'Next to zero warning': Musician mental health organization must pause services for 90 days

AUSTIN (KXAN) – An organization that helps link Austin musicians with mental healthcare announced Tuesday it must pause services for 90 days while it restructures and develops a new fundraising strategy. 

The SIMS Foundation has connected musicians with behavioral healthcare services for nearly 30 years. In 1995, the organization was founded to provide “low- to no-cost mental health care to local artists,” according to the SIMS Foundation. 

“Over the past 30 years, SIMS Foundation has invested more than $50 [million] into mental health care services for more than 25,000 members of our music community,” a spokesperson for the foundation wrote. 

“Despite operating with an extremely small staff and low overhead, public and private funding support has consistently gone down year after year, while the need for our services has risen dramatically and the healthcare landscape has evolved,” they continued. 

Some clients who rely on the organization for mental health care services were surprised to learn of the sudden pause. 

“On Friday, they sent an email saying we're going to be stopping services effective November 1,” said Dean Seltzer, a local Austin musician. “That's next to zero warning,” Seltzer said. 

Seltzer spoke effusively about the SIMS Foundation saying, “I find myself in a positive mental place that I wouldn't be in otherwise without them.” Still, he finds the timing of the pause to be challenging. 

“Over the holidays – we're going to do this over the holidays where, statistically, mental health, depression and suicide are at their worst?” Seltzer asked. 

“It's hard to say anything negative about Sims at all,” he continued. “You look at all the good they've done – It's quite amazing, which has made it that much more jarring.”

The SIMS Foundation said it needs more funding in order the continue to operate in the way it has. 

“We are heartbroken over the decision, however, we must do this if we want SIMS Foundation to continue into the future, as we know we all do,” the organization wrote on its website. 
SIMS Foundation said it will work with clients and providers over the next three months to minimize the impacts of the pause.

People interested in donating to the organization can do so online.