Author: Lori Rubinstein

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BTS Seeks 2026 Holiday Card Designers

Behind the Scenes is Seeking Designers for Holiday Cards

Behind the Scenes holiday cards make a difference – and you can too! The cards have become a tradition in the industry for those who want to spread holiday cheer while supporting their colleagues who are seriously ill or injured or in need of mental health support. Each year designs have been created and donated to the charity by everyone from Tony Award winners to high school design students.

Behind the Scenes is seeking designers for their 2025 cards. The design guidelines are very simple and you can also view previous examples of the holiday cards. If you are interested in designing a card, Behind the Scenes will need your commitment no later than May 15th and your artwork by June 15th. Please contact us at holidaycard@btshelp.org or 212-244-1421 Ext. 3.

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Tools to Help Explore Career Changes

BTS Launches Tools to Help Explore Career Changes

The Behind the Scenes Mental Health Initiative announces a new program to assist entertainment industry workers in exploring career expansion or transitions to new careers when work is not plentiful enough or its simply time to make a change.

The entertainment industry has been evolving and experiencing changes that many didn’t foresee – new viewing methods, a global pandemic, weather related catastrophes, strikes and work slow-downs.

People who work in the creative fields are by their very nature industrious and willing to explore the new. Typically, they are flexible and ready to change direction as needed when the unexpected happens. 

The newly launched web pages at btshelp.org/career take users on a journey of exploration to discover possibilities they may not have previously considered. They are guided through a series of questions to help them articulate their reasons for making a change, what’s most important to them, what they are looking for, what they don’t like or limitations they may have, as well as identifying their soft skills. It also encourages users to translate their job title into skill sets and to find new ways to apply them in order to pay the bills and thrive.

The site looks at options both within and outside the entertainment industry; offers short, mid and long range strategies; addresses the fear and uncertainty of change; and provides a variety of tools and resources for taking the next steps. These include tips for writing a resume and cover letter that will get noticed, links to personality tests to aid in self-discovery, links to industry career support offered by other organizations, links to entertainment job boards, and more.

The task group is seeking the stories of people who have transitioned into other sectors of the entertainment industry or other industries. Please visit btshelp.org-share-your-story to complete a very short form if you are willing to share yours.

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Take Our Mental Health Survey

BTS Requests Your Participation in Online Survey

to Explore Mental Health Needs in a Changing Industry

The BTS Mental Health Initiative was launched in 2019 with an industry-wide survey the results of which guided the development of the tools and resources currently available. The entertainment industry has experienced major changes over the ensuing years including a global pandemic, weather related catastrophes, strikes and work slow-downs, and changing business models, so it’s time to once again ask you what initiatives would support your mental health and wellbeing.

The BTS Mental Health Initiative has done extensive work in the areas of suicide prevention, bullying and harassment, alcohol and substance misuse, finding qualified therapists, providing easy to navigate resources, Mental Health First Aid training, and reducing stigma.

Work has recently been started on initiatives to help people improve their communication skills and to assist them in exploring career expansion or transitions to new careers when work is not plentiful enough.

Your response to the survey (btslink.org/survey) will guide the development of new tools and resources to meet your needs as you navigate a rapidly changing industry.

We seek to reach a wide and diverse group of respondents with this survey. Please help us reach as many people as possible by forwarding this survey to your co-workers and colleagues. All information will be reviewed and published only in aggregate and will not include any information that identifies any individual participant. All responses will be kept private and confidential to the extent permitted by law.

Take the survey today!
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BTS Seeks Therapist Recommendations

BTS Seeks Therapist Recommendations for the
Entertainment Industry Therapist Finder

EITF Call for Therapists 700

In Fall 2019, the Behind the Scenes Mental Health Initiative conducted an online survey to better gauge the mental health needs of entertainment industry members. BTS received an unprecedented response highlighting their experience and a common complaint was how difficult it is to find a therapist who knows anything about the entertainment industry’s unique culture, rigors and stressors.

In response, BTS created the Entertainment Industry Therapist Finder (EITF) specifically for our community of industry colleagues. The Finder only includes mental health professionals who have personal experience in our industry and/or have worked with entertainment industry professionals and are familiar with their unique pressures.

