Behind the Scenes of Entertainment Employment and Mental Health

Join Kristin and her guests, Lori and Jennifer, discussing how behind the scenes workers in the entertainment industry (the people who build the sets, hold the cameras, set up the lighting, etc.) are so heavily stigmatized when it comes to mental health. Lori Rubinstein is the Executive Director of the Behind the Scenes Foundation, a 501(c)3 charity which she has been with since its founding in 2005. Lori has been in the entertainment industry for over 40 years. She was the Executive Director of the Entertainment Services and Technology Association, an industry trade association, for almost 30 years until her retirement in 2018. During her tenure she oversaw the creation and development of the ANSI-accredited Technical Standards Program and the Entertainment Technician Certification Program among other initiatives. Her experience in the industry also includes working as a professional dancer, as a lighting designer and stage manager for dance, symphony, theater and musicals, and for industry businesses including a theatrical lighting supply company, a theater consultancy firm, and a manufacturer of entertainment products.www.behindthescenescharity.orgJennifer Leff, LCSW is a Senior Director at MusiCares, the charity of the Recording Academy. Prior to her work at MusiCares over the past ten years, Jennifer had a private practice in New York City for 13 years where she worked with adults and couples, many of whom were in the creative arts world. Prior to her private practice, she worked in hospital settings with individuals living with chronic and severe and persistent mental illnesses and was also the director of an outpatient mental health clinic. www.musicares.orgBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mental-health-news-radio--3082057/support.