Highlights from April 2024

Congressional Task Force Briefing

On April 9th, BrainFutures hosted a comprehensive briefing on medical psychedelic-assisted therapy for congressional staffers in partnership with the Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force. Our discussion spanned a wide range of topics including the science and history behind psychedelics, the model of care, veteran advocacy, and policy implications.

We recognize that education is fundamental in promoting equitable access to mental health innovations and essential for making informed decisions that expand treatment options.

Many thanks to our speakers Sandeep Nayak, Frederick Barrett, Juliana Mercer, and Shane Pennington for their invaluable contributions and insights as well as the Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force for having us.

We look forward to hosting more of these important conversations.

University Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Training Convening

On April 17th and 18th, BrainFutures hosted a psychedelic-assisted (PAT) therapy training convening in New York City, bringing together academic leaders in psychiatry, nursing, and social work. We extend our sincere appreciation to our participants listed below, whose expertise and contributions enriched our discussions on this important topic.

Throughout the convening, we engaged in substantive dialogue regarding the future state of PAT training in academia and the current, urgent challenges that the field faces.

Thank you to all participants for their valuable insights and commitment to advancing psychedelic-assisted therapy and psychiatric, nursing, and social work education:

Heidi Allen, Columbia University
Alyssa Velez Draffin, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Jennifer Jones, Medical University of South Carolina
Natalie Gukasyan, Columbia University
Dan Roberts, New York University
Caroline Dorsen, PhD, FNP-BC, FAAN, Rutgers University
Mary Bit Yaden, Johns Hopkins University
Michael D. Alpert, MD, Harvard University
Gianni Glick, MD, Stanford University

We look forward to sharing some of the meeting’s key findings in upcoming releases this summer and are excited to be partnering with some of the most cutting-edge thinkers and educators in this field.