SoundMind Approved By Oregon Health Authority To Train Psilocybin Facilitators

Oregon's Health Authority (OHA) recently approved the SoundMind Institute Psychedelic Facilitator Training program as a state-sanctioned training facility for Oregon Psilocybin Services. 

Oregon’s measure 109 is a historical landmark in psychedelic legislation that turned the state into the first to legalize psilocybin-assisted therapy across the country. Through it, a new treatment option within a framework of regulation developed by research and overseen by the OHA will be provided to those in need. 

The ballot does not allow for psilocybin to be bought in stores or to take home, nor branding and marketing psilocybin products to the general public. Furthermore, specific regulations ensure psilocybin will only be used in settings under the supervision of trained facilitators.

SoundMind, a Philadelphia and Oregon-based psychedelic facilitator training and research initiative seeks to bring ethics, equity and innovation to the psychedelic ecosystem. The recently state-sanctioned training facility will offer an 8-month training program for clinicians and other professionals providing a foundational understanding of the literature and practice of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, including the use of ketamine, MDMA, and psilocybin in the therapeutic setting. 

The program is designed for clinicians -psychotherapists, physicians, and others-, but being a clinician isn’t a requirement for acceptance. The course offered by SoundMind Institute is designed to fulfill requirements for Oregon’s Psilocybin Program as well as to prepare those enrolled for ketamine-assisted psychotherapy administration.

While psilocybin services must be provided in Oregon, being a resident of Oregon is not required for training, and anyone across the nation can participate in the facilitator training program, according to the company’s statements. 

Photo Courtesy of Aaron Blanco Tejedor on Unsplash.