HAF Goes National: Seeking New Executive Director!
First, with a new and refined vision, the Healing Advocacy Fund is shifting into a national organization! Aligned with our mission to expand and protect safe and affordable state-regulated access to psilocybin therapy for all who need it, we have an opportunity in 2024 to expand state-regulated access into new states beyond Oregon and Colorado. Psychedelics are transcending partisan politics across the country, and as the only organization currently shaping state-regulated policies and programs, we are paving the way to bring healing to millions more people. As a result, we see a huge need to devote more time, energy and focus towards supporting the development of these programs and policies across the country as we move forward.
We approach this opportunity seriously: it comes with the responsibility of maintaining and expanding progress in ways that prioritize safety, affordability, and access. I truly believe that if our efforts are successful at our current pace, we’ll see a half dozen new states that could approve some form of psilocybin access in the next few years.
Second, with the organization transitioning to the national level, I will be reorienting my own work with HAF to capitalize on my strengths in building this new opportunity and more importantly, to set the Healing Advocacy Fund up for even greater success in the future.
This means that early next year, I’ll be transitioning to serve as HAF’s National Director for Public Policy and Government Relations, which means I will lead strategic efforts to advance and promote more state-licensed and regulated psychedelic programs across the country.
This role will allow me to do what I do best: provide detailed insights on policy from years of experience in drug policy reform; educate the public and decision-makers on the promise that state-regulated access provides for so many in need, and create realistic expectations about the benefits – and risks – of psychedelic healing among stakeholders and the public.
I feel a deep sense of responsibility as the first Executive Director of this organization to see our work continue along the successful path we have all worked so hard to achieve. Because of your work and dedication to our mission as staff members, the generosity of our funders, and amazing stakeholder support, HAF is ready and ripe to expand outwards to bring this successful model to fruition for new clients across the nation.
As I transition into this new role in 2024, I am excited to share all of our knowledge and experience with new leaders in this space…and, you guessed it: HAF is officially seeking its next Executive Director!
HAF is currently working to recruit the right person for this role, someone who can expand upon the organizational foundation we’ve built. If you or someone you know is interested and wants to learn more, access the job description using the link below. The application deadline is January 31st.
In closing, I want to say I’m so proud of the work we’ve been able to accomplish together over the last several years. These are just a few of the examples that are important to acknowledge and highlight:
Without HAF, there would be no program for psilocybin services in Oregon. We played a central role in building the regulatory program and guided many of the licensed operators who are training, growing, testing, and facilitating.
When Colorado passed its new law, HAF immediately stepped in to guide implementation.
We are the primary source of information to the media and have trained many individuals and organizations who have appeared in the media. The overwhelmingly positive coverage of the Oregon and Colorado programs is critical to the sea-change in attitudes towards psychedelics nationally.
We have led the effort to ensure that the stories about psilocybin therapy are grounded in research and data. We supported the passage of Oregon Senate Bill 303, setting a national baseline for outcome measurement and program statistics that will make Oregon’s program safer and more equitable.
We distributed $150,000 in scholarships to 28 incredible people in Oregon, expanding and diversifying that state’s pool of facilitators and ensuring that facilitators better fit the diverse needs of clients.
We’ve supported a blossoming industry in Oregon every step of the way, which has served over 600 clients (and counting!) in less than 6 months.
Please share the Healing Advocacy Fund Executive Director announcement with your network, as we hope to see a large and diverse pool of candidates apply for this position. While we manage the transition, I’ll remain the Executive Director until we hire someone new.
It's been an incredible three years, and I’m incredibly grateful for your support and look forward to doing great things with you in 2024.
Onward,
Sam Chapman
Executive Director
Healing Advocacy Fund