To make this program an even more valuable resource for the industry, we need your help. If you or a family member know of a mental health professional you think will add value to the Finder, please send their name and email to mh@btshelp.org and BTS will provide them with information and sign-up details.

Mental health professionals who register with the EITF will complete a questionnaire that includes areas of specialty, payment/fees (sliding scale and insurance), and virtual or in-person sessions. This ensures those seeking counseling find the best possible match for their needs.

To access the Entertainment Industry Therapist Finder go to btshelp.org/findatherapist. Visit btshelp.org/mentalhealth to see all the available tools and resources in our Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Initiative.

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Become a Certified Mental Health First Aider

Make a Difference in 2026
Become a Certified Mental Health First Aider!

Mental Health First Aid Training Classes are posted monthly on the Behind the Scenes website at btshelp.org/mhfa. Do you know how to respond if you see someone who is deeply depressed, having a anxiety attack, or showing signs of alcoholism? Just as CPR helps you assist an individual having a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid helps you assist someone experiencing a mental health or substance use-related crisis.

6Mental Health First Aid takes the fear and hesitation out of starting conversations with someone you are worried about by teaching you how to recognize the signs and symptoms, how to listen non judgmentally and give reassurance, and how to refer that person to appropriate professional support and services.

The course is delivered in two parts. The first is a 2 hour self-paced online course that must be completed prior to the second part which is a 6 hour virtual live instructor led session. Go to btshelp.org/mhfa to learn more and to select the date and time you wish to attend the virtual live session. Upon completing the course you will become a certified Mental Health First Aider which is valid for three years.

The registration fee is $125. IATSE Members and those working under IATSE agreements may be eligible for Training Trust Fund reimbursement upon proof of successful completion of the course. A limited number of partial and full scholarships are available to individuals not eligible for reimbursement. Private group classes of 10 -25 are available – contact mhfa@btshelp.org for information. Training for Canadians is available through the AFC at https://afchelps.ca/mhfa.

You’ll learn about the risk factors and warning signs of mental health and substance use problems including information on depression, anxiety, trauma, psychosis and substance use; the 5-step ALGEE action plan to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or is in crisis, and the available evidence-based professional, peer and self-help resources.

Make 2026 the year you took an active role in helping to care for those you work with. Don’t miss this opportunity to expand your skill sets by learning how to identify, understand and respond to signs of distress in your colleagues and help make our workplaces healthier and safer spaces for all. Visit btshelp.org/mentalhealth to see all the available tools and resources.

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Quarterly Bystander Intervention Webinars

Learn How to Safely Intervene to Stop Workplace Bullying

Bystander Intervention 2026 500

The Behind the Scenes Mental Health Initiative is partnering with the social justice organization Right to Be in offering free, virtual webinars training entertainment industry professionals to safely intervene during instances of bullying or harassment in the workplace. The 2026 Bystander Intervention in the Entertainment Industry webinars will be held on February 2nd, April 24th and July 13th. The webinars, sponsored by the IATSE, are free but pre-registration is required at btshelp.org/bystander.

Do you know how to safely intervene if you see a co-worker being bullied or intimidated? Did you know there are different ways to intervene to match your comfort level? In just ninety minutes you can learn about five easily accessible tools and get real life examples to use in any workplace to safely intervene without worrying about retaliation.

Bystander Intervention in the Entertainment Industry is offered through the Mental Health Initiative’s Stop Bullying campaign. The campaign was launched 2021 in response to bullying, harassment, and intimidation being common workplace stressors throughout the entertainment industry. Attendees of the webinars leave the trainings equipped to safely intervene using the tools they have learned if they witness disrespect or harassment at work.
 

The Stop Bullying campaign also provides additional resources to assist industry professionals in reducing harassment and intimidation in the workplace. These resources include a poster to raise awareness of words, actions and behaviors that constitute bullying; information for those who are targets of, or bystanders to bullying behavior; information to empower individuals to Be Informed, Be Aware, Show Support, and Take Action; and a sample policy and procedures to identify, investigate and resolve instances of bullying, harassment or intimidation and to provide support to those who experience these behaviors.