Belmont University receives $3 million from Country Music Association

Belmont University has received a $3 million gift from the Country Music Association in support of the launch of the new Center for Mental Health in Entertainment, which will provide enhanced mental health support and community resources for individuals within the entertainment industry. The funding will also create a new CMA endowed chair and executive director position. In addition, $2 million in funding will also be matched by the Johnson Academic Challenge at Belmont University, which is an effort to create more endowed positions at the university.

According to an article on Belmont University’s website, university president Dr. Greg Jones was quoted as saying of the gift, “We are grateful for industry leaders in our community like the Country Music Association who also care deeply about the health and well-being of the entertainment industry. The programming and endowed position made possible by their generous gift will ensure positive change and solidify CMA and country music’s legacy of transforming industry culture.”

Belmont University is launching the Center for Mental Health in Entertainment, which will be a joint effort of the university’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business and the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences. The Center for Mental Health in Entertainment will focus on foundational research about the mental health challenges that uniquely affect individuals in the entertainment industry, as well as provide support and resources for those in need of help. The Center will serve both students and industry professionals.

Of the gift from the Country Music Association, $1 million will go toward programming for the new Center for Mental Health in Entertainment. The other $2 million, which will also be matched with $2 million from the Johnson Academic Challenge, will establish the CMA endowed chair & executive director position for the Center. The first individual who will fill the role is Debbie Carroll.

Caroll is a licensed clinical social worker. She used to work as the VP for Entertainment and Specialized Services with Onsite Entertainment and as the VP of Health and Human Services for MusiCares, experiences which will help inform her in this new role. Caroll will serve as a professor of practice within the Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business and the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, and will serve as the guiding force of the Center for Mental Health in Entertainment as the effort moves forward. Among her duties will be curriculum development, workshop creation, and the development of strategies to help foster a new generation of entertainers who have resources, support,  and tools to manage their mental health.

Speaking of her new position, Caroll said, “I’m honored to step into this role and help lead a transformative initiative that places mental health at the heart of the entertainment industry. This Center represents a powerful opportunity to build a culture of care, resilience and innovation for artists and professionals across music, film, television and beyond. With Belmont’s deep commitment, and CMA’s visionary support, we’re poised to make a lasting impact, starting in Nashville and reaching far beyond.”

Sharrel Pinto, who serves as the dean of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, shared her enthusiasm about the new Center. She said, “With mental health challenges reaching epidemic levels — particularly in the entertainment industry — there is an urgent need to prepare the next generation with tools for self-care, equip counselors to meet the industry’s unique demands, and close gaps in care through research and innovative practice models. Our college has a research and practice arm that was created with the intention to partner with our community, advance whole-person care and shape practices that elevate human potential. By bringing together experts in behavioral health, rehabilitation sciences, pharmacy, and wellness, and through our partnership with CURB and those in the community already doing a lot of this meaningful work, we are uniquely positioned to bridge healthcare and entertainment in ways that can extend far beyond Middle Tennessee—impacting our nation and the world.”

Echoing these sentiments, Brittany Schaffer, the dean of Curb College, said, “Our partners, like CMA, know a thriving entertainment industry begins with healthy, supported individuals connected by community. This center will invest in today’s leaders and creators, prepare the next generation to confidently navigate challenges, and serve as a model for how our industry can care for its own. Debbie Carroll has long been the trusted voice on mental health in entertainment—her wisdom, compassion and proven leadership have shaped the vision for this Center from the spark of the idea, and I have every confidence in her as our inaugural CMA Endowed Chair & Executive Director. With Debbie at the helm, we have the opportunity to forever change culture.”

The goal for the Center for Mental Health in Entertainment is to eventually become a blueprint that will be utilized in other areas of the country, which leads to it eventually becoming a global effort to revitalize mental health for entertainers.

Sarah Trahern, the CEO of the Country Music Association, said, “As a trade association, it’s our responsibility to care for the people who make this industry thrive. Supporting their well-being has always been central to CMA’s mission, and through years of investments and partnerships, we’ve seen how access to care can change lives. This collaboration with Belmont allows us to take that support a step further—transforming advocacy into meaningful, long-term change. With a leader like Debbie Carroll guiding this work, we’re helping ensure a stronger, healthier music community for generations to come.”

For more information about Belmont University, visit the school’s website.