Posted on January 12, 2023January 13, 2023 Betsy Boone Uncategorized Tips from the Improv Community to Improve Mental Health (Five rules that can be applied to everyday life) (Original article published in the NPR Life Kit – link to full article below) Studies show that creatives, including those in the performing arts such as music, theater, and comedy, are more likely to face mental health challenges than the general population. While SIMS Foundation works directly with the music industry and their dependent family […] Read More
Posted on November 30, 2021December 1, 2021 James Whelan Uncategorized SIMS Foundation Announces New Partnership with the Travis County DA’s Office Focused on Harm Reduction SIMS Foundation is proud to announce a new partnership with the Travis County District Attorney’s Office and the Red River Cultural District (RRCD) to raise awareness of the recent surge in overdose deaths in Austin. The partnership was formed just days after the U.S. overdose deaths topped 100,000 in one year. In 2020, over 240 […] Read More
Posted on May 4, 2021May 4, 2021 Kate Howard Uncategorized My Friends Call Me RoboKate DISCLAIMER: This blog post describes an intense medical procedure in graphic detail. My name is Kate Howard. I am a musician. I am 57 years old. On May 14th, I will release my debut CD, “The Best Medicine”. My age is not the only thing that distinguishes me from my peers in the music industry. […] Read More
Posted on April 6, 2021April 12, 2021 James Whelan Uncategorized Pricey Car Repairs: How Elliott Smith’s Sister Found the SIMS Foundation SIMS Foundation Board Member Ashley Welch is an Austin musician who plays in bluegrass band Brand New Key, co-owner of recording studio Crosspick Studio, and substance use recovery specialist at UT Austin. In our latest blog post, Ashley speaks about how the loss of her brother led her to discover SIMS Foundation and discusses how she’s seen our organization impact the music community. Read More
Posted on February 2, 2021February 4, 2021 James Whelan Uncategorized An Interview with Casey Seymour: Making the Best of 2020 with SIMS, Therapy, and Virtual Community Austin musician Casey Seymour cites therapy through SIMS, discovering sobriety, and a helpful community of other artists as helping him rediscover his identity as an artist. SIMS Development and Marketing Coordinator James Whelan interviewed Casey to learn more about how he wants to help spread a message of wellbeing for others. Read More
Posted on January 7, 2021 Gloria Uridel Uncategorized Moving Towards Your Highest Potential Recovery Month celebrates the gains made by those in recovery, just as we celebrate improvements made by those who manage other health conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes, asthma and heart disease. Read More
Posted on October 5, 2020October 7, 2020 Patty Lynn Uncategorized Breaking Down Was the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me Patty Lynn is a singer-songwriter who performs as one half of The Wind and the Wave, and the latest addition to the SIMS Board of Directors. Here, she discusses her road to therapy and how she got involved with SIMS. Read More
Posted on October 1, 2020October 30, 2020 Gloria Uridel Uncategorized Tips to Stay Recovery Focused in a COVID World Recovery Month celebrates the gains made by those in recovery, just as we celebrate improvements made by those who manage other health conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes, asthma and heart disease. Read More
Posted on September 1, 2020September 1, 2020 Gloria Uridel Uncategorized Celebrate Recovery Recovery Month celebrates the gains made by those in recovery, just as we celebrate improvements made by those who manage other health conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes, asthma and heart disease. Read More
Posted on September 1, 2020September 1, 2020 Fabian Wood Uncategorized Suicide Awareness in Minority Communities As suicide rates rise to the second leading cause of death for persons 10-34 in Texas, our communities are looking to find ways to build awareness around a topic that many only just realized existed. In our community, we all deal with mental fatigue from everyday obstacles and social injustices that make us feel alone in our thoughts and situations. Read More
Posted on July 16, 2020July 28, 2020 James Whelan Uncategorized Q&A With Austin Musician Scott Strickland Austin musician Scott Strickland had an open conversation with SIMS about his music career, mental health, and under representation of Black musicians in Austin. Read More
Posted on June 1, 2020June 19, 2020 Ashley Logan Uncategorized The Silver Lining Does Exist, and it’s called Post Traumatic Growth. Licensed Professional Counselor and SIMS Provider Ashley Logan, discusses the emergence of Post Traumatic Growth, a process of positive changes that result from life crises or traumas. Read More
Posted on February 6, 2019February 6, 2019 Chantel Ortiz Uncategorized (26.2) Miles for Musicians SIMS supporter Chantel Ortiz is running the 2019 Austin Marathon to honor the memory of her cousin Caleb and raise money for SIMS. Here, she talks about the hope Caleb inspired in others throughout his life and why she chose to give back to mental health in Austin music, one step at a time. Read More
Posted on December 7, 2018April 23, 2019 Gabriel Vasquez, musician and entrepreneur Uncategorized My Story of Life Recovery Musician and entrepreneur Gabe Vasquez talks about his path to sobriety and how SIMS has helped him do a complete “life recovery,” so he can now help others. Read More
Posted on December 7, 2018April 19, 2019 Amelia Cowen, aka AC Aftermath Uncategorized Processing Mental Health and Addiction With Music Hip hop artist Amelia Cowen, aka AC Aftermath, discusses how music helps her process difficult feelings and how she hopes the music community will start talking more openly about mental health. Read More