The Institute for the Development of Human Arts is a left-of-center mental health training organization founded in 2016 by activist Jazmine Russell and psychiatrist Peter Stastny. ¹

The organization began to create its Transformative Mental Health Core Curriculum in 2021. The curriculum claims that current mental health care is driven by “an approach that conceptualizes mental health as a brain disease,” which in turn “minimizes” other factors such as “trauma and oppression.” ^{1 2}

The Institute for the Development of Human Arts receives most of its revenue in the form of contributions and grants. As of 2024, It has received funding from private grantmaking foundations, including George Soros’s Open Society Foundations. ³

Background

The Institute for the Development of Human Arts (IDHA) is a left-of-center mental health training organization that is comprised of mental health workers, psychiatrists, and clinicians, as well as “advocates” and “artists.” The organization was founded in 2016 by activist Jazmine Russell and psychiatrist Peter Stastny, and it became an independent 501(c)(3) organization in 2022. ^{1 4}

IDHA began to create its Transformative Mental Health Core Curriculum in 2021. The curriculum claims that current mental health care is driven by “an approach that conceptualizes mental health as a brain disease,” which in turn “minimizes” other factors such as “trauma and oppression.” IDHA states that it created the curriculum to “shift dominant medicalized narratives toward a paradigm of humanity, care, and support.” ^{1 2}

The organization also states that the curriculum will teach those who enroll how to “review how psychology and psychiatry have been leveraged to oppress historically marginalized groups,” and how to “demonstrate the impact of various social movements in liberating individuals with lived experience.” ²

Financials

The Institute for the Development of Human Arts receives most of its revenue in the form of contributions and grants. ⁵

IDHA had a total revenue of $242,232 in 2022, $195,412 of which came from contributions and grants, while $28,844 came from program service revenue, and $17,976 came from “other” revenue. ⁶

The organization’s total expenses amounted to $99,880 in 2022, $61,955 of which was spent on salaries, employee benefits, and other compensation, while $37,925 was spent on “other” expenses. ⁷

The organization’s 2022 tax return also notes that Jessie Roth, IDHA’s executive director, received $60,600 in reportable compensation from IDHA. The form also states that the total expenses relating to “compensation of current officers, directors, trustees, and key employees,” amounted to $56,647. ⁸

According to IDHA’s website, the organization received 65 percent of its revenue from foundations, 19 percent from program revenue, 11 percent from fundraising events, three percent from membership dues, and two percent from individuals, in 2022. According to the website, the organization spent 64 percent of its total expenses on personnel, 19 percent on faculty and contractors, six percent on other expenses, five percent on systems, four percent on accessibility, and two percent on miscellaneous programs. ⁴

Funding

In 2023, the group received several grants totaling of $160,611 from George Soros’s Open Society Foundations for the purpose of supporting, “the grantee’s work on transformative mental health, building a community and network of activists in the field of transformative mental health.” ³

IDHA received multiple grants from the Ittleson Foundation, a private grantmaking foundation established by Henry Ittleson, the founder of CIT Financial Corporation, in 1932. IDHA received $30,000 from the Ittleson Foundation in 2018, $25,000 in 2019, and $15,000 in 2020. ^{9 10 11 12}

The Ronald W. Naito Foundation, an Oregon-based left-of-center grantmaking group, donated IDHA $10,000 in 2023 for “general operating.” ¹³

Mental health advocacy group WITH Foundation granted IDHA $4,500 via its Discretionary Fund to support IDHA’s workshop “Decarcerating Care: Histories of Coercion and Dreams for Liberated Futures.” ¹⁴

1. “Who We Are — IDHA.” March 11, 2021. Accessed November 11, 2024. https://www.idha-nyc.org/about-idha.
2. “Transformative Mental Health Core Curriculum — IDHA.” October 11, 2019. Accessed November 11, 2024. https://www.idha-nyc.org/core-curriculum.
3. Open Society Foundations – Awarded Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships.” Open Society Foundations. Accessed November 11, 2024. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/past?grant_id=OR2023-88232.
4. “Financials — IDHA.” March 11, 2022. Accessed November 11, 2024. https://www.idha-nyc.org/financials.
5. “Institute For The Development Of The Human Arts Inc.” ProPublica. Accessed November 11, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/871374396/202333149349302048/full.
6. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Institute For The Development Of The Human Arts Inc. 2024. Accessed November 11, 2024. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/871374396/202333149349302048/full.
7. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Institute For The Development Of The Human Arts Inc. 2024. Accessed November 11, 2024. Part I.
8. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Institute For The Development Of The Human Arts Inc. 2024. Accessed November 11, 2024. Part VII. Section A.
9. “About the Foundation.” Ittleson Foundation. Accessed November 11, 2024. https://ittlesonfoundation.org/about-the-foundation/.
10. “2018 Mental Health Program Grants.” Ittleson Foundation. Accessed November 11, 2024. https://ittlesonfoundation.org/mental-health/2018-mental-health-grants/.
11. “2019 Mental Health Program Grants.” Ittleson Foundation. Accessed November 11, 2024. https://ittlesonfoundation.org/mental-health/2019-mental-health-program-grants/.
12. “2020 Mental Health Program Grants.” Ittleson Foundation. Accessed November 11, 2024. https://ittlesonfoundation.org/mental-health/2020-mental-health-program-grants/.
13. “Grant History.” RWN Foundation. Accessed November 11, 2024. https://www.rwnfoundation.org/grant-history/.
14. Peters, Leslie. “Discretionary Fund.” WITH Foundation. September 20, 2023. Accessed November 11, 2024. https://withfoundation.org/discretionary-fund/