Center for Mental Health in Entertainment Hosts Inaugural Leadership Cohort for Industry Changemakers

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 14, 2026) –– The Center for Mental Health in Entertainment at Belmont University hosted The Collective: A Leadership Cohort Workshop for Industry Changemakers on July 13 in Nashville, in partnership with the Country Music Association (CMA). The Center, a collaboration between Belmont's Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business and College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, builds its work around the realities of the industry, supporting artists and entertainment professionals through research, education and community programs.  

The half-day workshop brought together leaders from organizations that each serve a different piece of the entertainment mental health landscape, including MusiCares, Music Health Alliance, Porter's Call, Sweet Relief, ACM Lifting Lives, ECCHO Live, Amber Health and Backline.  

The workshop, themed "Beyond Awareness: Building a Stronger Support Ecosystem for Entertainment," centered on a question leaders in this field rarely get to sit with together: what does a healthy entertainment industry actually look like? Much of the conversation focused on collaboration, specifically how organizations doing similar work can support each other rather than duplicate it. Leaders also compared notes on what they're seeing on the front lines and how the group can build capacity for what comes next. One session tackled a hard gap head-on, noting that it's easy to describe what's broken in the industry, but much harder to describe what success looks like. 

"Our goal was to create space for connection among those doing this important work, while also exploring ways we can collectively strengthen support systems across the industry," said Debbie Carroll, LCSW, CMA endowed chair and executive director of the Center for Mental Health in Entertainment. "So much of our work is about convening, bringing people and organizations together in the same place. This work is big enough for all of us, and when we work together, our impact multiplies. We can reach further together than any of us can alone." 

Carroll leads the Center after more than 30 years in mental health and entertainment leadership, including 23 years with MusiCares and a role at Onsite building emotional wellness programs for public-facing professionals. 

"There's real strength in organizations like these choosing to come together and problem-solve side by side, rather than working in isolation, and Belmont has been such a thoughtful partner in creating that space," said CMA chief Executive Officer Sarah Trahern. "Sustainable change takes sustained attention, and that's exactly the kind of commitment this group brings to the table. On behalf of the professionals who power this industry, CMA is proud to stand alongside that kind of focus.” 

The Center for Mental Health in Entertainment launched in 2025 with a founding investment from CMA. The gift established Carroll's role as endowed chair and executive director. The Center works to strengthen the well-being of artists, creatives and entertainment professionals across music, film, sports and media, through research, education and community programs built around the realities of the industry. The Center will find its permanent home within Curb College's Music Row expansion, currently under construction.