Denver To Become First US City To Train First Responders In Psychedelics Crisis Intervention

The nonprofit Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) is partnering with the City and County of Denver, Colorado to provide comprehensive training on psychedelic crisis assessment and intervention to the city's first responders. 

The Psychedelic Crisis Assessment and Intervention training was commissioned by the Denver Psilocybin Mushroom Policy Review Panel (DPMPRP.) The first-of-its-kind panel was formed following the passage of Ordinance 301 in May 2019, which effectively decriminalized the personal use and possession of psilocybin mushrooms in Denver.

Kevin Matthews, former president of the Denver Psilocybin Mushroom Policy Review Panel and Denver native, says the training represents "a giant leap forward for public health and safety with psilocybin and natural medicines in Denver" and "is a perfect example of what cities can do to better integrate emerging psychedelic policies into their existing infrastructures."

Sara Gael, former MAPS harm reduction officer, says the program will equip first responders with "the necessary knowledge and skills to handle psilocybin and psychedelic related crises in a safe and compassionate manner" and ultimately improve the community's health and well-being.

The Denver Harm Reduction training initiative has reportedly been well received by the City of Denver leadership. Gael called the program "a testament to the progressive and visionary leadership of Denver, which has taken a bold step to decriminalize psilocybin and create a model for other cities to follow."

The Training Program

MAPS' training "aims to enhance the knowledge, attitudes and skills of first responders to quickly recognize and effectively respond to emotional and behavioral crisis incidents involving psilocybin and other psychedelics." 

The program also seeks to enrich responder safety and reduce risk and liability in situations where an individual may experience a psychedelic-induced crisis, thereby increasing the trend toward harm reduction and education around the use of psychedelics.

The curriculum, which took three years to develop, was a concerted team effort of over 20 MAPS and subcontracted professionals with backgrounds in law, medicine, psychiatry, mental health, neuropsychopharmacology, law enforcement, crisis response, quality improvement and education. 

The final training, specifically designed for law enforcement, mental health and emergency medical service personnel, will be delivered through non-simultaneous videos and related assessments.

Topics included in the training:

• History, usage, psychological and physiological response and potential adverse effects of psilocybin ingestion;
• Legal considerations and implications of decriminalization and the role of first responders;
• Standards and protocols for effective psilocybin or psychedelic-related crisis response planning, training and deployment; and 
• Best practices and techniques for assessing, de-escalating and managing psychedelic crises.

Author's note: The safety and efficacy of psychedelic-assisted therapies are still being researched. None, as yet, have been approved by the FDA or other regulatory bodies. It is important to understand that no therapy works for everyone and all therapies, even in clinical settings, carry risks.

Photo courtesy of Hey Explorer