SIMS expands eligibility for services

After 20 years of helping Austin musicians and their families access mental health services, the SIMS Foundation will be greatly expanding its work. Beginning in January, eligibility for the foundation’s services will be extended to the “entire music industry,” according to an announcement on the SIMS Foundation Facebook page. It specifies that “any person who has worked in the music industry for two or more years, and has earned most of their annual income as a music professional, will be eligible for our life-saving counseling, psychiatry, and addiction recovery services.” Partners and family of those who meet the criteria can also qualify for services. The expansion comes as a response to a finding in the Austin Music Census that over a third of Austin’s music industry professionals remain un- or underinsured.