End of Life Psychedelic Care

EOLPC founder Christine Caldwell says our culture treats death as a failure.  Her organization aims to help people see that death is a “universal, sacred journey, just like birth.” The pilot program HHCM has funded will deliver home-based ketamine therapy integrated with spiritual care from doulas and chaplains for hospice and palliative patients.

 

EOPLC is committed to helping people overcome their fear of dying through a holistic approach to mental, emotional and spiritual well-being for those with life-threatening or terminal illnesses. EOLPC provides information to people about psychedelic care and helps connect people interested in exploring the therapy to those trained in psychedelic and end-of-life care.

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Research Leaders: Christine Caldwell, Michael Fratkin, MD, Hunt Priest. $75,025

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Heal Ukraine Trauma

A growing mental health crisis is unfolding in Ukraine, where more than 1.2 million citizens are currently registered as veterans, a number expected to rise significantly as the war continues.

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An estimated 50 percent of veterans of the war in Ukraine will suffer resulting mental health issues and 30-50 percent will not respond to traditional therapies.  Through HHCM funding, Heal Ukraine Trauma will expand trauma-informed group ketamine-assisted psychedelic psychotherapy (KAP) training and services for veterans and their families affected by war in Ukraine.

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Research leaders:  Amy Goodrich, Oksana Gryschenko, and Iryna Holub. $46,130

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Institute for Rural Psychedelic Care

Through this grant, the Institute will provide ketamine assisted psychotherapy (KAP) and narrative medicine programs for terminally ill patients in rural communities.  

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The team at IRPC says that traditional medicine aims for the impossible:  to keep people alive forever.  But they believe that death can be a teacher about how to approach both life – and the end of life. 

Through the grant, local terminally ill patients will receive KAP in a supportive setting with their families.  A professional photographer and documentarian will interview patients, posing a series of open-ended questions on camera. The content will be edited into four short films aimed at offering meaning, legacy and closure to patients and comfort to their families.

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The team says this unique holistic approach blends the benefits of psilocybin with the therapeutic effects of narrative medicine, reducing anxiety and helping patients make the most of their remaining human lives.

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Research Leaders: Michael Fratkin, MD,  Carrie Griffin, OD, and Justin Maxon. $87,700

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Mayo Clinic

This grant will fund the Mayo Clinic’s first-ever clinical trial of psilocybin-assisted therapy for patients with brain tumors and existential distress. 

 

Brain tumors are among the cancers with the poorest prognoses, particularly when glioblastomas are diagnosed. The poor prognoses can create severe distress and anxiety among those who face these diagnoses.

 

In an effort to “de-medicalize” the care delivered to patients, researchers at Mayo will undertake novel research with psilocybin in brain tumor patients for whom psychedelic therapy often isn’t considered. Participating patients will receive psilocybin within a home-like, comfortable room in a fully-supported research unit. The work is part of the Mayo Clinic's integrative oncology programs that leverage diet, exercise, cannabis, supplements and now psilocybin in meeting the physical, mental and spiritual needs of terminally ill patients.

 

Research results will be published in a journal in hopes that shared findings can serve the field of palliative and hospice care.

 

Research leaders:  Stacy D’Andre, MD,  Ken Olivier, MD; Maria Lapid, MD; Andrea Randall PharmD; and Ugur Sener, MD. $99,050

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PRATI and Pravan Foundation

This grant will provide training for 20 hospice workers, palliative-care providers, and doulas to deliver psychedelic-assisted therapy for existential distress in Puerto Rico, which has independent authority to reschedule psychedelic medicines. 

This represents an important expansion of Prati’s work in partnership with the Puerto Rico-based Pravan Foundation.  Since 2019, PRATI has offered immersive experiential training in KAP through a four-day, residential Foundational KAP Training program.  More than 600 people around the world have undergone the training, which has become a trusted gateway for professionals entering the field of psychedelic therapy.

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The PRATI teaching team includes Christine Pateros, MA, RN; Wilhelmina de Castro, LCSW;  Mary Cosimano LMSW; Darren Fisher RN, BSN; Charlotte Charfen, MD; Carmen Amezcua MD; and German Ascani, MD and the PRAVAN Foundation team is led by Tania Rivera, MD and David Melchor. $75,000

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Red Willow Hospice

As the only accredited hospice in Northern New Mexico, Red Willow serves more than half of the state. The progressive hospice will use its grant to provide training to hospice staff as they offer Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) to terminally ill patients for the first time.  

 

With a vision to set the standard for hospice and palliative care of the future, Red Willow aspires to create a world where empowering the whole person through holistic, integrative, innovative, life-affirming care is not just a possibility, but a fundamental right for all. 

 

According to Founder and Executive Director Robyn Chavez, “People have been using psychedelic therapy, plant medicine, for years, for thousands of years. So when we implement this, it’s not going to just be a medically driven program. This is going to be a mind, body, spirit driven program.”  Chavez also said that psychedelic therapy is often more readily available in major healthcare centers in large cities, but this grant will enable others in more rural locations to benefit from it.

 

As part of the grant, Red Willow intends to host storytelling sessions in which families can share  their with KAP to educate others and help normalize conversations around psychedelics.

Read local news coverage about Red Willow’s work here.

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Research Leaders:  Robyn Chavez, RN, BSN, CHHM, Justin Babin, RN;  Joanna Hooper, MD; Lynn Nauman, MD,  Felicia Cardenas, Jennifer Johnson, Melissa Martinez, Katrina Lucero, Lisa Stolarzyc, MD; Emma Okamoto, MSW, LCSW, and Lisa Cheek, PT, DPT, CLT, LANA, $100,000.

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University of Washington Medicine

This important study will pilot cost-effective group psilocybin therapy for cancer-related anxiety and depression.  

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Patients participating in the research will experience a psilocybin retreat in a rustic, natural setting at The Whidbey Institute in Clinton, Washington.

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Within a windowed room full of natural light and a view to the outdoors, patients will recline in a circle around a low table or “altar” where they may place objects that hold meaning for them.  They will be offered eye masks and headphones to enjoy music during the treatment, which lasts approximately six hours. Patients are encouraged to focus inward during the experience, which lasts approximately six hours. A multi-disciplinary team will remain with the group, offering assistance, conversation and reassurance as desired.  If participants choose to move outdoors or take a walk, they will be supported.  

 

Based upon the team’s three previous research projects using psilocybin, this experience is expected to create a sense of openness that lasts long after the retreat concludes. Offering psilocybin therapy in a group setting holds great promise as a cost-effective approach to administering this promising treatment when compared to individual therapy sessions.  The results of the project will be published in a peer-reviewed paper in an effort to share findings with those involved in researching and administering palliative and hospice care.

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Research leaders:  Anthony Back, MD and Bonnie McGregor, Ph.D., $100,000