery.
It is estimated that 20 to 25 percent of the population is affected by mental illness. With proper treatment, most people can have normal, productive lives.
Like the general population, musicians suffer a high rate of mental illness and an even higher rate of addiction; as they constantly play in bars late at night, drugs and alcohol are an occupational hazard for them. That’s why SIMS is here to help.
If you’d like to help SIMS keep Austin’s musicians in tune, please visit the SIMS website for more information: www.simsfoundation.org.
