Numerous entertainment industry organizations offer assistance for battling alcohol and drug addiction. See a list of resources below, and for more from Variety‘s Recovery Issue, in which prominent entertainment figures offer insights on navigating a sober life in Hollywood, click here.
ORGANIZATIONS
The entertainment industry offers a host of resources for those struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. Following is a rundown of industry-backed organizations that provide addicts a way to find help.
MusiCares
Established 1989
MusiCares is a foundation offshoot of the Recording Academy that provides social and financial services to eligible professionals in the music industry. For drug and alcohol problems, MusiCares offers:
–Help in finding 30-day programs, inpatient treatment, intensive outpatient treatment, sober living or outpatient support for eligible applicants
— Help arranging reduced rates for treatment facilities in some instances
— Safe Harbor Rooms backstage at major festivals and awards ceremonies that often include a 12-step meeting
The Actors Fund
Established 1882
With offices in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, The Actors Fund provides assistance to those in the performing arts and entertainment industries.
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— Case management services and short-term counseling on topics such as health insurance and job development
— Financial assistance for amenities such as sober living or inpatient treatment plans; The Actors Fund works with MusiCares and other organizations to develop custom financial plans
— 12-step meetings at its offices
— Works with industry employers to educate them about addiction and help clients keep jobs.
Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation
Established: 1939
The Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation operates a hotline offering assistance to industry pros in film distribution and exhibition and vendors. The fund is open to those who face “an illness, transition or catastrophic event.” The fund also has a staff of social workers who help aid recipients line up financial assistance for food, health insurance and other amenities.
Broadcasters Foundation of America
Established 1961
Broadcasters Foundation of America provides financial assistance for those working in local radio and TV broadcasting. The organization has focused on helping industry insiders through natural disasters and other emergency situations, but is open to offering support for those suffering with addiction problems.
Episcopal Actors Guild
Established 1923
The Episcopal Actors Guild offers financial backing to performing arts professionals of all faiths in the New York City area.
— Provides financial grants for addicts seeking inpatient and outpatient treatment, including support for rent, utilities, medical bills and transportation costs
— Offers free performance and wellness workshops, yoga and meditation classes
SIMS Foundation
Established 1995
The foundation established in memory of musician Sims Ellison offers counseling, rehabilitation and wellness support groups to musicians in the Austin, Texas, area.
— Offers financial help for individual counseling and partial hospitalization programs as well as medical detoxification and residential rehabilitation
— Primarily serves musicians in the Travis County, Texas, area but also provides assistance to musicians on tour
TREATMENT
Great strides have been made in the past 20 years in developing treatment options for chronic drug and alcohol addiction. Here’s an overview of the most common treatment options.
Group counseling
Alcoholics Anonymous and other support group-based programs harness the power of bringing addicts together to share their experiences and aid one another. AA describes its renowned 12-step program as “a group of principles, spiritual in their nature, which, if practiced as a way of life, can expel the obsession to drink and enable the sufferer to become happily and usefully whole.”
Inpatient treatment
Detoxification and rehabilitation services are offered in a hospital- or clinic-based setting. They are most commonly used for people also suffering from mental illnesses or severe physical problems.
Partial hospitalization
Participants typically live at home but attend treatment for four to eight hours a day for at least three months.
Residential programs
These programs typically last one month to a year and offer phases of treatment that gradually reintroduce a person into the world, with the goal of living independently. Residential treatments are seen as best for those who don’t have access to a stable living environment.
Opioid treatment programs
Clinics dispense methadone, naltrexone, buprenorphine and other drugs that help those who are dependent on heroin, OxyContin, Vicodin and other opioids. They typically involve individual and group counseling sessions.
Intensive outpatient programs
A person is required to attend nine to 20 hours of treatment activities per week; the program typically runs two months to a year.
Outpatient programs
These programs are offered in health clinics, community centers, state and local health department offices. Attendance requirements vary from daily to one to three times per week.
HOTLINES
Hotlines for treatment information and referrals
— Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP
— Los Angeles County Substance Abuse Service Helpline: 1-844-804-7500
— New York State Office of Addiction Services and Support: 1-877-8-HOPENY
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