The Essential Role of Oregon’s Psilocybin Facilitators
As Oregon’s future psilocybin facilitators graduate from training programs and begin to take their licensing exams, we are proud to share the next video in our series about the people leading the way to providing safe, equitable psilocybin therapy in Oregon.
In the video, Rebecca Martinez, founder and executive director of the Alma Institute facilitator training program, speaks about the importance of a rigorous training process and of finding a good match between clients and facilitators.
Rebecca and the Alma Institute are enrolling now for a May cohort of facilitator trainees. If you or someone you know is interested, please visit the Alma website to learn more. Licensed and trained facilitators are critical for nurturing positive mental health outcomes for people undergoing psilocybin therapy.
We thank Rebecca for her leadership and look forward to the new generation of facilitators working to bring this breakthrough therapy to Oregonians who can benefit.
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
Congratulations to Oregon’s First Licensed Psilocybin Manufacturer
In March, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) issued the state’s first psilocybin license. The manufacturer license was issued to woman-owned business, Satori Farms PDX LLC, owned by Tori Armbrust. We congratulate Tori for becoming the first licensed psilocybin manufacturer in the nation!
UPDATES
Community Meeting Held in Ashland
The Healing Advocacy Fund (HAF) joined the Rogue Valley Psychedelic Society for a community meeting just outside of Ashland on March 23. Over 20 members of the Rogue Valley Psychedelic Society joined HAF for a community conversation that included programmatic updates, how the service center landscape is shaping up, policy updates and dialogue on key priorities moving forward. HAF is looking to hold additional community meetings in Portland and Bend and to offer more webinars to connect remotely in the coming months.
HAF Testifies in Favor of OHA's Psilocybin Program Budget
Sam Chapman, executive director of the Healing Advocacy Fund, testified on March 23 in favor of the Oregon Health Authority’s proposed budget for the state’s psilocybin therapy program. Fully funding OHA’s budget request will ensure the program has the staffing and resources required to bring this much-needed mental health option to those for whom currently available options are not working or are inaccessible. Full funding will also prevent increases to licensing fees. You can read Sam’s full testimony here.
SB 303: Information to Improve Oregon’s Program
The Healing Advocacy Fund is supporting Oregon Senate Bill 303 this legislative session. The bill would require service centers to collect and submit a set of aggregate (summarized) information to the Oregon Health Authority, without any personal details that could be used to identify an individual client. This information will help ensure client safety, quality of services and equitable access as Oregon creates and evolves the nation’s first state-regulated psilocybin therapy program.
Since the introduction of Senate Bill 303 earlier this year, HAF has conducted listening sessions with well over 100 stakeholders from across Oregon, with meaningful amendments being made to the bill in response to the concerns we heard around privacy and information protection.
The most recent version of the bill now includes an opt-out provision for clients who do not wish to participate, and can be read here.
EVENTS
Webinar: Introduction to Cultivating Interests, April 13, 10am PST
Cultivating Interests is a new, in-person workshop based in Hood River, Oregon. Workshop modules focus on understanding the psychedelic experience, developing a common language around psychedelics, microdosing psilocybin and much more. In anticipation of their 2023 launch, principal instructor Daniel Covington is hosting a Zoom event that will introduce the workshop and provide a glimpse into his background and motivations.
> Register for the event
Webinar: Psychedelics for Women’s Mental Health, Friday April 14, 12 - 1pm PST
Join Psychedelic Support co-founder and neuropharmacologist Allison Feduccia, PhD for a presentation on the science of hormones and neurotransmitters, health challenges across the life cycle, and why psychedelic medicines could become treatment options for premenstrual symptoms, sexual health, postpartum depression, menopause, and end-of-life care.
Sign up today to join Dr. Feduccia as she discusses the research behind these advances and takeaways for women who are searching for healing through psychedelic medicine.
Webinar: Managing Medical Risk in Patients Seeking Psilocybin Therapy, April 27, 5pm PST
The Psychedelic Medicine Association is hosting a public webinar to announce their first-ever CME/CE course: Managing Medical Risk in Patients Seeking Psilocybin Therapy. They have gathered some of the experts behind the course to tell you how exactly the Oregon psilocybin program will work and to share some of the medical considerations highlighted in the course, including:
Who can access psilocybin in Oregon
What kind of training the facilitators will undergo and what the facilities may be like
What types of indications psilocybin may be helpful for
Some of the considerations in managing medical risk for patients seeking psilocybin therapy.
IN THE NEWS
A Psychedelics Pioneer Takes the Ultimate Trip
New York Times
As the founding director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, Dr. Roland Griffiths has been a pioneer in investigating the ways in which psychedelics can help treat depression, addiction and, in patients with a life-threatening cancer diagnosis, psychological distress. He has also looked at how the use of psychedelics can produce transformative and long-lasting feelings of human interconnectedness and unity. One could surely classify his achievements using various medical and scientific terms, but I’ll just put it like this: Griffiths has expanded the knowledge of how we might better learn to live.
Oregon’s Emerging Psilocybin Mushroom Market Braces for Dose of Financial Reality
Oregon Public Broadcasting
Thanks to Hollywood, people across the country are familiar with a cocaine bear, but only in Oregon can a person find a psilocybin bear.
“These are our vibrating tactile neural feedback bears, but they are getting a psilocybin treatment as you can see,” therapist Cathy Jonas said as she pointed to the blindfolded stuffed animals in reclining chairs.
Jonas’ mental health practice, EPIC Healing in Eugene, is among several businesses that are first in line to provide legal treatments to people using psychedelic mushrooms.
New Poll Shows Strong Support for Psychedelic Medicine
Breakthrough Bulletin
As over a half dozen state legislatures consider psychedelic medicine related bills this session, Breakthrough Bulletin conducted a survey of 1,704 voters nationally to gauge how the American public views the prospect of expanded access to psychedelic treatment.
The poll results show that voters broadly believe that lawmakers are not focused enough on mental health, a frustration that hits close to home as most voters know someone close to them who has experienced a serious mental health condition such as depression or anxiety. Our results also show strong voter support for both regulated access to psychedelic medicine and removing criminal penalties for possessing psychedelic substances.
Oregon Issues First License Under Psilocybin Program
Fox News
Oregon has issued its first license under its new system that offers controlled use of psilocybin to the public.
The Oregon Health Authority announced Wednesday that it had issued a manufacturer license to Satori Farms PDX LLC, owned by Tori Armbrust. Oregon Psilocybin Services, which falls under the health authority, began accepting applications for four license types in January. More than 220 license and worker permit applications have been submitted to Oregon Psilocybin Services so far.