Our Mission:
The SIMS Foundation provides mental health and substance use recovery services and supports for musicians, music industry professionals, and their dependent family members. Through education, community partnerships, and accessible managed care, SIMS seeks to destigmatize and reduce mental health and substance use issues, while supporting and enhancing the wellbeing of the music community at large.
Our Vision:
We envision a music industry where every artist and professional is supported in their mental health and recovery journey—free from stigma, empowered by community, and sustained by care that honors their creativity, humanity, and resilience.
Our Values:
At SIMS Foundation, our work is rooted in values that reflect the heart of the music community we serve: VIBES
V – Values-Driven
We lead with compassion, equity, and integrity—grounding every decision in purpose and our commitment to mental health and recovery.
I – Inclusion
We honor the diversity of the music industry, ensuring care reflects every identity and experience with dignity and respect.
B – Belonging
We create spaces where music professionals feel seen, heard, and supported—because healing begins with connection.
E – Empowerment
We help individuals reclaim agency in their recovery through advocacy, education, and personalized care.
S – Support
We offer accessible, trauma-informed care through a network of providers and peers who walk alongside every journey.
Music impacts and inspires nearly everyone, but the people who work in the music industry often face unique and difficult challenges. Musicians and music professionals are at higher risk for mental illness and substance abuse, working under the stress of an unstable income, a skyrocketing cost of living, erratic tour schedules, distance from family and support, and constant proximity to drugs and alcohol.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in five Americans experiences a mental health condition each year. That’s why SIMS Foundation ensures that members of our music community have access to a full array of mental health and substance use recovery treatments, delivered with no barriers and at low or no cost.
To succeed in our work, we have built a community of health care providers, volunteers, local business leaders, music industry professionals, and music fans to amplify our efforts. Together, we provide vital services so that our music family can thrive.
History of SIMS
We were founded in 1995 by Sims Ellison’s grieving father Don Ellison, Austin Rehearsal Complex (ARC) owners Don Harvey & Wayne Nagel, recording artist Alejandro Escovedo, and attorney Walter Taylor. Together, they galvanized Austin’s music community to create a unique organization offering mental health services to local musicians. Since then, SIMS Foundation has been passionately serving musicians, music industry professionals, and their dependent family members, ensuring that they have access to affordable, personalized mental health care from providers who understand them.
Sims Ellison
Sims Ellison was a prodigious songwriter and bassist for the band Pariah, one of Austin’s most popular hard rock bands in the early 90s. He was loved throughout the Austin music community because of his big heart, laid-back nature and outgoing personality. Sims was known for wearing funky hats and lederhosen while performing. After receiving positive reviews for their two self-produced EPs, Pariah and Rattle Your Skull, Pariah gained a following of nearly 25,000 fans. In 1992 the band self-produced their first full-length record, Make Believe, which they released on their label Sick Kid Productions. In 1993 their second record, To Mock a Killingbird, was released by Geffen Records.
In 1995, Sims lost his battle with depression, and the Austin music community was gripped with shock and sadness. Born out of tragedy to help thousands, SIMS Foundation was founded by Sims’ grieving father Don Ellison, Austin Rehearsal Complex (ARC) co-owners Don Harvey & Wayne Nagel, recording artist Alejandro Escovedo and attorney Walter Taylor. Together, they galvanized Austin’s close-knit music community to create a unique organization offering mental health services to local musicians. SIMS Foundation continues to provide lifesaving services to those in the music community and their families when they need them most.
Listen to Pariah on Spotify and learn more about the band on Facebook.
Photo credit: Todd V. Wolfson
Financial Transparency
The SIMS Foundation is committed to transparency, accountability, and responsible stewardship of the resources entrusted to us. As a nonprofit organization serving the mental health and recovery needs of the music industry, we believe in making our financial information accessible to our community, supporters, and partners.
IRS Form 990
Our annual IRS Form 990 outlines our financial activities, including income, expenditures, and key program information.
👉 Sims 2023 Form 990 PUBLIC COPY (PDF)
Audited Financial Statements
Each year, The SIMS Foundation undergoes an independent financial audit to ensure our operations are conducted with integrity and in accordance with nonprofit accounting standards.
👉 SIMS Foundation Audit Report 2023 (PDF)
For questions about our financials or additional documentation, please contact us at info@simsfoundation.org.
Founders
Alejandro Escovedo
Don Ellison
Don Harvey
Wayne Nagel
Walter Taylor
Thank you for supporting our music community so they can thrive!
SIMS is not a 24-Hour crisis line. If you are in crisis, please call 512-472-HELP or 911.