[1] In 2002, Sascha Altman DuBrul wrote an article published in the San Francisco Bay Guardian about his experiences being diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
[2] Years later, musician-activist Bonfire Madigan Shive[3] and counsellor/activist Will Hall became key members in The Icarus Project's administration and development.
In 2005, journalist Jennifer Itzenson[7] noted that while the Icarus Project may accept those with a wide range of "perspectives" on mental health issues, there is also "an edge of militancy within the group," particularly among those who reject medication.
While Icarus Project staff have described their expertise in social activism, herbalism, and labour organizing; none of them are licensed medical or mental health professionals.
[8][7] The Icarus Project was under the fiscal sponsorship of FJC, a non-profit 501(c)3 umbrella organization arm of an investment firm, based in New York City.