American Psychedelic Practitioners Association

SAFELY AND HOLISTICALLY SUPPORT THE INTEGRATION OF PSYCHEDELIC MEDICINES AND PRACTICES INTO THE US HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.

CREATION OF THE PPGS: APPA COLLABORATED WITH BRAINFUTURES TO SPEARHEAD A MAJOR MILESTONE FOR THE PSYCHEDELIC MEDICINE COMMUNITY AND FIELD INFRASTRUCTURE. CREATING FIELD INFRASTRUCTURE WAS A MAJOR COMPONENT OF APPA'S MANDATE, WHICH IS TO DEVELOP THE INFRASTRUCTURE WHITE PAPERS THAT WILL ACT AS GUIDE POSTS FOR THE PSYCHEDELIC MEDICAL MODEL (THERAPEUTIC APPLICATION OF PSYCHEDELICS, ADMINISTERED BY LICENSED DOCTORS, NURSES, AND THERAPISTS). APPA AND BRAINFUTURES BROUGHT TOGETHER MULTIPLE WORKING GROUPS, BOTH PAID AND VOLUNTEER, TO WORK ON THE QUESTIONS OF BEST PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES FOR PSYCHEDELIC PRACTITIONERS. THE END RESULT DOCUMENT WAS CALLED THE PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE GUIDELINES FOR PSYCHEDELIC PRACTITIONERS (PPGS). THIS PROJECT TOOK APPROXIMATELY 10 MONTHS FROM START TO FINISH, AND REQUIRED EXTENSIVE NEGOTIATION BETWEEN DIFFERENT AREAS OF PRACTICE, AND MUCH TIME AND THOUGHT WENT INTO THE EXACT DEVELOPMENT OF THE LANGUAGE THAT WAS USED. THIS PROJECT WAS COMPLETED AND PUBLISHED IN AUGUST OF 2023, AND IS CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF THE MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE ORGANIZATION.

ESTABLISHMENT OF MEMBER WORKING GROUPS: OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, APPA ESTABLISHED AND MAINTAINED MULTIPLE PRACTITIONER WORKING GROUPS.I. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS: IN ADDITION TO ITS FIDUCIARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, THIS GROUP FUNCTIONED WAS AN ONGOING WORKING GROUP, PRIMARILY VOLUNTEER, FOCUSING ON POLICY, COMPLETING AN UPDATE TO THE ORGANIZATION BYLAWS AND THE EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK; SETTING STRATEGIC GOALS. II. THE ELDERS COUNCIL: THIS VOLUNTEER GROUP WAS COMPRISED OF NINE MEMBERS OVER THE AGE OF 60 YEARS AND REPRESENTING WISDOM ACROSS MULTIPLE DISCIPLINES, SUCH AS NATIVE AMERICAN MEDICINE, CLASSIC PSYCHIATRY, ACTIVISM, ACADEMIA, NEUROSCIENCE, PSYCHOTHERAPY, AND BEYOND. THIS GROUP ACTED AS AN ADVISORY GROUP TO THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION, AS WELL AS ACTIVELY CONSULTING ON THE PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE GUIDELINES. THIS GROUP MET BI-MONTHLY, WAS ATTENDED BY APPA STAFF MEMBERS, AND ADVISED ON SEVERAL KEY PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES.III. THE RESEARCH AND TRAINING GROUP: THIS GROUP WAS ASSEMBLED SPECIFICALLY TO DEVELOP THE CONTENT FOR AND THEN WRITE THE PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE GUIDELINES. IT WAS COMPOSED OF 8 INDIVIDUALS - DOCTORS, NURSES, THERAPISTS, PSYCHIATRISTS - WORKING IN THE FIELD OF PSYCHEDELIC RESEARCH AND APPLICATION. THIS GROUP WAS MAINTAINED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROCESS OF THE PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE GUIDELINES, AND DISBANDED AFTER THE DOCUMENT WAS PUBLISHED IN AUGUST 2023.

MEMBER ACQUISITION AND OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT: ANOTHER CRITICAL PORTION OF APPA'S MANDATE WAS TO CREATE AND SUSTAIN A MEMBERSHIP OF PSYCHEDELIC PRACTITIONERS WORKING WITH LEGAL SUBSTANCES, AS WELL AS DEVELOP A PIPELINE FOR THOSE WHO WERE STUDYING TO BE ABLE TO PRACTICE WITH PSYCHEDELIC SUBSTANCES ONCE THE COMPOUNDS HAD RECEIVED FDA APPROVAL. APPA HIRED A DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY AND EDUCATION TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO FURTHER DEVELOP THE MEMBERSHIP, INCLUDING PRODUCING REGULAR DIGITAL EDUCATIONAL CONTENT, LIVE EVENTS FOR NETWORKING, AND DEVELOPING AND MANAGING THE ONLINE PLATFORM FOR PRACTITIONERS TO BE CONNECTED. AT THE END OF 2023, APPA HAD SECURED AND RETAINED 1800 MEMBERS IN THIS ONGOING EFFORT. ADDITIONALLY, THIS EMPLOYEE ALSO TOOK ON THE ROLE OF DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS WHEN THE CONTRACT OF THE PREVIOUS DIRECTOR OF OPS WAS NO LONGER RENEWED.

EDUCATING LAWMAKERS AND POLICY MAKERS ABOUT PSYCHEDELICS, AND OFFERING PRACTITIONER EXPERTISE: ONE WAY THAT APPA SOUGHT TO ACHIEVE ITS GOAL OF CREATING A WORLD WHERE PSYCHEDELICS ARE SAFELY INTEGRATED INTO THE AMERICAN MEDICAL SYSTEM WAS BY EDUCATING LAWMAKERS AND POLICY MAKERS IN WASHINGTON DC., COLORADO, OREGON, AND CALIFORNIA. IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, A ROLE FOR THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND POLICY WAS ESTABLISHED TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AND INTERNALLY HIRED. THIS PERSON WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR WORKING WITH A CONTRACT PR FIRM (AT A DISCOUNTED RATE) TO ESTABLISH THOUGHTFUL AND EDUCATIONAL NARRATIVES IN THE PRESS, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND BEYOND, AS WELL AS WORKING CLOSELY WITH MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND STATE LEGISLATURES WHEN THEY REQUESTED INFORMATION AND EDUCATION. THIS PERSON WAS A MEMBER OF THE COLORADO AND OREGON WORKING GROUPS TO ESTABLISH PRACTICES AND GUIDELINES FOR THE LAWMAKING PROCESSES THERE.