Author: Lori Rubinstein

Behind the Scenes announces an online behavioral health screening program as part of its Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Initiative. These free screenings are completely anonymous, private, easily accessible, and quick to complete.

The entertainment industry has unique rewards, practices, stressors and challenges that are not commonly experienced in the same way in other professions. By its very nature our industry can impact your physical and emotional health with long hours, pressure to push your body, and high workplace stress.

These screenings are a tool to check in on a key part of your overall health – your behavioral health – which includes mental health, substance use, and more. The program consists of nine different sets of questions which can help you self-identify symptoms you may be experiencing. You choose which of the screenings you wish to take based on how you are feeling.

The screenings are a quick way to determine if you or someone you care about can benefit from the help and support of a Mental Health professional. They will help you understand if what you have been thinking and feeling may be associated with a common, treatable behavioral health issue. Immediately following each screening you will see your results, recommendations, and key resources.

Take a confidential screening today at www.btshelp.org/screening, or tell a friend or colleague who also might benefit.

An extensive listing of resource links is now available on the Behind the Scenes website at btshelp.org/resources. Finding help when you are going through a difficult time can be overwhelming. A simple internet search can result in hundreds of pages and links and different terminology which can further complicate seeking help. We hope these resource links provide a simple, straightforward way for you to find assistance.

Behind the Scenes in conjunction with other concerned organizations and individuals have come together to create the Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Initiative. A series of tools and resources has been developed to not only help you but also assist you in helping your colleagues. Find links to resources, the online self-assessment tool, and information about the initiative and programs at btshelp.org/mentalhealth.

How best to celebrate the amazing life of a founding member of the LRLR, especially in a year already filled with more plot twists and emotional rollercoaster rides than the worst sophomoric bodice-ripping trash novel? 

With a relay ride of course, all the way across the US. A relay ride featuring (what else??) an oversized kazoo. Just the type of adventure we believe Cris “Brooklyn” Dopher would be proud to join. This year we’ll carry his memory with us as we cross the country. 

We hope you’ll consider joining us for a day or two if you can, and more importantly we hope you’ll consider supporting the riders as they pay their own way on the various legs of the relay while raising desperately needed charity funds. 

Starting in California on June 17th and ending at the easternmost point in the US in Lubec, Maine on July 2nd, this year’s route has it all – Pacific Coast Highway, beautiful desert, mountain ranges of both the Rockies and the Appalachians, Green mountains of Vermont, and the rugged coast of Maine, with a whole lot of Nebraska and Iowa thrown in for good measure!

16 days is a long stretch, but we hope it will give several people an opportunity to join us for a day or two who might otherwise not have had the chance. Each leg of the relay will be led by an experienced LRLR member. 

Learn more at www.lrlr.org.

Click here to support a rider on the 2020 relay ride today!

Two industry businesses, LiteGear and Blue Planet Lighting, have found creative ways to provide employment and support Behind the Scenes, which continues to provide grants to entertainment technology professionals who are seriously ill or injured and to develop the new Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Initiative.

LiteGear, a BTS Pledge-a-Product Partner, has launched their Donate, Support and Save Program which includes donating N95 masks, reminding their customers that every purchase of a LiteMat Kit supports Behind the Scenes, and offering weekly specials on some of their most popular products. Considered an essential business in California because they service the media industry, LiteGear has been able to keep their staff employed and is working hard to continue their ongoing support for Behind the Scenes.

Blue Planet Lighting wanted to do something to help all the freelance production personnel who suddenly found themselves unemployed and unable to generate any income. With their primary focus being sales and service, Blue Planet has made an offer to the industry to hire, on a commission basis, anyone who wants to reach out to venues in their area who may be using this time to purchase new equipment or complete maintenance and repairs. Once a lead is generated, Blue Planet will create a quote and if a sale is finalized the individual will receive a large commission and a percentage will be donated to Behind the Scenes.

Rick Rudolph, Chair of Behind the Scenes, commented, “We are so appreciative of the support offered by LiteGear and Blue Planet Lighting during this extremely difficult time for our industry. Unfortunately, serious illness and injury do not stop because of Covid-19 and these individuals are now more vulnerable than ever. In addition, the Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Initiative is even more urgently needed now and our volunteers and staff are working hard to roll out resources and programs as quickly as possible.”

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 in need due to serious illness or injury. 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 2020 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 April 15th and your artwork by May 15th. Please contact Lori Rubinstein at [email protected] or 212-244-1421.

Last fall, Behind the Scenes, with the assistance of other industry professionals, conducted an online survey of the industry which received an unprecedented response. The results revealed that a pressing problem is finding therapists who understand something about the unique culture and stresses of the entertainment industry and who are available to see people on nights and weekends or through teletherapy.

As a result, we have partnered with HelpPRO to create an online therapist finder specifically for the entertainment industry. Only therapists who have previously seen professionals in the entertainment industry as clients, or who have personal professional experience in the industry themselves will be included in this finder. The finder will be available to anyone working in any facet of the entertainment industry and users will be able to search for a therapist by a range of criteria important to them.

The finder is now accepting therapist listings. Therapists will complete an extensive questionnaire that includes their areas of specialty, what insurance they accept and whether they have a sliding scale for those not covered, whether they have weekend and nighttime office hours or will conduct phone or video sessions, and much more. This will allow those seeking counseling to find the best possible matches for their needs.

