Mental Health and Collective Health Resources for Immigrant Theater Artists
We know that being a theater artist in New York City means navigating uncertainty, pressure, and a constant push to keep creating – even when your mental health needs attention.
This guide was created with care for our community: a collection of grants, directories, therapists, healing spaces, legal resources, and podcasts and videos that center the mental health needs of Immigrant indie theater artists.
Whether you’re looking for financial support for therapy, legal guidance on ever-changing immigration laws, a competent mental health provider, or a space to reconnect with yourself or others – these resources are here to help you.
You deserve care. You deserve rest. You deserve healing.
We hope this guide helps make that a little more possible.
Grants and Funding Resources for Mental Health and Access-Centered Care
IndieSpace Mental Health Grant – The IndieSpace Mental Health grant awards individual indie theater artists $500 grants to use toward therapy, medication, meditation classes, and any other mental health-related costs. As the number of grant requests outnumbers our budget, we hold an opportunity drawing at the end of each month. It is our hope that by providing this financial resource, we can help remove barriers that prevent artists from seeking and receiving the care, support, and information they need to care for their mental health.
HealthWell Foundation – Provides financial assistance to people living with chronic or life-altering illnesses, including mental health conditions. If you qualify, they may cover co-pays or premiums.
Artists at Risk Emergency Support – Grants are offered from $500 to $2,000 cover essentials such as relocation support, food, utilities, rent, security, medical and mental health care, legal representation, and travel.
Entertainment Community Fund Artists Health Insurance Resource Center – Every Artist Insured provides individual enrollment consultations; webinars on Affordable Care Act plans, Medicaid and Medicare; and enrollment assistance.
NYC-Based Mental Health Resources and Therapists
ZenCare – A directory of New York City-area therapists who specialize in artists’ mental health.
Christina DelBene – Licensed Master Social Worker with experience helping individuals navigate poverty, economic insecurity, and immigration-related stress.
Julissa Llosa – Licensed Clinical Social Worker providing individual and couples therapy informed by her identity as a queer, immigrant, cisgender woman and a nuanced understanding of colonization, racism, and displacement.
Roberto Colangeli – Licensed psychoanalyst who works with adult populations including immigrants and LBGT+ community and is fluent in Italian and English.
New York Immigration Coalition Public Benefits Chart – Organized by legal status, this downloadable chart that shows noncitizens their eligibility for federal and New York State benefits like Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, Public Housing, SNAP, and others.
New York Immigration Coalition Mental Health Guide – Available in 14 languages (with a focus on the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities), this downloadable guide walks through what to do and whom to contact to identify the right level of care and service needed.
Artists Health Insurance Resource Center – This center provides through personalized health insurance counseling provided nationally, guidance and enrollment support; referrals to health care resources; as well as primary and specialty care at The Friedman Health Center in New York City.
Creatives Care – A New York City nonprofit that provides free, personalized guidance and referrals for artists and creatives seeking mental health treatment.
Low Cost Therapy NYC – A comprehensive guide to different kinds of low-cost therapy services in New York City.
211 – 211 New York is a free, confidential service that connects residents to local health and human services across the state. Available 24/7 by phone, text, or online, it assists with needs like housing, food, mental health care, and more. Simply dial 2-1-1 or visit 211newyork.org to find support in your area.
988 (fka NYC Well) – 988 is New York City’s mental health hotline covering everything from immediate suicide prevention and crisis counseling, to referrals to further resources. You can call the hotline, text, or chat with an operator via the website. Operators are available 24/7 in more than 200 languages. You can also call 988 to request a Mobile Crisis Team for yourself or another person.
National Mental Health Resources and Counseling Directories
Inclusive Therapists – A social justice and liberation-oriented mental health directory, community, and resource hub that centers on the intersections of racial, 2SLGBTQIA+, Neurodivergence, and Disability Justice.
Informed Immigrant Mental Health Resources – A directory of resources and guides to provide undocumented immigrants with the knowledge and resources they need to feel prepared in an unpredictable political and enforcement environment.
Open Path Psychotherapy Collective – A nonprofit that provides low-cost therapy services to those who do not have health insurance, or whose insurance lacks adequate mental health coverage.