If you know of a therapist with the required experience, please tell them about the finder and ask them to register at btshelp.org/therapist_registration. Thank you to the many people who answered our call to recommend a therapist. Those therapists will be contacted directly with information on how to register.

The Entertainment Industry Therapist Finder will be made available to everyone in the industry as soon as there are enough therapist listings to be useful. Please help by encouraging registration.

Rosco Laboratories was Behind the Scenes’ first Pledge-a-Product Partner and they continued their support with a check presentation today by Chad Tiller, Rosco’s Vice President of Global Live Entertainment, to Executive Director Lori Rubinstein in the BTS office.

“Behind the Scenes goes above and beyond to help our colleagues and industry professionals in need and Rosco is proud to give back and support this outstanding charity,” said Tiller. “This marks our 11th year of donating proceeds from Roscolux 359 Medium Violet, and we are thankful to Behind the Scenes for their commitment to the entertainment technology industry.”

Rubinstein gratefully accepted the check saying, “We continue to be extremely grateful to Rosco for having led the way in our Pledge-of-Support program and, particularly, for their long-term commitment to the charity. While some other companies come and go from the program, Rosco understands it is this steadfast support that allows us to plan ahead with the confidence we will be able to fulfill our mission and to undertake expanding our services where we see the need, such as with our new Mental Health and Suicide Prevention initiative.”

Last fall, Behind the Scenes conducted an online survey of industry members which received an unprecedented response. This was followed by two focus groups in January to delve deeper into some of the issues and concerns raised in the survey responses. One of the most frequent complaints we heard was how difficult it is to find a therapist who knows anything about the entertainment industry and who is available to see people on nights and weekends or through teletherapy.

As one of the first programs of our mental health and suicide prevention initiative, we are partnering with HelpPro to create an online therapist finder specifically for the entertainment industry. This means that we are seeking therapists who either have personal experience in our industry or who have previously seen clients who work in the industry and learned about the unique pressures and stresses.

In order to make this program a valuable resource for the industry, we need the assistance of everyone in the industry who has seen a therapist they thought was helpful. If you or a family member have experience with a therapist you think should be listed on the finder, please send their contact information to [email protected]. We’ll reach out to them to let them know when the finder is ready for them to sign up.

They’ll be asked about their experience in the industry and will complete an extensive questionnaire that includes their areas of specialty, what insurance they accept and whether they have a sliding scale for those not covered, whether they have weekend and nighttime office hours or will conduct phone or video sessions, and much more. This will allow those seeking counseling to find the best possible matches for their needs.

We are hoping to launch the new finder in late March or early April – contingent upon having enough therapists listed to be useful.

The Behind the Scenes booth at the recent NAMM Show proved to be a hit once again for fans of Neal Preston’s iconic Rock’n’Roll photography. The exhibit was made possible by the generosity of the Lightpower Collection. Lightpower, founded in 1978 in Germany, is an internationally established distributor for stage and studio lighting equipment. The Lightpower Collection was born out of a company culture with a passion for collecting Rock’n’Roll art. The collection features photography and album cover artwork from many of the world’s greatest photographers and designers. Neal Preston’s Rock’n’Roll photography represents the core of this collection and comprises over seventy large-format original fine art prints. 

At the show, Ralph-Jörg Wezorke, founder of Lightpower and the Collection, continued their ongoing support of Behind the Scenes by presenting a check for $11,800 to BTS Executive Director Lori Rubinstein. Upon presenting the check, Ralph stated “Lightpower and I are very happy to be able to support Behind the Scenes and give back to those who make up this fabulous industry. It’s a real pleasure to bring Neal’s work to such an appreciative audience.”

Lori Rubinstein commented, “We are so grateful to Ralph and the Lightpower Collection for their incredible support of our mission and for the amazing gift of having Neal’s extraordinary work in our booth. We had long lines each day to have Neal sign books and posters and the joy the pictures brought to attendees was absolutely palpable.”

For those who missed the show, Neal’s books and posters are available online from the Behind the Scenes Boutique. Prints, in a variety of sizes, are available from the Lightpower Collection.

Neal Preston is one of the most highly respected photographers in the history of the music business and his legendary images include some of the most memorable ever made of rock’s most iconic stars. Neal’s client list is a virtual who’s-who of rock royalty and his archive is regarded as one of the music industry’s most extensive and significant photo collections.

Behind the Scenes has just reached a major milestone–the charity has now awarded $1,000,000 in grants to our colleagues in need. This is an accomplishment that would not have happened without the support of the entire industry and of which it should be extremely proud.

That $1,000,000 has kept so many from becoming homeless or having their heat and lights turned off. It has ensured others continue to receive needed medical care, medications or physical therapy. And it has helped to bury some with dignity.

Grants have been provided to individuals working in every facet of this industry–from live events to motion picture and television production, broadcast, concert touring, corporate events and much, much more. These industry professionals have come from all across the US and Canada.

None of this would have been possible without the support of our industry. Every person or organization who has made a donation, bought a raffle ticket or a holiday card, organized or participated in a community fundraising event, or become a Pledge-of-Support Partner has made it possible for Behind the Scenes to bring help and hope to our colleagues during some of their most difficult moments. Join those who have made a difference at www.behindthescenescharity.org/donorsand help us reach the next million in caring.

Behind the Scenes is also helping our colleagues who are seeking financial assistance to enter mental health or addiction counseling and we are working to develop a mental health and suicide prevention initiative that will provide information and resources to those in need or who are concerned about their colleagues.