Lower Cost Prescription Drugs – There are a number of resources for finding lower-cost prescription drugs. These vary in accessibility and affordability. Some are also funded by drug manufacturers, which makes them complicated. Two resources that are generally accepted as helpful are GoodRx and NeedyMeds.
Immigrant Defense Project Emergency Preparedness Guide – If you or a loved one are at risk of deportation, this guide will walk you through an emergency plan for medical, legal, financial, and childcare needs.
Healing Spaces and Resources
New York Foundation for the Arts Immigrant Artist Newsletter – This monthly newsletter lists upcoming opportunities and events of particular interest to immigrant artists as well as profiles of an artist or arts and immigrant services organizations.
Center for Traditional Dance and Music – This program assists New York City’s immigrant communities to sustain their distinctive performing arts traditions and promotes cross-cultural understanding by sharing these art forms with audiences across the city. Events, community programs, and educational opportunities are held regularly.
Asian American Arts Alliance – The Alliance is dedicated to strengthening Asian American artists and cultural groups through resource sharing, promotion, and community building. They offer yearly program and fellowship opportunities.
Lotus Music & Dance – A performance space, sanctuary, and center of education for traditional and indigenous performing arts forms. The mission is to keep alive and accessible the music and dance traditions of all world cultures. Events held regularly.
Espejo Organization for the Arts – A Brooklyn-based arts management organization dedicated to supporting the growth and diversity of the arts in the United States. It offers Creative-in-Residence programs, Immigration assistance, and classes. Requires booking a consultation, which are released throughout the year.
Career Advice for Immigrant Artists – Virtual career coaching for New York immigrant artists in a variety of languages and disciplines. Sessions are $80 and 40 minutes.
Creativity is Boundless: An Inclusive Guide – This 2023 downloadable guide includes fellowships, grants, and residences for immigrant, migrant, and undocumented artists.
Artists at Risk Fellowship Database – ARC Fellowships aim to provide artists with necessary resources and support networks to enable them to continue their work from exile. This includes financial assistance, residency opportunities, legal aid, and advocacy services.
Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts – VLA serves the artistic community’s need for legal services by providing access to free or low fee legal services in addition to regular video workshops and classes. Qualifying artists can request legal assistance on all arts-related legal matters.
Artists from Abroad – Regularly updated resources with guidance on immigration procedures and U.S. tax requirements for Foreign Guest Artists, including visa-specific guidance and tax withholding guidelines.
Fractured Atlas Visa Services – Artists from other countries applying for visas to work in the United States of America often need letters of consultation/no objection that vouch for their artistic excellence. Cost is $200 for a letter of consultation.
Current Immigrant Support Podcasts and Videos
Artists at Risk Connection Meetings and Workshops – Video collection includes challenges facing artists in authoritarian regimes and censorship.
International Arrivals – Conversations with artists about their work and their personal stories about migration, immigration, displacement, and home.
Define American with Jose Antonio Vargas – A YouTube channel covering news and conversation about immigration in America today, including politics, media, culture, personal stories, breaking news, and more.
Center for Art Law Visual Artists’ Immigration Clinics – Online workshops that are designed to guide emerging visual artists through the process of obtaining a visa to the United States and immigration under the current administration. Held throughout the year and registration is required.
Archived Immigrant Support Podcasts and Videos
While these podcasts and videos are not actively updated, their archived episodes may be a resource for you.
Immigrant Defense Project’s Indefensible Podcast Series – Stories of people resisting deportation and standing up and speaking out. Episodes recorded and released through June 2025.
¡El Arte, No Calla! – Spanish-language podcast from the Artists at Risk Connection that addresses issues related to artistic freedom and human rights.
Articulation by CuratorLove – Podcast that unpacked Latinx Contemporary Aesthetics, brown existence, labor, migration, immigration, Undocumentedness, and all things driven by the aesthetics of brown artists.
Disclaimer:
This guide includes resources and providers that have been recommended to us by members of our community. While we’ve done our best to share supportive and reputable options, IndieSpace is not affiliated with and does not formally endorse any of the organizations, practitioners, or services listed here. We encourage you to do your own research and choose the options that feel right for you.
If you have feedback on this guide or would like to share a resource, please contact IndieSpace at communications@indiespace.org. We appreciate it!